n8n Pricing Explained: Cloud vs Self-Hosted Cost Breakdown
After working hands-on with automation workflows for U.S.-based startups, solo founders, and small teams, I’ve learned that pricing confusion—not technical limits—is often what blocks teams from adopting tools like n8n at scale. That real-world experience is exactly why this n8n Pricing Explained: Cloud vs Self-Hosted Cost Breakdown exists: to give you a clear, decision-ready understanding of what n8n actually costs in practice, not just on paper.
If you’re building automation for English-speaking, high-value markets like the United States, choosing between n8n Cloud and self-hosted n8n isn’t just about monthly fees—it’s about execution limits, operational overhead, compliance needs, and long-term scalability.
Understanding n8n Pricing Philosophy
Unlike traditional automation platforms that charge per “task” or “zap,” n8n uses a workflow execution–based pricing model. One execution represents a full run of a workflow, regardless of how many steps it contains. This design strongly favors complex, logic-heavy automations—especially for engineering-led teams and technical founders.
The trade-off is that pricing clarity depends on how well you understand your execution volume. Teams that underestimate usage can hit limits quickly, while teams that plan correctly often save thousands annually compared to alternatives.
The official pricing details are published directly by n8n on their website (n8n.io), and the following breakdown reflects real usage scenarios relevant to U.S. production environments.
n8n Cloud Pricing: Hosted by n8n
n8n Cloud is designed for teams that want zero infrastructure management. Everything—from hosting to updates—is handled by n8n. This option is especially attractive for founders who want to deploy fast and focus on business logic instead of DevOps.
Starter Plan
The Starter plan is priced at $20 per month (billed annually) and includes 2,500 workflow executions per month with unlimited steps.
This tier is best suited for early-stage founders, consultants testing automation ideas, or content-driven businesses running lightweight workflows such as CRM syncing, webhook triggers, or basic AI integrations.
Real limitation: The 2,500 execution cap can feel generous at first but becomes restrictive once workflows are triggered by user activity or scheduled frequently.
Practical workaround: Use conditional logic early in workflows to stop unnecessary executions, or consolidate triggers to reduce execution frequency.
Pro Plan
The Pro plan costs $50 per month (billed annually) and increases capacity to 10,000 workflow executions per month.
This tier targets solo builders and small U.S.-based teams running production automations, including AI-assisted workflows, internal tooling, and operational pipelines.
Key advantage: Higher concurrency and access to workflow history make debugging production issues far more manageable.
Real limitation: While execution limits are higher, fast-growing products can still outpace this tier quickly if automation becomes core infrastructure.
Business Plan
The Business plan starts at $800 per month (billed annually) and includes 40,000 workflow executions, advanced security (SSO, SAML, LDAP), and multi-environment support.
This plan is clearly aimed at U.S. companies under 100 employees that require compliance alignment, audit trails, and structured collaboration.
Reality check: For many startups, this tier is less about execution volume and more about governance, access control, and organizational maturity.
Enterprise / Custom Plan
For teams needing custom execution volumes, extended data retention, or SLA-backed support, n8n offers a custom plan via direct sales contact.
This option is most relevant for enterprises running automation as mission-critical infrastructure or SaaS products embedding n8n internally.
Self-Hosted n8n: The Real Cost Breakdown
Self-hosted n8n is technically free in terms of licensing, but it is not “free” in operational cost. This model appeals strongly to U.S.-based engineering teams, privacy-first startups, and founders who want full control over data and scaling.
With self-hosting, you are responsible for infrastructure, uptime, security, backups, and scaling strategy.
Infrastructure Costs
At minimum, most production-grade self-hosted setups require:
- A cloud VM (commonly AWS, GCP, or DigitalOcean)
- Managed database (PostgreSQL recommended)
- Object storage for execution data
- Monitoring and backup tooling
In U.S. cloud regions, realistic monthly infrastructure costs typically range from $20 to $100+, depending on execution volume and redundancy requirements.
Time and Maintenance Cost
The hidden cost of self-hosting is engineering time. Updates, breaking changes, scaling issues, and security patches all require ongoing attention.
Real challenge: Teams often underestimate the long-term maintenance burden, especially when automation becomes business-critical.
Smart mitigation: Treat n8n like core infrastructure—document workflows, automate backups, and monitor execution health proactively.
Cloud vs Self-Hosted: Practical Comparison
| Factor | n8n Cloud | Self-Hosted n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | Minutes | Hours to days |
| Maintenance | Handled by n8n | Fully your responsibility |
| Scaling | Plan-based | Infrastructure-based |
| Compliance control | Limited by plan | Full control |
| Long-term cost predictability | High | Variable |
Which Option Makes Sense for U.S. Teams?
Choose n8n Cloud if:
- You want fast deployment with minimal overhead
- You’re a solo founder or small team
- Your automation volume is predictable
Choose self-hosted n8n if:
- You have in-house technical expertise
- Data control or compliance is critical
- You expect high or unpredictable execution volume
Common Pricing Mistakes to Avoid
One of the biggest mistakes U.S. teams make is comparing n8n pricing directly to Zapier or Make without factoring in execution logic. n8n rewards complex workflows but punishes inefficient triggers.
Another common error is choosing self-hosting too early. If automation is not yet core infrastructure, Cloud often delivers a better ROI despite higher sticker prices.
FAQ: n8n Pricing and Cost Strategy
Is n8n really cheaper than Zapier or Make?
For complex, multi-step workflows, n8n is often significantly cheaper. For simple, high-frequency triggers, costs can converge.
Can I start on Cloud and move to self-hosted later?
Yes. Many U.S. teams validate workflows on Cloud first, then migrate once automation becomes core infrastructure.
Does self-hosted n8n include all features?
Core automation features are available, but some enterprise-grade capabilities and AI builder credits are exclusive to n8n Cloud plans.
How do I estimate execution usage accurately?
Track trigger frequency, not workflow complexity. Executions scale with how often workflows run, not how many nodes they contain.
Final Verdict
n8n pricing is fair, transparent, and unusually favorable for technical teams—if you understand how executions work. For U.S.-based founders and companies operating in high-value markets, the real decision isn’t Cloud vs self-hosted—it’s whether you’re optimizing for speed or control.
If you choose based on actual usage patterns rather than assumptions, n8n can become one of the most cost-efficient automation platforms available today.