Our verdict: pay for Cloud unless someone owns the server
n8n's own decision guide recommends Cloud for people who want to start right away, do not have technical expertise, or do not want to manage infrastructure, and says that on Cloud n8n handles hosting, updates and scaling. [2] For self-hosting, the same guide says expertise is required for installation and configuration, you must provide and manage infrastructure, and maintenance is your responsibility. [2] We would self-host only when a named person accepts that maintenance as part of their job.
Who fits self-hosting: a team that already runs servers and wants workflows inside its own environment. Who should skip it: a small business that would have no one to apply updates or restore a broken instance.
How n8n counts usage
Unlike per-step billing, n8n's pricing page says an execution is a single run of the entire workflow, and that the number of steps or the amount of data does not matter. [1] Hypothetical example: a 12-step workflow that runs 1,500 times a month is 1,500 executions, which is within the Starter plan's listed 2.5K executions.
Cloud plans and self-hosted editions
Prices below are as displayed on n8n's pricing page on 2026-10-13, in euros and billed annually; the page did not show monthly billing prices.
| Option | Price shown | Executions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Starter | 20 EUR/mo, billed annually [1] | 2.5K per month [1] | 5 concurrent executions [1] |
| Cloud Pro | 50 EUR/mo, billed annually [1] | 10K per month [1] | Higher concurrency listed [1] |
| Business | 667 EUR/mo, billed annually [1] | 40K per month [1] | Currently self-hosted only, per the page [1] |
| Community edition (self-hosted) | No subscription; free registration adds extras [3] | Not metered by n8n | Excludes some features; Sustainable Use License [3] [4] |
What self-hosting costs you
The n8n subscription disappears, but the bill does not go to zero. Count these items before deciding. Server prices vary by provider, so the figures in the example are hypothetical.
- Infrastructure you provide and manage: a server or container host. [2]
- Maintenance: n8n's guide assigns this to you, so budget recurring time for updates. [2]
- Backups and restore tests: not described in the n8n pages we read, so plan them yourself.
- Missing features: if you need sharing between users, SSO or Git version control, the Community edition does not include them. [3]
- Hypothetical example: a 10 EUR per month server plus two hours a month of upkeep valued at 40 EUR an hour is 90 EUR a month, more than Cloud Pro's listed 50 EUR.
License pitfalls
The Sustainable Use License says you may use or modify the software only for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial or personal use, and may distribute it only free of charge for non-commercial purposes. [4] Files marked .ee are not covered and require an n8n Enterprise License. [4] An agency hosting n8n as a paid service for clients should read the license text and confirm with n8n rather than assume the Community edition applies.
Procedure: decide in one afternoon
- Count runs, not steps: list each workflow and its monthly run count, because n8n bills a whole workflow run as one execution. [1]
- Compare the total with 2.5K executions on Cloud Starter and 10K on Cloud Pro. [1]
- Check concurrency: Starter lists 5 concurrent executions, which matters if many webhooks arrive at once. [1]
- List any feature you need from the Community edition exclusions, such as sharing workflows between users or SSO. [3]
- Name the person who will install, update and monitor a self-hosted instance. If nobody is named, choose Cloud. [2]
- Read the license limitation and write down whether your use is internal. [4]
- Recheck the pricing page on the day you buy, since prices are shown in euros on annual billing and plans can change. [1] [3]
Our decision rule
Pick Cloud Starter when your workflows fit 2.5K executions and no one owns a server. Self-host only when someone has the skills and the time, the use is internal, and the excluded features are not required. Recheck the pricing page before committing, because n8n notes that features per plan and edition can change. [3]
Questions before you decide
How does n8n count executions?
n8n's pricing page says an execution is a single run of your entire workflow, regardless of how many steps it has or how much data it processes.
Is self-hosted n8n free for a business?
The Community edition runs without a license key. The Sustainable Use License allows use for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial or personal use. Reselling n8n-based functionality is a different question; read the license and ask n8n if your case is borderline.
What does the Community edition leave out?
n8n's documentation lists custom variables, environments, external secrets, log streaming, projects, SSO, sharing and Git version control among the features not included, while describing the edition as having almost the complete feature set.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- n8n pricing Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- n8n Docs: Choose how to use n8n Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- n8n Docs: Community edition features Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- n8n Sustainable Use License (LICENSE.md) Accessed 13 Oct 2026
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