In our examples, self-hosting n8n on a small server costs less each month than n8n Cloud at every workload. The gap shrinks once you count backups, updates and some of your own time each month. The cloud version suits you if you run a few workflows and would rather pay than look after a server.
The examples below price three workloads both ways from this week's plans, all in euros. The move section follows n8n's documentation.
Who this is for
- you are deciding between n8n Cloud and running n8n yourself
- you want to know whether self-hosted n8n is really free
- you are on n8n Cloud and wonder what moving to your own server would take
Not for you if you want every way to run n8n, not only these two: see n8n hosting compared.
Key numbers
- 2,500 executions a month on n8n Cloud Starter, with five running at a time Official page,
- 10,000 executions a month on n8n Cloud Pro, with up to 50 at a time Official page,
- 0 credentials in an n8n Cloud workflow backup: you re-enter them on a new server Official page,
- 5 minutes the longest a single run may take on n8n Cloud Starter; Pro allows 40 Official page,
What n8n Cloud includes, and its limits
n8n Cloud is priced by executions: one execution is one complete run of a workflow, however many steps it has. Every plan includes unlimited users, workflows and integrations. The plans differ in executions a month and in how many run at the same time:
Starter suits a handful of short workflows; Pro adds four times the executions and longer runs.
| Plan | Executions a month | Running at once | Longest run | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 2,500 | 5 | 5 minutes | €20 a month (checked 25 October 2026) |
| Pro | 10,000 | up to 50 | 40 minutes | €50 a month (checked 26 October 2026) |
n8n's pricing page lists overage on Starter and Pro as capped, so plan for the executions you need. Hosted data stays in Frankfurt, Germany, by the same page.
Is n8n free? What the self-hosted Community edition includes
The Community edition, which is what n8n runs without a licence key, costs nothing. Its Sustainable Use License allows use for your own internal business purposes and for non-commercial or personal use. It does not allow selling access to n8n as a service.
n8n's pricing page lists no execution allowance for the Community edition: what limits you is your server. The Community edition leaves out these paid features, according to n8n's documentation:
- SSO, projects, environments and custom variables
- sharing workflows and credentials with other users
- log streaming and version control with Git
- external secrets, external storage for binary data and multi-main mode (queue mode is included)
Three workloads, priced both ways
Each example compares n8n Cloud with n8n on a Contabo Cloud VPS 4, a server with 8 GB of memory. Both are priced in euros. The execution counts are our own examples; the prices are this week's.
A small shop: five workflows, about 1,500 executions a month
| What it is for | Plan and price | Amount | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud Starter, 1 month | n8n Cloud Starter €20/month yearly plan, paid up front for 12 months and not refundable; works out at this price per month checked 25 Oct 2026 | 1 month | €20.00 | Visit |
| Total | €20.00 | |||
Starter includes 2,500 executions a month; 1,500 is our example.
| What it is for | Plan and price | Amount | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contabo Cloud VPS 4, 1 month | Contabo Cloud VPS 4 €4.40/month 24-month term, paid up front; the price applies to the first 24 months and to the EU region in Germany; other regions cost more each month checked 25 Oct 2026 | 1 month | €4.40 | Visit |
| Total | €4.40 | |||
The lowest Contabo prices need a long term paid in advance; see the term under the price. Your time is not included.
An agency: ten client workflows, about 8,000 executions a month
| What it is for | Plan and price | Amount | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud Pro, 1 month | n8n Cloud Pro €50/month yearly plan, paid up front for 12 months and not refundable; works out at this price per month (the 10,000-executions-a-month option) checked 26 Oct 2026 | 1 month | €50.00 | Visit |
| Total | €50.00 | |||
Pro includes 10,000 executions a month; 8,000 is our example.
| What it is for | Plan and price | Amount | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contabo Cloud VPS 4, 1 month | Contabo Cloud VPS 4 €4.40/month 24-month term, paid up front; the price applies to the first 24 months and to the EU region in Germany; other regions cost more each month checked 25 Oct 2026 | 1 month | €4.40 | Visit |
| Total | €4.40 | |||
One server can hold all 10 clients' workflows; check the licence before you charge clients for access.
One AI-heavy workflow: 2,000 runs a month with a model
Here the model adds a bill of its own, the same whichever way you host n8n. Both versions use Mistral Small 4, through Infomaniak's API, with our example of 20 million input and 4 million output tokens a month:
| Example | Part | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud Starter | n8n Cloud | €20.00 |
| n8n Cloud Starter | Model input | €4.00 |
| n8n Cloud Starter | Model output | €3.00 |
| n8n Cloud Starter | Total | €27.00 |
| Own server | Server | €4.40 |
| Own server | Model input | €4.00 |
| Own server | Model output | €3.00 |
| Own server | Total | €11.40 |
Our example: 20 million input and 4 million output tokens a month, not a measurement. Prices exclude VAT.
The costs people forget
- backups: n8n Cloud keeps workflow backups, while on your own server you set them up yourself, encryption key included
- updates: n8n Cloud updates for you; on your own server you run each update yourself, after a backup
- renewals: the lowest server prices often need a long term paid in advance and renew higher
- your time: updates, backups and checks take some of your time every month; we will log ours once we run our own server
Moving from n8n Cloud to your own server
n8n Cloud's console lets you download workflows from a backup, but those backups contain workflows only, never credentials. So the move has three parts: download the workflows, import them on the new server, and connect every credential again.
Imported workflows arrive switched off, which gives you time to check each one before you turn it on.
Choose n8n Cloud if...
- you run a few workflows and the executions fit a plan comfortably
- you want n8n's own team to handle updates, backups and security
- you want your data in Frankfurt without managing a server
Self-host if...
- you run many workflows or long-running ones, and executions would push you up the plans
- you are comfortable with Docker, updates and backups, or want to learn
- you need n8n inside your own network or next to a model on the same server
Our five picks of servers for n8n match a plan to each need.
How we calculated
Prices come from our weekly price records and show their own dates. The execution and token counts are our examples, chosen to show where the costs cross; they are not measurements. Plan details come from n8n's pricing page and documentation, read on 27 October 2026. Our own measurements will be added here, with their dates, when our test bench runs them.
Mistakes to avoid
Comparing a server's first-term price with n8n Cloud's monthly price
Instead: Compare renewal prices too.
Forgetting the model bill
Instead: Add the tokens your AI steps use; they often cost more than the hosting.
Moving to a server without the credentials
Instead: Plan to reconnect every credential: Cloud backups never include them.
Reselling access to a self-hosted n8n
Instead: Check the Sustainable Use License first.
Other questions
Is n8n free?
The self-hosted Community edition is free for internal business, non-commercial and personal use. The cloud version is paid, with a free trial without a card capped at 1,000 executions.
What are the limits of self-hosted n8n?
The Community edition leaves out paid features such as SSO, projects, environments, sharing and Git version control. The pricing page lists no execution allowance for it, so your server sets the practical limit.
How much does n8n cost per month?
n8n Cloud costs what the plan boxes above show. Self-hosted, you pay for the server, plus any model usage and your own time.
Sources and test notes
- n8n pricing, read
- n8n documentation: Community edition features, read
- n8n licence (Sustainable Use License), read
- n8n documentation: download workflows from n8n Cloud, read
- n8n documentation: back up and restore, read
- Infomaniak AI Services prices, read
Every page read on 27 October 2026. Execution and token counts are our examples.