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n8n

AI Workflow Automation

n8n

Low-code workflow automation for technical teams building integrations and AI systems

Pricing: From €20/mo billed annually. Best for Technical teams automating multi-step business workflows across APIs and SaaS tools and AI workflows that combine models with deterministic logic and human approval.

n8n CloudPrimaryFrom €20/moCommunity Edition self-hostingBundled accessPaid self-hosted BusinessFrom €667/mo
Free plan available
14-day trial

Overview

Bottom line

n8n is a low-code workflow automation platform for technical teams that need to connect business systems, APIs, code, and AI steps in inspectable workflows. Its visual editor supports deterministic logic, human approvals, custom code, and AI agents, while execution logs expose what ran and where a workflow failed. It works best for developers, operations teams, and technically capable automation owners who want more control than a simple trigger-and-action builder provides.

The core caveat is ownership: n8n is source-available under its fair-code Sustainable Use License, not OSI-approved open source, and self-hosting does not make the service cost-free. A self-hosted deployment still requires infrastructure, upgrades, backups, security, monitoring, and any external model or API spend. The practical starting path is the managed cloud when predictable setup matters most. Choose self-hosting when your team can operate the stack and the included feature boundary is sufficient; use a paid organizational route when governance, scaling, support, compliance, or procurement requirements exceed that boundary.

Pricing

Pricing snapshot

Pricing routes

App subscriptions, API usage, team workspaces, and enterprise contracts can follow different billing paths. See the pricing guide for current plan and meter details.

App subscriptionPrimary

n8n Cloud

From €20/mo

Managed Starter and Pro access billed by a monthly workflow-execution allowance.

App subscription

Community Edition self-hosting

Bundled access

Free n8n Community Edition license on infrastructure the buyer operates and pays for.

Team workspace

Paid self-hosted Business

From €667/mo

A paid self-hosted license for organizational collaboration, governance, and scaling controls.

Enterprise sales

Enterprise Cloud or self-hosted

Custom

Sales-assisted access with custom execution capacity, governance, retention, support, and procurement.

Community Edition

€0/mo

Usage: Self-hosted; free indefinitely

  • Source-available fair-code Community Edition — Included
  • Self-hosted on buyer-managed infrastructure — Included
  • Core workflow editor and integrations — Included

Starter

€24/mo

Annual billing: €20/mo (€240 billed yearly)

Usage: 2,500 workflow executions/mo; 5 concurrent executions

  • Hosted by n8n — Included
  • Unlimited users and workflows — Included
  • 1 shared project — Included
  • 2,300 AI Assistant preview credits/mo — Included

Pro

€60/mo

Annual billing: €50/mo (€600 billed yearly)

Usage: 10,000 workflow executions/mo; 20 concurrent executions

  • Hosted by n8n — Included
  • 3 shared projects — Included
  • 7 days of insights — Included
  • Up to 13,700 AI Assistant preview credits/mo — Included

Business

€800/mo

Annual billing: €667/mo (€8,000 billed yearly)

Usage: 40,000 workflow executions/mo across licensed instances

  • Self-hosted paid license — Included
  • 6 shared projects — Included
  • SSO, SAML, and LDAP — Included
  • Environments, scaling options, and Git version control — Included

Enterprise

Custom quote or bundled pricing

Usage: Custom workflow-execution quota; hosted or self-hosted

  • Custom execution capacity — Included
  • External secret store and log streaming — Included
  • Extended data retention — Included
  • Dedicated support with SLA — Included

Capabilities

Input types

text, image, audio, video, code, file, url

Output types

text, image, audio, video, code, file

Supported platforms

Web

Delivery modes

Web app, API, CLI

Company context

Company

n8n GmbH

Founded

Not specified

Headquarters

Berlin, Germany

Category

AI Workflow Automation

Evidence boundary

Official sources

Editorial guidance grounded in official product sources.

FAQ

Common questions

What is n8n used for?

n8n is a low-code workflow automation platform for connecting apps, APIs, data, code, and AI components in multi-step workflows. It is aimed primarily at technical teams that want visual orchestration without giving up control over logic, execution, and deployment.

Is n8n open source?

n8n makes its source available and describes its licensing model as fair-code. Its Sustainable Use License places commercial-use restrictions on the software, so n8n should not be described as OSI-approved open source.

Is n8n free to self-host?

Community Edition has no n8n license fee and can be used indefinitely, but self-hosting is not zero-cost. The operator still owns infrastructure, upgrades, backups, monitoring, security, incident response, and any third-party API or model charges.

How does n8n count paid usage?

n8n bases its direct plan allowances on workflow executions. One execution is a run of the complete workflow, regardless of how many steps it contains or how much data it processes.

Are AI model costs included with n8n?

No general model or third-party API budget is bundled into the n8n workflow-execution allowance. AI Assistant credits apply to that n8n preview feature on eligible plans, while production workflows can create separate charges with the model and service providers whose credentials they use.

Can n8n run in the cloud and on private infrastructure?

Yes. n8n sells managed Cloud plans, provides a free self-hosted Community Edition, sells a self-hosted Business license, and offers Enterprise for hosted or self-hosted deployments. Self-hosted buyers control data location but also assume the operating responsibilities.

Recent updates

Changelog snapshot

Feature

Event date

Version 2.36

n8n Cloud adds prepaid Gateway credits for supported AI models and tool services, allowing supported nodes to run without separate provider accounts, billing setup or API keys. Users can still supply their own provider credentials.

Official source n8n changelog — Gateway credits

Verified

Improvement

Event date

Version 2.38

Error workflow runs are excluded from execution quotas across n8n plans. The change is live on n8n Cloud and applies to self-hosted installations from 2.38.0, or 1.123.60 for v1.

Official source n8n changelog — Error workflow execution quotas

Verified

Decision rail

Keep the key facts, primary action, and section jumps visible while you evaluate the profile.

Visit Official Site

Last verified August 25, 2026

Pricing
From €20/mo billed annually
Platforms
Web
Access
Web app, API, CLI
Best for
Technical teams automating multi-step business workflows across APIs and SaaS tools and AI workflows that combine models with deterministic logic and human approval and Organizations that need a choice between managed cloud and self-hosted deployment and Developers who want visual orchestration with code, webhooks, API, and CLI control
Category
AI Workflow Automation

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VSn8n vs PipedreamPipedream Workflows is closed to new customers and shuts down on March 31, 2027, so n8n is our recommendation for any new project, whether you want visual orchestration, code nodes or self-hosting. If you already run Pipedream Workflows, use this page to plan the move: n8n's JavaScript and Python Code nodes cover most code-first Pipedream steps, but every workflow must be rebuilt and every connected account re-authenticated.VSn8n vs GumloopGumloop is our default starting point for business teams that want to build and share managed AI agents without taking responsibility for a workflow runtime. Choose n8n when a technical owner needs explicit data transformations, custom dependencies, or self-hosted execution. This recommendation concerns workflow ownership and fit; it is not a tested performance or lowest-cost ranking.VSn8n vs ActivepiecesFor technical teams requiring a mature, battle-tested visual automation engine with complex multi-branch routing, sub-workflows, Python scripting, and LangChain AI agent tools, n8n is our default recommendation. Choose Activepieces when permissive MIT licensing for unmetered self-hosting or commercial embedding is non-negotiable, when your team needs flat-rate collaboration with 25 included seats on the Team tier, or when your developers prefer writing custom pieces in native TypeScript with Model Context Protocol (MCP) support.VSn8n vs ZapierZapier is our default for teams connecting common business apps with a managed platform that operations staff can maintain. Choose n8n when custom API work, deeper workflows or infrastructure control are central and a technical owner can support them. n8n Cloud preserves a managed hosting option; self-hosting adds operational work, and neither platform's entry price covers every AI or usage cost.VSn8n vs MakeFor an operations team coordinating established SaaS apps, Make is our default starting point. Choose n8n when custom transformations, Git-backed environments or control of the runtime are decisive and someone can maintain them. n8n Cloud remains an option when you want its builder without operating servers.

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Reference links

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