# n8n Pricing (2026): Cloud Plans vs Self-Hosted Cost, Explained

> n8n pricing in 2026: Cloud Starter, Pro, Business and Enterprise plans, what counts as an execution, and what self-hosting the free edition really costs.

**n8n pricing** comes in two shapes. n8n Cloud charges by workflow executions. As of October 2026, n8n lists Starter at 20€ a month for 2,500 executions and Pro at 50€ a month for 10,000, both billed annually. The self-hosted Community Edition is free, so your real cost is a 4 GB server and the time to run it.

That split is where most budgets go wrong. Teams compare a 20€ plan with a "free" download and forget that the free path needs a server, backups, updates and someone awake when it breaks. Others pay for Cloud long after their volume made it the expensive option. If you are new to the tool, start with **[what n8n is](/what-is-n8n-a-beginners-guide/)**.

This guide covers every n8n plan as listed on n8n.io on 31 October 2026, what an execution is, what the Community Edition leaves out, and the real monthly bill for self-hosting, including the server size n8n needs and what xCloud charges to run it for you.

![n8n pricing 2026: Cloud plans compared with the free self-hosted Community Edition](/_landing/blog/n8n-pricing-image-1.png)

## **TL;DR**

Short on time? Here is the whole guide in a few lines:

- **n8n Cloud** is priced by executions per month. As of October 2026, n8n lists **Starter 20€/mo** (2,500) and **Pro 50€/mo** (10,000), both billed annually, and says annual billing saves 17%.
- **Business is self-hosted only**: n8n lists it at **667€/mo** billed annually (40,000 executions), with SSO and LDAP, environments and Git. n8n says startups under 20 employees can check if they qualify for 50% off.
- **Enterprise** is "Contact Sales", for Cloud or self-hosted.
- **One execution = one full workflow run**, however many steps it has.
- **The Community Edition is free** under the Sustainable Use License. It has no SSO, Git, environments or sharing.
- **Self-hosting is not free in practice.** n8n needs at least **4 GB RAM and 2 CPU cores** and **Node.js 24** on xCloud. That is a $24–$30/mo managed server, or your own VPS on xCloud's Free Trial plan, where n8n installs but backups and the Environment editor need a paid plan.
- **Rule of thumb:** under 2,500 runs a month and no ops time, Cloud Starter. Steady or growing volume, self-host.

## **The Finding: The Server Size Decides Your Self-Hosted Price**

xCloud's dashboard checks the server before it installs n8n and **refuses any server below 4 GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores**, and, since xCloud v2.9.7, any server below **Node.js 24**, because current n8n releases will not install on older Node.js.

That makes the honest self-hosted floor a 4 GB machine, not a 1 GB one. It also shows where the ongoing work is: keeping Node.js and n8n updated as new releases ship. The upkeep, not the licence, is the recurring cost.

## **n8n Pricing at a Glance (as of October 2026)**

All prices below are as n8n lists them on its **[pricing page](https://n8n.io/pricing/)** as of October 2026, in euros, billed annually. n8n can change them at any time, so check the page before you buy. n8n's page says every plan includes unlimited users, unlimited workflows and every integration.

| Plan | Price | Executions / month | Concurrent runs | Where it runs | Key extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Community Edition** | Free | Not metered by n8n | Your server's limit | Self-hosted | Core editor, all integrations |
| **Starter** | 20€/mo | 2,500 | 5 | n8n Cloud | 1 shared project, 7-day log retention |
| **Pro** | 50€/mo | 10,000 | 20 or 50 | n8n Cloud | 3 shared projects, admin roles, global variables |
| **Business** | 667€/mo | 40,000 | Not listed | Self-hosted only | SSO and LDAP, environments, Git, 6 shared projects |
| **Enterprise** | Contact Sales | Custom | 200+ | Cloud or self-hosted | Log streaming, external secrets, SLA support |

If you only remember one line: **Cloud plans buy you executions and zero maintenance; the Community Edition buys you no limits and all the maintenance.**

### **Starter (20€/mo)**

Starter suits one person or a small team with a few light workflows. n8n lists 2,500 executions a month, 5 concurrent runs, a **5-minute maximum execution time** and 7 days of execution log retention.

### **Pro (50€/mo)**

n8n lists Pro with 10,000 executions, a 40-minute maximum run time and 30 days of log retention. As of October 2026, it adds admin roles, global variables and 7 days of insights. It allows up to 50 concurrent runs, depending on the Pro tier you pick.

### **Business (667€/mo, self-hosted only)**

Business is the plan most people misread. It is **not a hosted plan**: you run n8n on your own server and turn on the paid features with a licence key from n8n. n8n lists SSO and LDAP, multiple environments, Git version control and 6 shared projects.

n8n says companies **under 20 employees can check if they qualify for 50% off Business**. n8n lists a 14-day Business trial and says it is the only trial that needs a credit card.

### **Enterprise (custom)**

As of October 2026, n8n lists Enterprise with external secret stores, log streaming to tools like Datadog, audit logging, 365 days of insights and dedicated support with an SLA. n8n does not publish a price. Any figure you see on third-party pages is an estimate, not a quote.

## **What Counts as an Execution?**

n8n's definition is simple: **"An execution is a single run of your entire workflow."** The number of steps and the amount of data do not matter.

This is the biggest pricing difference from tools that bill per step. As of October 2026, **[Zapier's pricing page](https://zapier.com/pricing)** says each successful step in a Zap uses tasks, and **[Make's pricing page](https://www.make.com/en/pricing)** says Make bills in credits, with most module actions using 1 credit. A 10-step workflow that runs 1,000 times is 1,000 n8n executions. For the per-step comparison, see **[n8n vs Zapier](/n8n-vs-zapier-which-one-should-you-choose/)**.

What happens when you go over? n8n lists overage as "Capped" on Starter and Pro and "Custom" on Enterprise. Check the pricing page for the current terms before you plan around it.

## **The Free Community Edition: What You Get and What You Don't**

The Community Edition is what n8n runs when there is no licence key. It has the full workflow editor and every integration. A free **Registered Community** key, sent by email, adds folders, debugging in the editor and custom execution data.

According to **[n8n's Community Edition docs](https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/community-edition-features/)**, it does not include:

| Missing in Community Edition | Available on |
|---|---|
| SSO (SAML, LDAP) | Business, Enterprise |
| Environments (dev and prod) | Business, Enterprise |
| Version control using Git | Business, Enterprise |
| Projects and sharing of workflows and credentials | Paid plans |
| Custom variables | Pro and above |
| External secrets | Enterprise |
| Log streaming (basic logging is included) | Enterprise |
| Running n8n on several servers at once (multi-main mode) | Business, Enterprise (self-hosted) |

The catch worth knowing: **without sharing, only the instance owner and the creator can access a workflow or credential.** For a solo builder that is fine. For a team of five, it is often the real reason to pay.

### **The licence in one paragraph**

n8n is "fair-code", not open source in the OSI sense. The **[Sustainable Use License](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/blob/master/LICENSE.md)** says you may use or modify it "only for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial or personal use", and you may give it to others only "free of charge for non-commercial purposes". If you plan to sell n8n to clients, read the licence or ask n8n before reselling.

## **The Real Cost of Self-Hosting n8n**

Self-hosted n8n has three cost lines: the **server**, the **upkeep**, and **your time**. The third is the line item people forget.

![What self-hosting n8n really costs: server, upkeep and your time](/_landing/blog/n8n-pricing-image-2.png)

### **1. The server**

On xCloud, n8n needs at least **4 GB of RAM, 2 CPU cores and Node.js 24**. xCloud's **[n8n One Click App guide](/docs/deploy-n8n-with-xcloud-with-one-click-apps/)** recommends an NGINX server over OpenLiteSpeed. The dashboard checks these before it installs anything, so a 1 GB or 2 GB server is refused.

### **2. The upkeep**

Someone has to handle these jobs every month:

- **Operating system and security patches** for the server
- **Node.js updates**, since n8n now requires Node.js 24
- **n8n version updates**, which ship often and sometimes carry security fixes
- **Backups**, and a tested restore
- **SSL certificates**, a domain, and the web server setup that sends visitors to n8n
- **Email (SMTP)**, or you cannot reset a lost n8n password

### **3. Your time**

Setting up a raw VPS takes an afternoon the first time. The ongoing cost is smaller but never zero: a failed update, a full disk, a 503 after a Node.js change. Price an hour of your time and add it to the server bill. That is the occasional 3 a.m. restart, made into a number.

### **Self-hosting cost on xCloud**

xCloud's prices come from its **[pricing page](/pricing/)** in US dollars. Plans that fit n8n's 4 GB minimum:

| Option | Monthly price | What you get | Who maintains the server |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Managed: Standard** | $24.00 | 4 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 80 GB SSD, 3 TB bandwidth | xCloud |
| **Managed: Growing** | $30.00 | 4 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 128 GB NVMe SSD, 3 TB bandwidth | xCloud |
| **Managed: Professional / Elite** | $45.00 / $50.00 | 8 GB RAM, for heavier workflows | xCloud |
| **Self-managed: Free Trial ($0, forever)** | $0 + your VPS bill | 1 server, 10 sites, your own 4 GB VPS; backups and the Environment editor need a paid plan | You (xCloud runs the panel) |
| **Self-managed: Starter** | $5 per server + your VPS bill | 2–5 servers, unlimited sites | You (xCloud runs the panel) |

Every option runs n8n with no per-execution fee. A workflow that runs 100 times or 100,000 times costs the same; the server's size is the limit.

## **n8n Cloud vs Self-Hosted: Which Costs Less?**

There is no single break-even number, because n8n prices in euros by executions and servers are priced in dollars by size. Use the shape of your workload instead.

| Your situation | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A few workflows, under 2,500 runs a month | **n8n Cloud Starter** | Lowest effort, nothing to maintain |
| 2,500–10,000 runs, workflows over 5 minutes | **Pro or self-hosted** | Pro lifts the run-time cap; a 4 GB server has none |
| Steady volume above 10,000 runs a month | **Self-hosted** | You pay for the machine, not per run |
| Data must stay in your own region or server | **Self-hosted** | You pick the server and its location |
| You need SSO, Git or environments | **Business or Enterprise** | These are licence features, not hosting |
| You want to resell n8n to clients | **Talk to n8n first** | Read the licence or ask n8n before reselling |

### **Choose n8n Cloud if…**

- ✅ You run fewer than a few thousand workflows a month
- ✅ No one on the team wants to look after a server
- ✅ Your workflows finish within the plan's run-time limit

Cloud is the zero-ops answer, and at low volume it is hard to beat.

### **Choose self-hosted if…**

- ✅ Your execution count is growing or hard to predict
- ✅ You have long-running workflows or large data loads
- ✅ You want your workflow data on a server you control

Self-hosting wins on cost at scale, as long as someone owns the upkeep.

## **Run Self-Hosted n8n Without the Upkeep on xCloud**

**[xCloud's n8n hosting](/n8n-hosting/)** is the middle path: the free Community Edition on your own server, with the server work done for you. You install it from **New Site → One Click Apps → n8n** in the dashboard, choose **Go Live** or **Demo Site**, set the timezone, and xCloud sets up the web server, free SSL and your domain for you.

What xCloud handles today:

- **Server checks before install:** the 4 GB RAM, 2 CPU and Node.js 24 minimums
- **Free SSL** that renews automatically, plus your own domain
- **Scheduled local and remote backups** with restore from the dashboard (paid plans)
- **Operating system security updates** on managed servers
- **n8n updates** from **n8n → Updates → Check for Updates → Update n8n**
- **Node.js updates** from the server's **Node Configuration** page. If the server's Node.js is too old for n8n, the install error links straight to it with a **Go to Node Configuration Page** button

👉 Follow the step-by-step guide: **[deploy n8n with xCloud One Click Apps](/docs/deploy-n8n-with-xcloud-with-one-click-apps/)**. Then **[set up SMTP for n8n](/docs/how-to-set-up-smtp-for-n8n-with-environment/)** (paid plans) so password resets work. On the Free Trial, upgrade first: the Environment page sends free accounts to billing.

### **What xCloud does not do (honest limits)**

- **No n8n licence features.** SSO, Git and environments come from n8n's Business or Enterprise licence, not from xCloud.
- **Not Docker.** xCloud installs n8n directly on your server and keeps it running as a background program, not in Docker. If you want n8n's official Docker image, use **[a custom Docker app from Git](/docs/how-to-deploy-custom-docker-application-from-git-repository/)** instead.
- **One server.** xCloud installs n8n on one server; for heavier work, move to a bigger server.
- **Backups and the Environment editor need a paid plan.** n8n is free on every plan, but changing its settings on the **Environment** page (**n8n → Environment**) needs a paid plan, and so does the site **Backup** menu.
- **Not cheaper at tiny volume.** A $24 server costs more than Cloud Starter if you only run a few hundred workflows a month.
- **Undoing it is simple.** Export your workflows from n8n, then delete the site from the dashboard. Nothing locks you in.

If n8n ever shows a 503 after a Node.js change, the fix is in **[this guide to 503 errors in n8n](/docs/fix-503-bad-gateway-errors-for-n8n-application/)**. Comparing other hosts too? See the **[best n8n hosting providers](/best-n8n-hosting-providers/)** and the DIY route in **[hosting n8n on your own server](/n8n-hosting-on-your-own-server/)**.

**[Deploy n8n on xCloud](/n8n-hosting/)** and keep your workflows on a server you control.

## **Pick the n8n Plan That Matches Your Volume This Week**

n8n pricing is simpler than it looks. Cloud charges per workflow run and removes all maintenance. The Community Edition removes the per-run bill and hands you the server.

This week, count your monthly executions from the n8n **Executions** list and check whether you need SSO, Git or sharing. Low volume and no ops time points to Cloud Starter. Steady volume and a need for control points to a 4 GB self-hosted server, managed by you or by xCloud.

If you have found this blog helpful, feel free to [**subscribe to our blogs**](https://xcloud.host/blog/) for valuable tutorials, guides, knowledge, and tips on web hosting and server management. You can also join our [**Facebook community**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/xcloud.community) to share insights and engage in discussions.

## **Frequently Asked Questions**

### **Is n8n free?**

Yes, if you self-host it. The Community Edition is free and runs without a licence key, so you pay only for the server and your time. n8n Cloud has no free plan; as of October 2026, n8n lists Starter at 20€ a month, billed annually.

### **What counts as an execution in n8n?**

One run of a whole workflow. n8n's pricing page says it does not matter how many steps the workflow has or how much data it processes. A 20-node workflow that runs once is one execution.

### **How much does it cost to self-host n8n?**

The software is free, so the cost is the server plus upkeep. n8n needs at least 4 GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores on xCloud, which is a $24 to $30 a month managed server, or your own VPS connected to xCloud's Free Trial plan ($0, one server, ten sites). n8n installs on the Free Trial, but backups and the Environment editor need a paid plan.

### **Is n8n Cloud cheaper than self-hosting?**

At low volume it can be. As of October 2026, n8n lists Starter with 2,500 executions a month with nothing to maintain. Once you need more executions, longer history or more concurrency, a self-hosted server usually costs less, because you pay for the machine and not per run.

### **Can I use self-hosted n8n for my business for free?**

For your own internal business use, yes. The Sustainable Use License allows use for your own internal business purposes. If you plan to sell n8n to clients, read the licence or ask n8n before reselling.

### **Does xCloud include n8n's Business features like SSO and Git?**

No. SSO, environments and Git version control are n8n licence features from its Business and Enterprise plans. xCloud runs the Community Edition and manages the server, SSL, backups and updates around it.