n8n fits technical freelancers, small agencies, teams wanting to self-host best. Its clearest advantage is free forever if you self-host.
- Best for
- technical freelancers, small agencies, teams wanting to self-host
- Avoid if
- complete beginners who want the easiest possible setup
- Cheapest useful plan
- €24.00/mo · Starter
- Free plan
- Yes
- Setup effort
- moderate — 1-2 hr
- Main strength
- Free forever if you self-host
- Main limitation
- Self-hosting means you own the maintenance and uptime
- Evidence level
- Vendor documented (1/3)
- Free forever if you self-host
- Priced per execution, not per step
- Unlimited users and workflows on every paid plan
- complete beginners who want the easiest possible setup
- teams with nobody willing to maintain a server
What it actually does
visual workflow builder, self-hostable community edition, execution-based pricing, unlimited users on all plans.
The limits to know
- Self-hosting means you own the maintenance and uptime
- Steeper learning curve than the mainstream no-code tools
- Smaller integration catalogue than Zapier
The evidence record
- Evidence level
- Vendor documented — Official documentation and pricing page reviewed and dated. No independent verification, no hands-on test recorded.
- Pricing note
- Observed on the official pricing page with the monthly toggle selected: Starter €24/mo monthly or €20/mo annually (17% off) for 2,500 workflow executions; Pro €60 monthly; Business €800 monthly. Pricing counts workflow executions, not users — all plans include unlimited users and workflows.
- Billing condition
- €24/month billed monthly; €20/month billed annually. The self-hosted community edition stays free
- Platforms
- web, self-hosted, docker
- Integrations
- 400+, http/webhook, self-hosted databases
- Setup
- moderate — 1-2 hr
- Affiliate status
- No affiliate link on this record — no commission.
Pricing & billing commitment
- Rate on record
- €24.00/mo · Starter
- What that figure is
- Month-to-month rate per account, read on the vendor's monthly view. The plan is capped by an allowance (credits, tasks or minutes) rather than by time.
- Commitment
- None — payable one month at a time
- The vendor's exact condition
- €24/month billed monthly; €20/month billed annually. The self-hosted community edition stays free
- Usage cap
- This plan is capped by an allowance (credits, tasks or minutes), not only by time. Going past it costs extra or stops the work, depending on the vendor.
Hands-on test
No automated hands-on test has been completed for this review cycle. This record rests on the vendor's official documentation and pricing page, re-read and dated. We say so rather than imply otherwise.
The research record
Corrected to the month-to-month figure already recorded in this record's own billing condition
Published by us from the vendor's annual view — our error, read on 2026-08-06
Sources
The official pages this record rests on. No tracking links here: these addresses name the vendor.
Evidence freshness
Each kind of check has its own clock and its own threshold. A price ages in weeks and a feature list in months; sharing one date between them would let an old review pass for a recent check.
| Check | When | State |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Checked today | Fresh |
| Features | Checked 38 days ago | Fresh |
| Privacy & data | Never checked | Not independently checked |
| Hands-on test | Never checked | Not independently checked |
| Page review | Checked 38 days ago | Fresh |
What remains unverified
- No workflow was run inside the product. Everything here comes from the vendor's documentation and public pages.
- Data handling and the privacy policy were not independently verified during this research cycle. We therefore publish no conclusion about security or where data is stored.
- Export terms and the real cost of leaving are not on this record: we have not tested them.
Alternatives to n8n
Frequently asked questions
What is n8n?
n8n is a tool from n8n GmbH, in the automation category. It is mainly used for: client workflow automation, AI steps in flows, self-hosted data pipelines.
How much does n8n cost?
The paid entry point is €24.00/mo · Starter. Month-to-month rate per account, read on the vendor's monthly view. The plan is capped by an allowance (credits, tasks or minutes) rather than by time. The exact condition attached to that figure: €24/month billed monthly; €20/month billed annually. The self-hosted community edition stays free. Read on the official pricing page on 13.09.2026. Prices move quickly — confirm before subscribing.
Does n8n have a free plan?
Yes. n8n publishes a permanent free plan. Check this before settling on it: self-hosting means you own the maintenance and uptime.
Who is n8n for — and who is it not for?
Good fit: technical freelancers, small agencies, teams wanting to self-host. Not for: complete beginners who want the easiest possible setup; teams with nobody willing to maintain a server.
What is the main limitation of n8n?
Self-hosting means you own the maintenance and uptime. Our evidence level on this record: Official documentation and pricing page reviewed and dated. No independent verification, no hands-on test recorded.