n8n pricing explained: which plan you actually need
Updated 13 September 2026 · 8 min read
n8n is priced unlike most SaaS tools, and that is where the confusion starts. You are not paying per user or per task — you are paying for workflow executions and for how many workflows you keep switched on. Two teams running the same automations can land on completely different plans.
This guide explains what each part of n8n's pricing actually meters, how self-hosting changes the maths, and which plan suits which kind of user.
The short answer
- Trying automation out, a handful of workflows: the Cloud starter tier is enough, and you will know within a month if you have outgrown it.
- A small team running client work or internal ops: the Pro tier, mainly for concurrent executions and more active workflows.
- Heavy volume, or data you cannot send to a vendor's cloud: self-host the community edition and pay nothing for the software itself, only for the server.
- A company that needs SSO, log streaming and environments: Enterprise, quoted per organisation.
What n8n actually charges for
An execution is one complete run of a workflow, no matter how many nodes it contains. A workflow with forty steps and a workflow with three steps each count as one execution. This is the single most important thing to understand, because it means splitting work into fewer, larger workflows costs less than chaining many small ones.
Active workflows are the second meter. A workflow that is switched on and waiting for a trigger counts against your limit even on days when it never fires. Archived or disabled workflows do not.
- Executions — counted per full workflow run, not per node or per step.
- Active workflows — counted while enabled, whether or not they trigger.
- Concurrency — how many runs can happen at once; the usual reason to move up a tier.
- Execution history retention — how far back you can inspect past runs when debugging.
- Collaboration and governance — shared projects, roles, environments, SSO on the higher tiers.
Cloud versus self-hosted
Self-hosting is genuinely free for the software, but it is not free overall. Budget for a small always-on server, a database, and the time someone spends on updates. Below a few thousand executions a month, Cloud is usually cheaper once you price that time honestly.
| n8n Cloud | Self-hosted | |
|---|---|---|
| Software cost | Subscription per plan | Community edition is free |
| Infrastructure | Managed for you | Your server, your bill |
| Execution limits | Capped by plan | Limited by your hardware |
| Upgrades and backups | Handled | Your responsibility |
| Data residency | n8n's infrastructure | Wherever you host it |
| Best for | Teams who want it to just work | High volume or strict data rules |
How to size your plan before you commit
- Count your triggers, not your ideas. List the automations you will genuinely switch on in month one.
- Estimate runs per day per workflow, multiply by thirty, and add half again for retries and testing.
- Merge small workflows. Two workflows chained together cost two executions; one workflow with a branch costs one.
- Turn off what you are not using. Active-workflow limits catch people who leave experiments running.
- Start a tier lower than you think. n8n shows your usage, and upgrading mid-term is easy; refunds for over-buying are not.
Common mistakes that inflate the bill
- Polling triggers set to run every minute when every fifteen minutes would do — that is a 15x difference in executions.
- Sub-workflows called in a loop, each counting separately.
- Test runs left on a production workflow while you debug.
- Keeping seasonal automations active all year instead of enabling them when needed.
Frequently asked questions
- Does n8n charge per node or per step?
- No. One complete workflow run is one execution, however many nodes it contains. This is why n8n often works out cheaper than task-based automation tools for complex workflows.
- Is self-hosted n8n really free?
- The community edition software is free under its licence, but you pay for the server, database and your own maintenance time. Fair-code restrictions apply if you intend to resell n8n as a hosted service.
- What happens if I exceed my execution limit?
- n8n stops running workflows for the rest of the billing period or asks you to upgrade, depending on your plan. It does not silently bill you for overage, so watch the usage meter.
- Do failed executions count?
- Yes. A run that errors still consumed a run, which is why retry loops and misconfigured polling triggers are the usual cause of an unexpectedly high count.
- Can I get n8n cheaper through TechToolz?
- Yes — we supply a genuine n8n Cloud Starter subscription activated on your own account. Message us on WhatsApp for the current price and delivery time.
