n8n

Source-available workflow automation

A source-available workflow automation platform built around a node-based canvas with first-class AI agent nodes — self-host for free or use the cloud version with usage-based pricing in EUR.

// quick verdict

n8n is the right automation engine for technical builders running AI-heavy or high-volume workflows — source-available, self-hostable for near-zero marginal cost, and AI agent nodes treated as first-class workflow primitives. Skip it for non-technical operators (Make or Zapier ships smoother) or if niche SaaS integration depth matters more than canvas debugging.

Try n8n

// best for

Technical solopreneurs and small teams who want full control over their automation infrastructure, or who run heavy AI agent workflows where commercial cloud pricing per-execution would compound painfully.

// not ideal for

First-time automators who want to ship a 2-step Zap in 10 minutes, or non-technical operators who don't want to think about hosting at all — Zapier or Make ship a smoother first hour.

Pros

+Source-available with a permissive Sustainable Use License — self-hosting is genuinely free for most use cases, including small commercial ones
+Native AI agent nodes (Claude, OpenAI, vector DBs) treat AI as a first-class step rather than a generic HTTP call you assemble manually
+Visual canvas with full code escape hatches (JS / Python in code nodes) lets you start no-code and drop into code only where it matters
+Cloud Starter plan at €20/mo (annual) is one of the cheapest entry points among serious automation platforms
+Self-host path means you never get priced out — your unit economics for high-volume workflows can be near-zero on infrastructure you already pay for

Cons

−Pricing is EUR only with no USD switcher, which adds a small mental tax for non-European builders
−Cloud execution caps (2.5K/mo on Starter) mean a busy AI workflow can hit the ceiling fast — self-hosting is the escape valve, not a higher cloud tier
−Self-host setup is straightforward but real (Docker / fly.io / similar) — not zero-touch the way Zapier or Make are
−The integration catalog, while broad, still trails Zapier on long-tail SaaS — niche tools may need HTTP-node fallbacks
−Source-available license has restrictions for hosting providers reselling n8n as a service (irrelevant for most builders, but worth knowing)

Pricing

last scrape: Oct 6, 2026source ↗

Starter

$20/mo billed yearly

›1 shared project
›5 concurrent executions
›Agents, MCP and AI nodes
›1,600 Assistant credits/month
›AI models without API keys

Pro

$50/mo billed yearly

›3 shared projects
›Up to 50 concurrent executions
›7 days of insights
›Up to 9,600 Assistant credits/month
›Admin roles

Business

$800/mo billed yearly

›6 shared projects
›SSO and LDAP
›30 days of insights
›Assistant (preview)
›Multiple environments

Enterprise

Customcontact sales

›Unlimited shared projects
›200+ concurrent executions
›365 days of insights
›External secret store integration
›End-user credentials (preview)

Price history

last 180 daysfull change log →

Not enough price history yet. The tracker captures a daily snapshot — the first datapoints appear once the scraper has run for at least two days.

Hands-on notes

last reviewed: Oct 5, 2026

n8n is the “build your own automation infrastructure” option in this category. The canvas looks similar to Make’s at first glance, but the deeper bet is different: n8n is source-available, self-hostable, and treats AI agents as first-class workflow nodes rather than as generic HTTP calls you wire up manually.

For a technical builder, the value compounds in two specific shapes:

High-volume AI workflows. Running an agent that processes thousands of items per month on Zapier or Make racks up tasks or credits fast. On a self-hosted n8n instance, the marginal cost per execution is whatever you’re already paying for your VPS — typically near zero.
Workflows you want to keep private. Some automations touch customer data, internal credentials, or proprietary prompts. Self-hosted n8n keeps the data on infrastructure you control. Zapier and Make are great products, but they’re also third parties with your data passing through them.

The honest trade-off: self-hosting is real work. n8n’s Docker setup is well- documented and a one-evening project for someone comfortable with the command line, but it’s not zero-touch. If you’re not going to self-host, the cloud Starter plan at €20/mo is competitive — but at that point Make is also a viable choice, and the integration catalog gap matters more than the canvas-based debugging advantage.

For builders running on the Cloud tier specifically, watch the execution count more than the headline price. n8n’s Starter caps at 2.5K executions/month, which a single AI-heavy workflow can burn through in days. The pricing tracker on this site will surface plan-level price changes; it won’t surface your usage going over cap. That’s on your dashboard.

n8n compared with other tools

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Use the link below to sign up. Pricing reflected on this page is verified from the live source on Oct 6, 2026.

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