Is n8n free?

KINDA · free, with a catch

also searched as: is n8n free · n8n free · n8n free plan · is n8n free to use · does n8n have a free plan · n8n free tier · n8n free version

n8n is free only if you run it yourself: the self-hosted Community Edition has no licence fee and no execution cap. If n8n runs it for you, it is not free. n8n Cloud has a 14-day trial of 1,000 executions, then plans from €24 a month, priced in euros.

Self-host for free if you can set up a Linux server with Docker, keep it updated and backed up, and you work alone or do not need shared workflows.

Pay for n8n Cloud if you want the workflows without the server, and 2,500 runs a month for €24 covers what you automate.

Skip it if you have never run a server and need only a couple of simple automations, because Zapier and Make have hosted free plans with no setup.

prices checked 2026-10-05 · by dan scutaru

n8n plans and prices

planpricewhat matters
Community Edition (self-hosted)€0, plus your own serverNo execution cap. No SSO, projects, sharing or Git
Cloud trial€0 for 14 days1,000 executions, no card. The workspace is deleted when it ends
Cloud Starter€24/mo2,500 executions, 1 shared project. €20/mo billed annually
Cloud Pro€60/mo10,000 executions, 3 shared projects. €50/mo billed annually
Business€800/mo40,000 executions, SSO and Git, self-hosted only. €667/mo billed annually

n8n pricing, on their own page

what the free plan includes

what it leaves out

the catchFree n8n is paid for in your evenings. Updates, backups, security patches and the night it stops running are all yours. The free edition also ends where a team begins: once a second person needs their own login to a shared workflow, you are on paid plans. And if a workflow calls an AI model, that bill is separate on every edition.

n8n Cloud has a trial, not a free plan

No, n8n Cloud is not free. You get 14 days and 1,000 executions with the Pro plan's features, and no card is asked for. When the trial ends nothing is charged, but n8n deletes the workspace, and you have 90 days to download your workflows.

Several pages ranking for this question describe a permanent free cloud tier of 500 or 2,500 executions a month. n8n's pricing page lists no such plan. The 2,500 figure belongs to Starter, the first paid plan.

n8n self hosted: free software on a server you pay for

The software costs nothing and the server does. n8n's own guide says a basic shared-CPU machine is enough for most use. Hostinger, for one, lists its smallest n8n VPS at $6.49 a month on a two-year term, renewing at $11.99. A user on n8n's forum reported a $6 server and "maybe 1-2hrs/month" on updates, backups and logs.

n8n's docs recommend self-hosting "for expert users" and warn that mistakes can lead to data loss, security issues and downtime.

n8n Community Edition: what the free version leaves out

It leaves out the team features, not the automation. n8n's docs list what the Community Edition lacks: projects, workflow and credential sharing, SSO, environments, custom variables, external secrets, log streaming and version control using Git.

For one person, none of that blocks anything. For a company, it means one login everybody shares, or the Business plan, the cheapest self-hosted tier with SSO and Git.

n8n: quick answers

Is n8n open source?

Not by the usual definition. The code is public under the Sustainable Use License, which limits how you may use it. n8n calls this fair-code and writes that "we do not call ourselves open source".

Is n8n free for commercial use?

Yes, inside your own company. The licence allows "your own internal business purposes", and n8n says you may sell consulting, such as building workflows for clients. Hosting n8n and charging for access, or selling it white-labelled, needs a commercial agreement.

How much does n8n cost?

Nothing for the self-hosted Community Edition. On n8n Cloud, Starter is €24 a month and Pro is €60. Those are euros. Pages that print $20 and $50 have swapped the currency sign and quoted the annual rate.

Is there an n8n student discount?

We found none on n8n's pricing or support pages today. n8n does publish 30% off Cloud plans for verified non-profits and 50% off Business for companies under 20 employees.

Is there a free alternative to n8n that is hosted for you?

Two, both small. Zapier's free plan gives 100 tasks a month on two-step Zaps, and Make's gives 1,000 credits with two active scenarios. Neither needs a server.

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