n8n Review 2026: Pricing, Features and Verdict

What it is

n8n is an open source workflow automation platform with a node based canvas. Each node is a trigger, an app action, a code step or an AI step, and you can see exactly what data passes between them. It started as a technical alternative to Zapier and has grown into a full AI agent platform with agent nodes, MCP support, RAG, human in the loop approvals and evaluations.

You can run it two ways. n8n Cloud is the managed version, billed per workflow execution. The Community Edition is the same core software on GitHub, free to run on your own server with Docker, on premises or even air gapped. n8n lists more than 207,000 GitHub stars, 200,000+ community members and customers such as Microsoft, NVIDIA and Vodafone on its homepage.

Pricing explained

Plan	Price billed monthly	Price billed annually	Executions a month	Notes
Community Edition	$0	$0	Unlimited (your hardware)	Self hosted, you maintain it
Starter	about $27 (€24)	about $23 (€20)	2,500	5 concurrent executions, agents, MCP and AI nodes, 1,600 assistant credits
Pro	about $68 (€60)	about $56 (€50)	10,000	20 concurrent on the 10K tier, 50 on 50K, admin roles, workflow history, insights
Business	about $900 (€800)	about $751 (€667)	40,000	Self hosted only, SSO and LDAP, 6 shared projects
Enterprise	Quote only	Quote only	Custom	Compliance and governance features

The unit is an execution: one complete run of a workflow, however many steps it has. That is the most important fact in this review. A workflow with 12 nodes that runs 2,000 times a month is 2,000 executions on n8n. On Zapier, where each action is a task, the same workflow would use around 22,000 tasks.

Here is how a common workload prices out. A 5 step workflow run 2,000 times a month fits n8n Starter at about $27 (€24) billed monthly. The same workload is about $16 on Make and $193.50 on Zapier. Make wins on short workflows; n8n pulls ahead as workflows get longer and volume rises, and self hosting removes the subscription completely.

Two caveats. Business jumps from about $68 (€60) to about $900 (€800) a month billed monthly and only runs on your own infrastructure, so growing teams that want managed hosting with SSO face a big step. And the built in AI assistant credits are capped by plan (1,600 a month on Starter, up to 9,600 on Pro). Every cloud plan starts with a free trial: 1,000 executions, Pro features and no credit card. See how this stacks up across categories in the AI Price Index.

Features

• Agents and AI nodes on every plan. Single and multi agent setups, RAG, MCP clients and servers, tool calling and human approval steps.
• Any model. Connect cloud models or run local ones, and swap them without rebuilding the workflow.
• Code where you need it. JavaScript and Python steps, with external npm libraries supported.
• 500+ built in integrations plus an HTTP request node for any API.
• Debugging. Inspect every execution, including prompts, responses and outputs, and re run a single step without replaying the whole workflow.
• Native evaluations. Test agent outputs against expected results before you ship changes.
• Deployment choice. Cloud, self hosted with Docker, on premises or air gapped.
• Enterprise controls. SSO, SAML, LDAP, encrypted secret stores, version control, RBAC, audit logs and SIEM integration on higher plans.
• Unlimited users and workflows on every plan.

Where it falls short: fewer ready made integrations than Zapier (9,000+) or Make (3,500+), support beyond the forum is reserved for higher tiers, and the Business plan price jump is steep.

Setup

On n8n Cloud you can sign up and build your first workflow in minutes, and the built in AI assistant helps with node configuration. Expect a learning curve on how data moves between nodes; most new users spend their first hours on expressions and mapping fields.

Self hosting takes more work. A basic Docker install is quick for someone who has done it before, but production use needs a database, backups, a reverse proxy with TLS, update routines and monitoring. If nobody on the team wants that job, start on Cloud.

Who it is for

• Developers, technical founders and ops engineers who want control over logic and models.
• High volume or long workflows where per execution billing saves real money.
• Companies with data residency or air gapped requirements.
• Teams building serious AI agents that need RAG, multi agent patterns and evaluations.

Who should skip it

• Non technical teams. Zapier or Make will get you further, faster. See n8n vs Zapier and n8n vs Make.
• Short, simple, low volume automations. Make Core at $16 for 10,000 credits is cheaper for short workflows.
• Teams that rely on niche SaaS apps. Check n8n's node list first; otherwise you will be writing API calls by hand.
• Anyone without time to maintain servers who is tempted by free self hosting. The software is free; the upkeep is not.

How it compares

	n8n	Zapier	Make
Entry paid plan, billed monthly	about $27 (€24) for 2,500 executions	$29.99 for 750 tasks	$16 for 10,000 credits
Billing unit	Full run	Each action	Each action (credit)
Integrations	500+ built in	9,000+	3,500+
Self hosting	Yes, free	No	No
Code	JavaScript and Python	JavaScript and Python steps	Custom functions on Enterprise

Read the full Zapier review and Make review, or see all nine platforms in our best AI agent builders guide.

Verdict

n8n is the most capable and, at volume, the cheapest AI agent builder we compare. Per execution billing, unlimited users, code and model choice make it the default for technical teams, and the free self hosted edition is unmatched.

It is not the right first tool for a non technical small business. If that is you, start with Zapier or Make, and keep n8n in mind for the day your automation bill or your ambitions outgrow them.