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n8n Cloud pricing is deceptively simple on the surface: two main plans at $20 and $50 per month. But the execution-based billing model means that real-world costs scale fast — often to unexpected levels. This is the most common complaint from n8n Cloud users in 2026.
We've been hosting over 1,000 self-hosted n8n instances for clients who outgrew or never started with n8n Cloud. This guide gives you an honest, unfiltered breakdown of what n8n Cloud actually costs, where the traps are, and what your alternatives look like.
What Is n8n Cloud? (And Why Pricing Gets Confusing)
n8n Cloud is the official, fully managed hosted version of n8n — the open-source workflow automation platform. With n8n Cloud, n8n GmbH handles the infrastructure: servers, SSL, automatic version updates, monitoring, and backups. You just log in and build workflows.
The confusion comes from how n8n charges you. Unlike SaaS tools that charge per user or per month flat, n8n Cloud charges per execution — each time a workflow runs counts as one execution. Once you hit your monthly cap, your workflows stop. Period.
Every time a workflow is triggered and runs from start to finish counts as one execution — whether it processes one record or a thousand. Trigger-based (webhook) and polling-based workflows both consume your monthly allowance equally.
This model works well for low-volume, event-driven workflows. It becomes expensive fast for polling workflows that run on a schedule — the most common use case for automation teams.
n8n Cloud Pricing Plans 2026: Starter, Pro, Business & Enterprise
As of April 2026, n8n Cloud offers four pricing tiers. All plans are billed annually by default, with monthly billing available at a higher rate.
- 2,500 executions/mo
- Unlimited workflows
- 1 shared project
- Email support
- Community nodes: No
- 10,000 executions/mo
- Unlimited workflows
- 3 shared projects
- Priority support + API
- Execution history: 2 years
- 40,000 executions/mo
- Unlimited workflows
- 6 projects + SSO
- Git sync + environments
- Audit logs
- Unlimited executions
- Custom SLA
- Dedicated support
- All Business features
- Starts ~$1,000+/year
n8n Cloud Pricing in INR (India)
n8n Cloud bills in USD/EUR without purchasing power parity adjustments. For teams in India, the cost burden is significant:
| Plan | USD/month | INR/month (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud Starter | $20 | ₹1,700 |
| n8n Cloud Pro | $50 | ₹4,200 |
| n8n Cloud Business | $667 | ₹56,000 |
| OpenHosst Self-Hosted | $2.99 | ₹250 |
n8n Cloud Execution Limits: The Hidden Cost Trap
This is the section that surprises most people evaluating n8n Cloud pricing. The execution limits sound generous in marketing copy. They are not, for any team running automation in production.
What actually eats your executions
Every workflow run = 1 execution, regardless of how much data it processes. The killer is polling workflows — workflows that run on a schedule to check for new data:
| Workflow type | Frequency | Executions/month | Starter fits? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email polling (Gmail) | Every 10 min | 4,320 | No — 73% over cap |
| Slack message check | Every 5 min | 8,640 | No — 246% over cap |
| RSS / feed monitor | Every 15 min | 2,880 | Barely (93% used) |
| Webhook-triggered | On demand | Varies | Depends on traffic |
| Daily report workflow | Once per day | 30 | Yes |
A single polling workflow checking email every 10 minutes uses 4,320 executions/month — already 73% over the Starter plan's 2,500 cap. Most automation setups have 3–10 active workflows. The Starter plan becomes unusable almost immediately.
Cost per execution by plan
| Plan | Monthly cost | Executions | Cost per execution |
|---|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud Starter | $20 | 2,500 | $0.0080 |
| n8n Cloud Pro | $50 | 10,000 | $0.0050 |
| n8n Cloud Business | $667 | 40,000 | $0.0167 |
| OpenHosst Self-Hosted | $2.99 | Unlimited | $0.0000 |
Run unlimited workflows and executions for $2.99/month. We handle the infrastructure — you build the automations.
Start 7-Day Free Trial — No Payment RequiredIs There an n8n Cloud Free Tier in 2026?
No. n8n Cloud discontinued its permanent free plan. As of 2026, every n8n Cloud plan requires payment. What they do offer is a 14-day free trial with limited features and reduced execution limits to let you test the platform before committing.
This is one of the most Googled questions about n8n Cloud pricing — and the answer catches many people off guard, especially developers who discovered n8n through community forums where older plans are referenced.
n8n's community edition is fully open-source and free to self-host. You need a server to run it. If you want managed hosting (no server setup), OpenHosst starts at $2.99/month — still far cheaper than any n8n Cloud paid tier.
n8n Cloud free trial details
- Duration: 14 days
- Execution limits: reduced (not the full Starter allowance)
- Credit card: not required for trial start
- After trial: must upgrade to Starter ($20/mo) or cancel
- Trial-to-paid conversion: all workflows carry over
n8n Cloud vs Self-Hosted: Full Cost Comparison 2026
Self-hosting n8n means running the application on your own server. You can do this yourself (DIY) or use a managed self-hosting provider like OpenHosst that handles infrastructure while giving you the full self-hosted feature set.
| Feature | n8n Cloud | OpenHosst Self-Hosted |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $20–$667+ | $2.99 |
| Annual cost | $240–$8,004+ | $20 (yearly plan) |
| Executions | 2,500–40,000/mo cap | Unlimited |
| Active workflows | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Community nodes | Not supported | Full support |
| Execute Command node | Disabled | Available |
| Data stays on your servers | No (n8n servers) | Yes (your VPS) |
| Custom domain | Enterprise only | Free, included |
| Automatic updates | Yes | Yes (we handle it) |
| Server setup required | None | None (managed) |
| SSO / Git sync | Business+ only | Enterprise edition |
| 7-day free trial | No (14-day only) | Yes |
The short version: for any team running more than a handful of low-frequency workflows, self-hosted n8n is cheaper, more capable, and more flexible. The only reason to choose n8n Cloud is if you specifically need their Enterprise SSO/audit log features and have the budget.
n8n Cloud vs Zapier vs Make.com: Which Costs Less?
n8n Cloud isn't the only player in workflow automation. Here's how its pricing compares to Zapier and Make.com for a team running moderate automation workloads (approximately 10,000 operations/month):
| Platform | Plan | Monthly cost | Ops/tasks included | Data control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud | Pro | $50 | 10,000 executions | n8n servers |
| Zapier | Professional | ~$49 | 2,000 tasks | Zapier servers |
| Make.com | Core | ~$10.59 | 10,000 operations | Make servers |
| OpenHosst (n8n) | Managed Self-Host | $2.99 | Unlimited | Your VPS |
A few important distinctions:
- n8n vs Zapier: n8n is significantly more powerful technically — multi-step workflows, code nodes, custom integrations. Zapier is simpler to use. See our full n8n vs Zapier comparison.
- n8n vs Make.com: Make.com uses "operations" (each module run counts), n8n uses "executions" (full workflow run). For complex workflows, Make's cost can exceed n8n Cloud. See our Make vs n8n breakdown.
- Data control: All three cloud platforms process your workflow data on their servers. Self-hosted n8n keeps all data on your own infrastructure — critical for GDPR compliance, healthcare data, or sensitive business operations.
Who Should Choose n8n Cloud (And Who Shouldn't)
n8n Cloud is not always the wrong choice. Here's an honest breakdown of when it makes sense and when it doesn't.
- You need zero infrastructure management
- You run fewer than 5 low-frequency workflows
- Your team is non-technical
- You need Enterprise SSO & audit logs from n8n itself
- Budget isn't a constraint
- You use polling workflows (email, Slack, RSS)
- You have 3+ active workflows running
- You need community or custom nodes
- You need full data control / GDPR compliance
- You're building automations for clients (agencies)
The reality for most users: n8n Cloud's Starter plan is only viable for very light automation use. The moment you have regular polling workflows or more than 2–3 active flows, you either upgrade to Pro ($50/mo) or exceed your cap and hit a wall. That's when most teams start looking for alternatives.
How to Cut Your n8n Cloud Costs by 95%
The answer is managed self-hosted n8n. This gives you the full n8n feature set — including community nodes, unlimited executions, custom domains, and data control — without paying n8n Cloud's execution-based rates.
The traditional objection to self-hosting is the infrastructure burden: spinning up a VPS, configuring Docker, setting up nginx as a reverse proxy, managing SSL certificates, and keeping everything updated. That's hours of setup and ongoing maintenance.
OpenHosst's managed n8n hosting removes all of that. We provision a dedicated VPS, install and configure n8n with Docker, set up SSL via Let's Encrypt, connect your custom domain, and handle version updates — you get all the benefits of self-hosting without touching a server.
✓ Custom domain
✓ Automatic updates
✓ 24/7 support
✓ Full community node support
Annual savings vs n8n Cloud
| Compared to | n8n Cloud cost/year | OpenHosst cost/year | Annual saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud Starter | $240 | $20 (yearly) | $220 (92%) |
| n8n Cloud Pro | $600 | $20 (yearly) | $580 (97%) |
| n8n Cloud Business | $8,004 | $20 (yearly) | $7,984 (99.8%) |
How to Migrate from n8n Cloud to Self-Hosted (3 Steps)
Migration from n8n Cloud to a self-hosted instance is straightforward. n8n provides a full export/import mechanism, and your workflows transfer with all their configuration intact. The process takes under 30 minutes.
- Export from n8n Cloud. In your n8n Cloud dashboard, go to Settings → Export. Download all workflows and credentials as a JSON file. This file contains your entire setup — workflow logic, node configurations, and encrypted credentials.
- Start your OpenHosst instance. Go to portal.openhosst.com/apps, select n8n, and start your 7-day free trial. No payment required. Within minutes, your dedicated n8n instance is live with SSL provisioned and ready for a custom domain connection.
- Import, reconnect, and verify. In your new n8n instance, navigate to Settings → Import and upload your JSON file. Reconnect each credential (API keys and OAuth tokens need re-authorization for security). Run a test execution on your key workflows to confirm everything works, then cancel your n8n Cloud subscription.
Our support team handles migrations from n8n Cloud at no extra charge. We'll verify your instance is fully configured, help reconnect credentials, and confirm your workflows run correctly before you cancel your n8n Cloud plan. Zero-downtime transitions guaranteed.
If you prefer a DIY setup instead of managed hosting, see our guides on installing n8n on DigitalOcean or deploying n8n on Hostinger.
Frequently Asked Questions About n8n Cloud Pricing
What are the n8n Cloud pricing plans in 2026?
n8n Cloud offers four tiers: Starter at $20/month (2,500 executions), Pro at $50/month (10,000 executions), Business at ~$667/month (40,000 executions, SSO, Git sync, multiple environments), and Enterprise with custom pricing and unlimited executions. All plans are billed annually by default.
What happens when I hit the n8n Cloud execution limit?
Your workflows stop running immediately. n8n Cloud does not auto-upgrade or charge overage fees — it simply stops execution until your billing cycle resets. This makes execution limits a hard business continuity risk, not just a cost issue.
Is there an n8n Cloud free tier in 2026?
No. n8n Cloud discontinued its permanent free plan. They offer a 14-day trial only. The open-source community edition is free to self-host — managed self-hosting from OpenHosst starts at $2.99/month with unlimited executions.
Can I install community nodes on n8n Cloud?
No. n8n Cloud disables community node installation for security reasons. If you need custom or community nodes — which includes hundreds of popular integrations built by the n8n community — you need a self-hosted instance.
What is n8n Cloud Enterprise pricing?
n8n Cloud Enterprise is not publicly priced. It includes SSO, audit logging, custom SLA, dedicated account management, and unlimited executions. Most teams report it starts above $1,000/year. For comparison, the n8n Community vs Enterprise comparison explains what features are exclusive to Enterprise.
How much does n8n Cloud cost in India?
At current exchange rates (~₹84/USD): Starter ≈ ₹1,700/month, Pro ≈ ₹4,200/month. n8n Cloud does not offer purchasing power parity pricing for India. OpenHosst costs approximately ₹250/month (~$2.99 USD) with unlimited executions.
Is n8n Cloud worth it compared to self-hosting?
For very light automation use (fewer than 5 low-frequency workflows, non-technical team), n8n Cloud can be worth the simplicity premium. For anyone running polling workflows or 3+ active workflows, the execution limits make self-hosting dramatically more economical. The breakeven point is typically within the first month.
How long is the n8n Cloud free trial?
14 days. The trial includes reduced execution limits. After the trial, you must upgrade to a paid plan to continue using n8n Cloud. OpenHosst offers a 7-day free trial with no payment required, then $2.99/month.
Run unlimited n8n workflows for $2.99/month. Managed hosting — no DevOps, no execution caps, no surprises on your bill.
7-day free trial · Money-back guarantee · Cancel anytime