Quick verdict
Should you shortlist n8n?
Shortlist n8n when complete-workflow execution billing, code-capable automation or a controlled self-hosted environment fits the team. Choose n8n Cloud when the product model fits but the team does not want to own infrastructure. Before standardizing, confirm plan-only features, license boundaries, execution volume, credentials, updates, backups and incident ownership.
The decision in one table
n8n GmbH operates a Germany-based workflow automation platform with hosted and self-hosted paths. Current paid plans are primarily measured in complete workflow executions rather than individual steps, while the Community Edition is source-available under the Sustainable Use License. The main buying decision is whether execution-based pricing and infrastructure control justify the additional operational responsibility of self-hosting.
Official pricing and documentation distinguish n8n-hosted Cloud plans, self-hosted commercial plans and the Community Edition.
The current pricing page says paid usage is based on monthly workflow executions regardless of the number of steps in that run.
The official license permits internal business, personal and non-commercial use but is not an unrestricted open-source license.
n8n Cloud keeps platform hosting with n8n; self-hosting makes the buyer responsible for deployment, access controls, updates, backups and recovery.
Current legal and privacy pages identify n8n GmbH and its registered address in Berlin, Germany.
SmarterBuyLab has no active n8n referral route, so this record contains no sponsored purchase button.
Who is n8n for?
Good fit
- Technical teams that prefer complete-workflow execution billing over per-step usage
- Organizations choosing between a managed Cloud service and controlled self-hosting
- Builders that need code steps, API calls, webhooks or self-hosted custom nodes
Look elsewhere if
- The team cannot own self-hosted security, updates, backups and incident response
- A fully managed visual platform better matches the operators and governance model
- The intended commercial distribution or hosted-service model does not fit the current license
Advantages and limitations
A useful recommendation needs both sides of the purchase decision. These points describe the product model we verified; they are not a substitute for testing your exact plan and location.
Why it makes the shortlist
- Cloud and self-hosted paths support different control and operational preferences
- Current paid pricing counts complete workflow executions rather than each individual step
- Official documentation covers code, APIs, webhooks, custom nodes and security auditing
Costs and constraints
- Self-hosting introduces infrastructure, security, upgrade and recovery work
- Community Edition uses a Sustainable Use License rather than an unrestricted open-source license
- Collaboration, environments, scaling and support capabilities vary materially by plan
What to check before you buy
- Estimate production executions from schedules, webhooks, conversations, retries and error workflows.
- Choose Cloud or self-hosting before comparing subscription headlines and infrastructure costs.
- Confirm which collaboration, environment, source-control, scaling and support features require a paid tier.
- Review the Sustainable Use License for the exact internal, client-facing or hosted-service use case.
- For self-hosting, assign owners for certificates, secrets, updates, database backups, monitoring and disaster recovery.
- Review connected-app permissions, telemetry choices, data location and credential offboarding.
What we verified—and what we did not
This assessment is labeled research-based. We use current official product and policy pages for factual claims, keep commercial links visibly marked, and do not present provider marketing as an independent benchmark.
- Official pricing, documentation, license, security and legal sources checked on August 16, 2026
- No active SmarterBuyLab referral route; n8n remains a neutral comparison candidate
- No SmarterBuyLab hands-on deployment, workflow, reliability or integration testing has been performed
Primary sources
- n8n official pricing and plan table ↗
- n8n official documentation overview ↗
- n8n official Sustainable Use License ↗
- n8n official security-audit documentation ↗
- n8n official self-serve terms ↗
- n8n official privacy policy ↗
Before subscribing, recheck the exact plan, included usage, overage settings, team seats, data terms and support scope. Those details can change after our verification date.
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n free to self-host?
A Community Edition is available for self-hosting under the Sustainable Use License. That does not remove server, database, backup, security, update and operator costs, and the license should be checked for the intended use.
What counts as an n8n execution?
The current pricing page defines it as one complete run of a workflow, regardless of the number of steps. Estimate scheduled runs, webhook events, chatbot messages and retries for the actual workload.
Is n8n open source?
n8n describes the product as fair-code. The Community source is available under the Sustainable Use License, whose commercial and distribution limits differ from an unrestricted open-source license.
Why is there no n8n affiliate button?
SmarterBuyLab does not currently have an active n8n referral route. n8n is included as a neutral comparison candidate and the official source links remain available.
Has SmarterBuyLab deployed or tested n8n?
No. This assessment uses current official pricing, documentation, licensing, security and legal sources and does not claim hands-on workflow or reliability testing.