At a glance
Pricing
- Plans
- Starter · €20/mo (about $22), billed annually
- Pro · €50/mo (about $56), billed annually
- Business · €667/mo (about $742), billed annually
- Enterprise · Contact Sales
- Category
- Workflow automation
- Tags
- Free trial, Open source, Self-hosted, SOC 2
Code
- Last push
- 15 October 2026
What it is and who it's for
n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n") is a workflow automation tool: a node-based visual editor for connecting APIs, databases, and AI models, with the option to drop into JavaScript or Python for custom logic inside any workflow. It positions itself against Zapier and Make but differentiates on two things a buyer can verify: it can be self-hosted for free, and workflows can mix no-code nodes with actual code rather than being locked into whatever the vendor's node library supports. n8n itself cites its GitHub following as evidence of developer and technical-team adoption rather than end-user adoption.
Licensing: source-available, not open source
n8n's core is released under the Sustainable Use License (SUL), a source-available license, not an OSI-approved open-source one. Per the license file in the repo: you may use, modify and self-host the software for your own internal business purposes or personal use, and may only redistribute it free of charge for non-commercial purposes — you cannot resell it as a competing hosted service. Separately, any file with '.ee.' in its name or directory is licensed under a distinct Enterprise Edition license and requires a paid n8n Enterprise license to use; these files are excluded from the SUL entirely. This matters for anyone planning to build a paid product on top of n8n, or who assumed 'GitHub stars + self-hostable' meant conventional open source (MIT/Apache).
Pricing
All paid tiers include unlimited users and unlimited workflows: pricing scales on monthly executions and concurrency, not seats, which is a real point of difference from most per-user SaaS automation tools. Business is sold for self-hosting only, not hosted by n8n. Enterprise is available hosted or self-hosted and adds unlimited shared projects, 200+ concurrent executions, external secrets integration, log streaming, and SLA support. The free Community Edition (self-hosted, with no execution cap disclosed on the pricing page) covers core workflow building but not those Enterprise features. A 'Start-up Plan' offers 50% off Business for companies under 20 employees.
AI credits are scoped narrowly
The 'AI credits' included in each plan meter usage of n8n's own AI Workflow Builder (the assistant that generates or edits a workflow from a prompt) — they don't cover AI Agent nodes that call OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, or other LLMs inside your workflows; those bill through your own API keys with those providers, separately from your n8n subscription.
Company and funding
n8n GmbH is based in Berlin. It raised a €55M (about $61M) Series B in March 2025 led by Highland Europe (with Sequoia, Felicis, HV Capital and Harpoon Ventures participating), at a reported €300M (about $334M) valuation, and a $180M Series C in October 2025 led by Accel with participation from Meritech, Redpoint, Evantic, Visionaries Club, and corporate investors including NVIDIA's NVentures and Deutsche Telekom's T.Capital, valuing the company at $2.5B and bringing total raised to $240M. The Series C announcement cites 6x user growth and 10x revenue growth over the prior year but does not disclose absolute ARR or user-count figures in that post; an earlier (March 2025) blog post put active users at over 200,000 and enterprise customers at 3,000+ — both are vendor claims, not independently verified.
Security disclosure and vulnerability history
n8n publishes a Trust Center (trust.n8n.io, via SafeBase) offering SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3 reports, and a security page (n8n.io/legal/security) describing AES-256 encryption at rest on n8n Cloud (Azure-hosted), TLS in transit, quarterly third-party vulnerability scans, and required annual penetration testing; self-hosted deployments are explicitly the user's own responsibility for at-rest/in-transit encryption. Separately, GitHub's advisory database lists 157 published security advisories affecting the 'n8n' npm package as of 21 August 2026 (5 critical, 42 high, 53 medium in the most recent 100 alone), the large majority published between January and July 2026 — covering issues like SQL injection in the Postgres/MySQL/Snowflake nodes, RCE via prototype pollution in the expression sandbox, authorization bypasses in OAuth callbacks and MCP triggers, and credential leakage into LLM node execution data. All reviewed advisories carried GitHub-assigned CVEs and fix references to specific patched n8n versions; we found no evidence of unpatched, actively-exploited advisories in the sample checked. The high count reflects n8n's large surface area — hundreds of integration nodes, a code-execution sandbox, and credential handling across all of them — paired with an unusually fast release cadence (multiple point releases were published on 20 August 2026 alone).
Independent user feedback
n8n holds 4.7/5 across 301 reviews on G2 (g2.com/products/n8n/reviews, checked 21 August 2026) but only 3.2/5 ('Average') on Trustpilot (trustpilot.com/review/n8n.io, same date). Reading both: G2's technical-buyer audience rates the product itself highly, while Trustpilot's reviews — skewing toward newer or less technical users — more often cite a steep learning curve relative to Zapier, slow email-only support response times (particularly on the Starter plan), and billing/account-access frustrations. One Trustpilot review also described a phishing-related account takeover that n8n's support resolved with a full refund and a detailed audit trail, which is at least one data point on incident handling. The split is consistent with n8n's own positioning as a tool for technical teams rather than a drag-and-drop consumer product.
Active development
The GitHub repo shows continuous commit and release activity — several tagged releases often ship on a single day. Monthly npm downloads for the core 'n8n' package were 461,688 for the period 21 July 2026 to 19 August 2026.
n8n price and terms
Terms
- Free plan
- YesYes
The terms in full
The standing free option is the self-hosted Community Edition under the Sustainable Use License (internal business or non-commercial use). n8n Cloud itself is only a trial: 1,000 executions, 5 concurrent executions, a 180-second timeout, 1 team project, 800 Assistant credits, no public API, no card required. The Business plan trial runs 14 days and requires a card.
- Card to start
- YesNot required
- Sign up without sales
- YesYes
What needs a higher plan
- Business
- Single sign-on
- Enterprise
- Audit log, Uptime promise
For AI agents
- MCP server
- Yes
- API
- Partly
Pricing page, captured
n8n.io/pricing, checked
What we checked on n8n
What the price counts
Cloud pricing is metered by monthly workflow executions, while workflow complexity does not change that basis.
All plans include unlimited users and workflows and every integration. Pricing is based on monthly workflow executions, regardless of complexity.
n8n.io/pricingChecked
Free tier
The self-hosted Community edition is free with almost everything, and Cloud adds a 14-day Pro-feature trial capped at 1000 executions.
The Community edition includes almost the complete feature set of n8n.
Self-serve signup
Starter, Pro and Business each carry a self-serve free trial button; only Enterprise routes through sales and invoicing.
START FREE TRIAL
n8n.io/pricingChecked
Card to start
The n8n Cloud trial takes no card; the exception is the self-hosted Business plan trial, which does ask for a card.
No credit card is required for the n8n Cloud trial. A credit card is only required for the Business plan free trial.
n8n.io/pricingChecked
Contract
Month-to-month billing is offered on the self-serve plans alongside a discounted annual commitment; no seat minimum, since users are unlimited.
Yes, if you're on a monthly commitment, you can cancel at any time.
n8n.io/pricingChecked
Cancel any time
Monthly subscribers can cancel any time and keep access to the end of the cycle; annual cancellations run to term end, with no pro-rata refunds.
Your subscription will then end at the close of your current billing cycle. If you're on an annual commitment, the cancellation will take effect at…
n8n.io/pricingChecked
Works with
Ships native integration nodes plus any HTTP API and MCP; every plan includes every integration, and custom nodes are self-hosted only.
Connect n8n to just about any tool you can think of. 500+ native integrations. Any API via HTTP. Any agent or coding assistant via MCP.
n8n.ioChecked
Public API
A documented public REST API with an OpenAPI reference covers most GUI tasks, but it is switched off during the 14-day Cloud free trial.
The n8n API is available on: n8n Cloud: Starter, Pro, Enterprise Self-hosted: All editions It isn't available on the free trial.
docs.n8n.io/connect/n8n-apiChecked
MCP server
An instance-level MCP server lets Claude, ChatGPT or a coding agent search, run and edit workflows you explicitly enable, on every plan.
n8n's built-in MCP server lets supported clients, such as Lovable or Claude Desktop, connect securely to your n8n instance.
Webhooks
Workflows reach outward over plain HTTP to any endpoint, so notifying your own systems on an event is an ordinary step rather than a feature to buy.
Trigger from webhooks, queues
n8n.io/pricingChecked
Acts on its own
Published workflows and agents run on triggers and schedules without anyone approving each step, and approval gates are something you add deliberately.
An agent is an autonomous assistant you build in n8n.
Limits on what it may do
Approval can be required for all tools on an agent or only chosen ones, and the reviewer sees the exact parameters before the call runs.
HITL can be applied to all tools connected to an AI Agent node, or just selected individual tools, offering more precise control than general output…
No code needed
Workflows are assembled on a visual canvas from prebuilt nodes and templates, with code nodes available but not required to build one.
Create workflows anyone can follow with a visual builder and drop into code whenever you need it.
n8n.ioChecked
Several agents
One AI Agent node can be attached as a tool to another, so work splits across a parent agent and sub-agents in the same workflow.
When using an AI Agent as a tool for another AI Agent, human review steps in the sub-agent work correctly.
No training on your data
The AI terms rule out training on customer content or output, while reserving aggregated, de-identified prompts and usage data for improving the AI features.
n8n will not (a) use Customer Content or Output to train any ML models, (b) retain Customer Content beyond the time required for AI Feature…
n8n.io/legal/ai-termsChecked
Retention you control
Execution data is deleted on the account's retention settings, with plan ceilings from 7 days on Starter to unlimited on Enterprise; self-hosters control it entirely.
The platform deletes execution data automatically based on your account’s retention settings.
n8n.io/legal/securityChecked
Data stays in your region
Hosted plans run in the EU only, on Azure in Frankfurt, with other locations described as in preparation; self-hosting puts the choice entirely in your hands.
For hosted plans, data is stored within the EU, on servers located in Frankfurt, Germany. For self-hosted plans, it’s wherever you decide to host n8n.
n8n.io/pricingChecked
Self-hosted
Running it yourself is a first-class path via Docker, npm or Kubernetes, and the Business plan is currently sold for self-hosting only.
Deploy on-prem or with Docker to keep your data in your own environment. Access the source code on GitHub, or use the hosted version.
n8n.ioChecked
Open source
The source is public but the Sustainable Use License limits use to internal business, non-commercial or personal purposes, and .ee files need an Enterprise license.
You may use or modify the software only for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial or personal use. You may distribute the…
Take your data out
Workflows are JSON and download from the editor menu; packages move folders and projects between instances, and trial data stays fetchable for 90 days.
n8n saves workflows in JSON format. You can export your workflows as JSON files or import JSON files into your n8n library.
Security audits
Names a SOC 2 audit by an independent auditor, with the report for enterprise customers and a downloadable SOC 3; a GDPR DPA is part of the Terms.
Our SOC 2 report is available to enterprise customers. Others can refer to our SOC 3 report and the details about our security program below.
n8n.io/legal/securityChecked
Single sign-on
SAML and LDAP sign-in start at the Business plan, so Starter and Pro buyers and the free Community edition authenticate with local accounts.
Available on Business and Enterprise plans.
Audit log
Logins, credential changes, workflow edits and MCP tool calls are emitted as audit events, but shipping them to a SIEM or webhook needs the Enterprise plan.
Log Streaming is available on: n8n Cloud: Enterprise Self-hosted: Enterprise
Uptime promise
Enterprise buys dedicated support with guaranteed response times; no uptime percentage for the hosted service is published anywhere on the site.
Dedicated support means direct access to our in-house team, with guaranteed response times available through SLAs.
n8n.io/pricingChecked
Its own model
n8n ships the automation platform and routes to third-party model providers; it does not train or serve a model of its own.
When using “bring your own LLM” AI Features, Customer controls which third-party AI models to connect to our Services. n8n provides the workflow…
n8n.io/legal/ai-termsChecked
You pick the model
You pick the model per node, either with your own provider credential or through n8n's prepaid gateway to providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini.
AI models: large language model providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google Gemini.
Open models
A dedicated Ollama Chat Model node runs local open-weight Llama models, and the self-hosted starter kit bundles Ollama with Qdrant and PostgreSQL.
The Ollama Chat Model node allows you use local Llama 2 models with conversational agents
Your own model key
Bringing your own provider key is the default path: you create a credential per provider, and services outside n8n's gateway catalog only work that way.
Services that aren't in the catalogue still work in n8n the usual way: create a credential with your own API key.
n8n alternatives
- This spot is openBe the first tool people see on n8n's page.
- First on your rivals' pages
- Top of your category
- First in the home page list
- First in our search
- In comparisons and guides
2 more alternatives
All 4 publish a price.
- 5diveFreeHire a team of always-on AI agents that run on a server you own, managed or self-hosted under MIT.
- ActivepiecesFreeAutomation workspace that limits each AI agent to the actions, pinned inputs and step caps you set, on any model.
Questions about n8n
- How much does n8n cost?
- n8n has a free plan. From n8n.io/pricing, checked 12 November 2026.
- Does n8n have an API or an MCP server?
- It has a limited API. It has an MCP server.
- Is n8n open source, and can you host it yourself?
- It is not open source. You can host it yourself.
- What have we checked on n8n?
- 28 facts, under these headings: What it costs to start, what it works with, what it does on its own, what happens to your data, whether a company can buy it, which models it runs on.
- How do we check n8n?
- We hold 28 facts on n8n, quoted from 18 pages. Facts last checked 11 November 2026. Price last checked 12 November 2026. Last change found 31 October 2026.
Sources and changes
Last changed
Sources18
- n8n.io/pricing
- n8n.io/
- docs.n8n.io/build/integrate-ai/ai-examples/human-in-the-loop-for-tools.md
- n8n.io/legal/security
- docs.n8n.io/deploy/use-n8n-cloud/gateway-credits.md
- n8n.io/legal/ai-terms
- n8n.io/pricing/startup-plan
- docs.n8n.io/administer/manage-users-and-access/verify-user-identity/use-saml.md
- docs.n8n.io/administer/observe-and-log/stream-logs-to-external-systems.md
- docs.n8n.io/build/build-and-manage-agents
- docs.n8n.io/build/manage-workflows/export-and-import.md
- docs.n8n.io/connect/connect-to-n8n-mcp-server.md
- docs.n8n.io/connect/n8n-api
- docs.n8n.io/deploy/host-n8n/community-edition-features.md
- docs.n8n.io/deploy/use-n8n-cloud/configure-cloud/manage-your-data.md
- docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/cluster-nodes/sub-nodes/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmchatollama.md
- raw.githubusercontent.com/n8n-io/n8n/master/LICENSE.md
- docs.n8n.io/privacy-and-security/privacy.md
What changed on this page1
- Free tier
Repository
- Stars
- 207,527
- Last push
- 15 October 2026
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