5 Reasons to Self-Host n8n

n8n is one of the most powerful open-source automation tools out there. But if you've checked their official cloud pricing lately, you probably winced. Around €60/month for a hosted plan? Ouch.

If you're a small dev team, indie hacker, or just someone trying to build cool stuff without draining your wallet, those costs add up fast. Good news: you don't have to pay that much. Self-hosting n8n is easier than you think. A platform like Sliplane lets you run your own instance for as little as €9/month. No hidden fees, no nonsense.

Here's why self-hosting n8n might be one of the smartest decisions you make this year. (Send this to your boss if they need convincing!)

Cost 💰

Let's get the obvious one out of the way: cost.

With n8n Cloud, you're looking at €720 per year for a standard plan. Self-hosted on Sliplane? €108. That's a €612 difference, with essentially the same feature set if you don't work in a team. You get a full n8n instance, managed Postgres, backups, monitoring, SSL certs, a subdomain, and no limits on how many workflows you can run.

And unlike n8n Cloud, you're not paying per workflow or per execution. You're paying for the server, period. Run 5 workflows or 500, the price stays the same.

Freedom 🧱

One of the frustrating parts of most SaaS platforms is the artificial caps. On n8n Cloud, you're limited in terms of how many workflows you can have, how many executions per month, and which features you can access without jumping to a higher tier.

With self-hosted n8n, you get:

• Unlimited workflows
• Unlimited executions
• Custom & community nodes
• No forced upgrades

Need to automate hundreds of tasks per hour? Go ahead. Want to build your own node that talks to your printer, fridge, or ancient internal API? Be our guest.

This is the (nearly) full version of n8n. The only thing that is really missing is team management.

Simplicity 🚀

Most people hear "self-hosting" and assume it means SSH, Linux config files, Docker volumes, and sleepless nights. That's not what we're talking about.

On Sliplane, hosting n8n is as easy as:

1. Create an account
2. Pick n8n from the app catalog
3. Click "Deploy"

That's it. Your instance spins up in about 30 seconds, complete with:

• Nightly backups
• A free subdomain (with HTTPS!)
• Auto updates
• Metrics and health checks

You never touch a terminal. You never configure a firewall. You just log into your dashboard and start building workflows.

Scaling 📈

Most hosted platforms make you pay a lot more as you grow. More usage means a bigger bill. With Sliplane, you just scale your container vertically by adding a bit more RAM or CPU if your workloads grow. It's one click.

No migrations. No downtime. No surprises.

And if you're really doing something big, you can spin up multiple containers or add other services alongside n8n. Everything runs in containers, so you're not locked into some weird all-in-one black box.

Control 🔒

Self-hosting n8n means:

• Your data stays on your own server (not in someone else's multi-tenant cloud)
• You can add custom npm packages or internal integrations
• You control the upgrade cycle
• You're not locked into a vendor

This matters if you're handling sensitive data, working with EU customers (👋 GDPR), or just want to build something without asking for permission.

Self-hosting gives you the freedom to experiment. Want to test a new version of n8n? Create a second instance. Want to build a private internal tool with n8n as a backend? You can do that. You're the admin now.

Recap

• ✅ Save €600+/year compared to n8n Cloud
• ✅ No limits on workflows or executions
• ✅ One-click deployment, no DevOps needed
• ✅ Scale up anytime without headaches
• ✅ Keep full control over your stack

If that sounds good, try spinning up your own n8n instance on Sliplane. Worst case? You spent 5 minutes and learned something. Best case? You saved hundreds and unlocked a better automation platform for your team :)

Cheers,

Jonas, Co-Founder of sliplane.io