n8n pricing: How much does n8n cost? Self-hosting vs cloud vs managed

n8n is one of the most powerful open-source automation tools out there. Whether you're automating your marketing stack, syncing data between tools, or building internal workflows, n8n can save you hours of manual work every week. But how much does it actually cost to use?

In this post, we'll explore the different ways you can run n8n — from the official cloud offering to self-hosting — and break down what you'll pay (and what you get) with each option.

1. n8n Cloud: Fully Managed, but Premium Pricing

n8n offers a fully managed cloud version, starting at $20/month for individual users. If you're a team or need production-ready reliability, plans start at $50/month and scale up depending on your needs.

What you get:

• No server management
• Built-in backups
• Hosting and updates handled for you

What you don’t:

• Limited workflows and executions on lower tiers
• No access to custom integrations or full filesystem
• Can get expensive quickly at scale

Best for: Teams who want zero setup and are okay with paying for convenience.

2. Self-Hosting on Your Laptop: Free, But Fragile

You can run n8n locally for free using Docker or Node.js. It’s great for experimenting or building workflows as a solo developer.

What you get:

• $0 hosting cost
• Full control
• Quick prototyping

What you don’t:

• No persistent uptime (your workflows die when your laptop sleeps)
• No external access unless you set up port forwarding or tunnels
• Not suited for production use or collaboration

Best for: Local testing and prototyping.

3. Hosting n8n on Your Own Server: Cheap, But Technical

Running n8n on a VPS or bare-metal server gives you flexibility and control. Providers like Hetzner or DigitalOcean start at €4–€6/month.

What you get:

• Low infrastructure cost
• Full customization
• Can integrate with your existing stack

What you don’t:

• You’re responsible for updates, backups, SSL, security patches, monitoring
• Time-intensive to maintain
• Risk of downtime or misconfiguration

Best for: DevOps-savvy users who want to minimize hosting costs and don’t mind maintenance work.

➡️ Here is a detailed guide on how to self-host n8n on your own server.

4. Managed Self-Hosting with Sliplane: Affordable, Production-Ready

Sliplane sits in the middle: you get the benefits of self-hosting without the hassle of running your own server.

Pricing: Starts at €9/month for a full server — not per app — so you can host n8n and other tools together. No per-seat or workflow limits.

What you get:

• One-click n8n deployment
• Free SSL, automatic backups, health checks
• Your own containerized instance
• No vendor lock-in — it's still your n8n

What you don’t:

• It's not "n8n as a service" — you're hosting it, just simplified

Best for: Solo developers and teams who want production reliability at a lower price point than managed SaaS, without the overhead of traditional self-hosting.

➡️ Here is a detailed guide on how to self-host n8n on Sliplane.

So, What’s the Best Value?

In the end, the right choice depends on how much time, money, and control you want. If you're looking for a good balance — something that gives you ownership and power without devoting your weekend to setting up SSL — managed self-hosting is hard to beat.

Cheers,

Jonas