Productivity tool profile
n8n
n8n is a source-available (fair-code) workflow automation platform with a visual node-based editor that runs as a free self-hosted Community Edition or as a managed cloud service. It lets technical teams build automations and AI agents across every integration, with unlimited users, unlimited workflows, and pricing based on monthly workflow executions.
Independent research from official sources · Sources · How we review
- Best for
- Technical teams and developers who want flexible, self-hostable workflow automation and AI agent orchestration with full control over logic.
- Starting point
- n8n offers a free self-hosted Community Edition (source-available, on GitHub with 200,415 stars).
- Free plan
- No free cloud tier: the free option is the self-hosted Community Edition on GitHub (source-available fair-code license) with all core...
- Key limitation
- Cloud plans are limited by monthly workflow executions (2.5K on Starter, 10K on Pro, 40K on Business) and concurrent executions (5/20/200+)
Choose it if
Strongest for
Built for
Avoid it if
- The AI Assistant is an early preview on cloud plans with monthly credit caps (2,300 on Starter, up to 13,700 on Pro) and unused credits do not roll over
- The Business plan is a self-hosted license billed in euros (667€/mo) and requires your own infrastructure
- Advanced governance and security features (SSO/SAML/LDAP, log streaming, unlimited shared projects, external secret store) are Business/Enterprise-only
- Self-hosting the Community Edition requires technical setup and ongoing maintenance
Free-plan suitability
No free cloud tier: the free option is the self-hosted Community Edition on GitHub (source-available fair-code license) with all core features and unlimited workflows. Cloud Starter and Pro plans offer free 14-day trials without a credit card; the Business plan trial requires a credit card.
Pricing
n8n offers a free self-hosted Community Edition (source-available, on GitHub with 200,415 stars). Cloud and self-hosted paid plans (prices billed annually, per n8n.io/pricing): Starter 20€/mo (2.5K workflow executions/mo), Pro 50€/mo (10K executions/mo), Business 667€/mo (self-hosted, 40K executions/mo), Enterprise contact sales. Annual billing saves 17%, all plans include unlimited users and workflows, and a Start-up Plan offers 50% off Business for companies under 20 employees. Free trials for Starter and Pro require no credit card.
Verify the current plan, credits, output limits, and commercial terms before purchasing.
Run it 24/7 on your own server
n8n runs on your own machine, so it stops answering when your laptop sleeps. A small Linux VPS with Docker keeps it online for scripts, agents and teammates, with a fixed monthly cost instead of per-token markup.
- Start with the smallest plan that runs Docker; upgrade only if you add users or local models.
- Keep the gateway bound to localhost or behind a firewall, and store provider keys as environment variables.
- Monthly billing lets you test before committing to a long term.
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What n8n does
- Workflow automation platform for technical teams; all plans include unlimited users, unlimited workflows, and every integration (node)
- Pricing is based on monthly workflow executions with unlimited steps - an execution is one full workflow run, not per-step billing
- Cloud plans: Starter 20€/mo billed annually (2.5K executions, 5 concurrent, 2,300 AI credits/mo), Pro 50€/mo (10K executions, 20 concurrent, up to 13,700 AI credits/mo), Business 667€/mo billed annually, self-hosted (40K executions, SSO/SAML/LDAP, Git version control), Enterprise custom
- Free self-hosted Community Edition available on GitHub (200,428 stars per pricing page) with the same core editor, nodes, and workflows
- AI features: AI Assistant (preview) with monthly AI credits, AI agents, RAG, and 10,000+ workflow templates; AI credits don't roll over
- Developer tools: code steps in JS/Python, custom API requests (HTTP/GraphQL), webhooks and queues, CLI control, environments, audit logging, and execution search
- Recent releases (docs.n8n.io release notes, checked Oct 13, 2026): n8n 2.42 (Sep 29, 2026) added a Prompt Caching option (Disabled, 5 Minutes or 1 Hour; off by default) to the Anthropic node's Message operation; n8n 2.43 (Oct 6, 2026) made Browser Use in the Assistant available to all users, controlled by the admin setting N8N_INSTANCE_AI_BROWSER_USE_ENABLED (on by default, not available on phones or tablets)
Is it legit?
Who is behind n8n, where it is based, and what is publicly known about its funding. Company details change — verify on the official site before committing.
- Company
- n8n GmbH
- Founded
- 2019
- Headquarters
- Berlin, Germany
- Funding
- Raised a $180M Series C in October 2025 at a $2.5B valuation (total funding ~$240M); SAP made a strategic investment in May 2026 reported at a ~$5.2B valuation (Wikipedia)
Evaluation guide
Step-by-step evaluation guides for n8n — workflow fit, pricing, rights, and a same-input test before paying.
n8n for creators: an evaluation guideAn independent n8n guide for creators: what it is for, pricing and free tier as checked, limitations, and a repeatable test before paying.
How to Self-Host n8n on a VPS (Docker Guide)Run n8n's free Community Edition 24/7 on your own VPS: Docker on port 5678, persistent data, PostgreSQL, HTTPS for webhooks, updates and license limits.Compare n8n with alternatives
Side-by-side pages that weigh n8n against overlapping tools on the same five fields.
Official sources
These links are retained beside the catalog record so changing details can be rechecked.