by n8n GmbHWorkflow automation
Hosted n8n: workflows with code steps, AI agents and 2,300+ integrations, billed per execution however many steps it has, from $20 a month on annual terms, with a self-hosted edition.
Workflows that mix visual steps with your own code, billed per run rather than per step, with a self-hosted edition as an exit.
n8n Cloud suits teams that are comfortable with some code: every plan runs JavaScript or Python code steps, custom HTTP requests, webhook triggers and the AI Agent node next to 2,300+ integrations. Because a whole workflow run counts as one execution, long workflows cost the same as short ones; our five-step scenario fits Starter at $20 a month on annual terms. Workflows are JSON files you can download, and the same engine is free to self-host as the Community Edition.
Against 3 other products we reviewed in Workflow automation: what you pay for with each, the five access facts, the plan limits we recorded and each review's bottom line. The note under the table says how each one was checked.
| Metric | n8n Cloud | Power Automate | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Saves engineering timeWorkflows that mix visual steps with your own code, billed per run rather than per step, with a self-hosted edition as an exit. | Compliance includedAutomation inside Microsoft 365, with HIPAA, ISO 27001, EU regions and Entra ID sign-in covered by Microsoft, from $15 per user a month. | Worth the priceA visual builder for branching, multi-step scenarios at a low price per action, with an EU data center on every plan. | Built-in reachConnect more than 9,000 apps in multi-step workflows without code, and pay only for actions that succeed. |
| Overall score | 6.6 | 8.5Best | 7.8 | 5.4 |
| Free option | 14-day free trial | Free plan | Free plan | Free plan |
| Card to start | No card needed | –Not measured | –Not measured | –Not measured |
| Getting access | Self-serve | Self-serve | Self-serve | Self-serve |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | $20/mo | $15/user/mo | $9/mo | $19.99/mo |
| Pricing model | Tiered | Per seat | Tiered | Tiered |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Public prices | Public prices | Public prices |
| Billing unit | Executions: one per run of a whole workflow, whatever its length | Per-user licence with a daily request limit; per-flow or per-bot Process licences | Credits: most module actions use one, the trigger included; routers and error handlers none | Tasks: one per successful action; triggers, polling and built-in tools use none |
| Free option | No free cloud plan; 14-day trial (1,000 executions), no card; Community Edition self-hosted | Free licence: standard connectors, no sharing, 6,000 actions a day; 30-day Premium trial | Free plan: 1,000 credits a month, 2 active scenarios; no trial stated | Free plan: 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps, 1 user; 14-day Professional trial, no card |
| Reference scenario (2,000 runs, annual) | $20/mo on Starter, 2,500 executions (2,000 needed), computed | $15/mo for 1 Premium user (10,000 requests a month needed), computed | $9/mo on Core, 10,000 credits (10,000 needed), computed | $129/mo on Professional, 10K tasks (8,000 tasks needed), computed |
| Month-to-month price | $24 for Starter; $60 for Pro 10,000 executions | Not published (paid yearly) | $10.59 for Core 10,000 credits ($18.82 Pro, $34.12 Teams) | $193.50 for Professional 10K tasks; from $29.99 for 750 tasks |
| Usage past the plan | Not stated for Cloud plans | Power Platform Requests add-on, $50 a month (licensing FAQ) | Extra credits at the plan rate plus 25%, manual or auto-purchase | Pay-per-task at 1.25× the base rate (annual) or 2.5× (monthly), up to 3× the tier |
| Code steps | JavaScript and Python code steps on every plan | C# in custom connectors; PowerShell, Python, JavaScript and .NET scripts in desktop flows | Make Code App (JavaScript or Python) from Core, 2 credits per second of code | Code by Zapier on every plan; 30 seconds of included runtime per step on Professional |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 | SOC 2 Type 2 and SOC 3; ISO 27001 not stated | In scope of Microsoft’s SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 | SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3; ISO 27001-certified security program | SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3; ISO 27001 not stated |
| HIPAA BAA | Not stated | Included by default through the Microsoft Online Services DPA | Not stated | Not offered: Zapier says it cannot sign BAAs |
| EU data hosting | Every Cloud plan: Frankfurt, Germany (the only stated region) | Environments in the Europe region | Every plan: US or EU data center chosen when the organization is created | Not offered: data stored on AWS in the United States |
| SSO | SAML and LDAP on Enterprise (Business is self-hosted only) | Sign-in through Microsoft Entra ID | Company SSO (OAuth2 or SAML2) on Enterprise | SAML on Team in the plan table; Enterprise in the FAQs |
| Workflow export | Workflows download as JSON on every plan | Flows as .zip packages or Dataverse solutions | Scenario blueprints as JSON on every plan | Zaps as JSON on Team and Enterprise |
| Self-hosting | Yes: Community Edition free on GitHub; Business and Enterprise licences | No | No | No |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, n8n Cloud has the most predictable per-run price here, with code, AI and webhooks on the $20 Starter plan and a self-hosted edition as an exit. It has no free cloud plan, hosts in Frankfurt only, and keeps SSO and audit logs for Enterprise. | From its public pages, Power Automate brings Microsoft’s compliance file, EU regions and high limits to one $15 per-user licence, plus desktop automation. It is licensed per user and paid yearly, and webhooks and premium connectors need that paid licence. | From its public pages, Make is the lowest-cost way to run our scenario, with branching, error handling, code and an EU region from the $9 Core plan. Every module run counts as a credit, and SSO and audit logs are Enterprise features. | From its public pages, Zapier offers the broadest app directory here and a complete builder on Professional, priced per successful action. Costs grow with action volume, data stays in the US, and the audit log and Zap export start on Team. |
Evidence: n8n Cloud: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Power Automate: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Make: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Zapier: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
Review from public pages
Written from n8n Cloud's public pages (pricing, security or privacy, and docs) as read on Oct 16, 2026. We did not sign up, and no hands-on run is published yet.
We read n8n's pricing page and plan comparison, the security page and trust center, and the docs on the Cloud trial, exporting workflows, conditional branches and error handling on Oct 16, 2026; we did not start the trial or build a workflow. The pricing page renders prices in euros (20€ and 50€ a month on annual terms) and then loads the visitor's local price from its checkout provider; for a US visitor that price feed returns $24 a month or $240 a year for Starter and $60 or $600 for Pro, the figures we use. An Internet Archive copy from Oct 15, 2026 shows the same euro page.
The execution model is the main difference from the rest of this category: a run counts once whatever it does. The pages leave two points open. The price of executions beyond a Cloud plan's quota is not stated (only the self-hosted Business plan lists an overage price), and the Pro plan card lists workflow history as a Pro addition while the comparison table gives Starter one day of it.
A run of the whole workflow is one execution, so our five-step scenario uses 2,000 executions and fits Starter (2,500) at $20 a month on annual terms.
vs Zapier: Zapier counts each action as a task and Make each module as a credit.
JavaScript and Python code steps, custom API requests, cURL import, webhook triggers, the AI Agent node and MCP nodes are checked on Starter.
All plans include unlimited users and workflows and every integration; Starter has one shared project, Pro three with admin and editor roles.
vs Zapier: Zapier Professional is a single-user plan.
The same engine is on GitHub to self-host, and workflows download as JSON files that import into any n8n instance.
vs Zapier: Zapier, Make and Power Automate cloud flows run only in the vendor’s cloud.
n8n Cloud starts with a 14-day trial of Pro features limited to 1,000 executions; the workspace is deleted if you do not upgrade, with 90 days to download workflows.
Workaround: The trial needs no card.
Hosted data is stored in Frankfurt, Germany; the trust center lists SOC 2 Type 2 and SOC 3 but no ISO 27001 or HIPAA.
On Cloud, SSO, audit logging, log streaming, custom roles and Git version control are Enterprise features; the Business plan that adds SSO is self-hosted only.
Workaround: Pro adds admin and editor roles for $50 a month (annual).
The pages do not say what a Cloud plan costs when executions go past the monthly quota.
Workaround: Move up a tier: Pro with 10,000 executions is $50 a month on annual terms.
n8n Cloud bills by executions a month: one run of the whole workflow, whatever its length. For our scenario, 2,000 runs = 2,000 executions, so Starter (2,500) at $20 a month on annual terms ($240 a year) or $24 month to month, from the US price feed; the page shows the same numbers in euros. Pro costs $50 a month on annual terms for 10,000 executions ($60 monthly) or $120 for 50,000 ($144 monthly). Starter allows 5 concurrent executions and keeps execution logs for 7 days; Pro allows up to 50 and keeps 30 days. Assistant credits for the AI builder are included (1,600 a month on Starter) and more can be bought. Enterprise is priced by sales.
Workflows are stored as JSON: any workflow can be downloaded from the editor menu, copied and pasted, or exported with the CLI, and imported into another n8n instance, including the self-hosted Community Edition. Exported files include credential names and IDs, which n8n suggests removing before sharing. After a trial ends, workflows can be downloaded for 90 days.
From its public pages, n8n Cloud has the most predictable per-run price here, with code, AI and webhooks on the $20 Starter plan and a self-hosted edition as an exit. It has no free cloud plan, hosts in Frankfurt only, and keeps SSO and audit logs for Enterprise.
| Limit | As recorded |
|---|---|
| Billing unit | Executions: one per run of a whole workflow, whatever its length |
| Free option | No free cloud plan; 14-day trial (1,000 executions), no card; Community Edition self-hosted |
| Reference scenario (2,000 runs, annual) | $20/mo on Starter, 2,500 executions (2,000 needed), computed |
| Month-to-month price | $24 for Starter; $60 for Pro 10,000 executions |
| Usage past the plan | Not stated for Cloud plans |
| Code steps | JavaScript and Python code steps on every plan |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 | SOC 2 Type 2 and SOC 3; ISO 27001 not stated |
| HIPAA BAA | Not stated |
| EU data hosting | Every Cloud plan: Frankfurt, Germany (the only stated region) |
| SSO | SAML and LDAP on Enterprise (Business is self-hosted only) |
| Workflow export | Workflows download as JSON on every plan |
| Self-hosting | Yes: Community Edition free on GitHub; Business and Enterprise licences |
Read from the vendor's public pages on Oct 16, 2026. No hands-on run is published yet. How we check
We have not published a sign-up run for n8n Cloud yet. The access facts above were read from its sign-up and pricing pages on Oct 16, 2026.
We have not published API calls for n8n Cloud yet.
n8n Cloud lists 3 plans. The cheapest paid plan, Starter, 2,500 executions (billed annually), costs $20/mo.
Prices as listed, USD, excluding tax; observed 2026-10-16.
Source: n8n.io pricing page. Prices change; the observed date above is when our agent read them.
We read the pricing, trust, help center and developer pages of three workflow automation platforms on the same day and scored them on the same six indicators. What 2,000 five-step runs cost in credits, executions and tasks, where code, SSO and EU hosting sit, and who should pick which.
