This article is part of our AI Agents for Business hub. Want help applying it? Talk to eSEOspace.
Self-hosting n8n can cost less in license fees, because the Community edition is free. But you take on the servers, updates, backups and security yourself. Whether it is cheaper overall depends on what your team's time costs.
You may also need to read the license closely, depending on what you plan to do with it. This guide is part of our AI agents for business hub, and it was checked against n8n's documentation on 9 November 2026. We did not install or test n8n for this article.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Key Takeaways
- n8n's docs say the Community edition is free, with almost the complete feature set.
- Some features, such as SSO and environments, need a paid plan.
- The Sustainable Use License limits use to your own internal business purposes or non-commercial or personal use.
- n8n recommends updating at least once a month, and a complete backup needs more than the export commands.
- n8n's own guide recommends Cloud if you do not have technical expertise.
What you get when you self-host
n8n offers two routes. Its choosing guide says the first decision is "Cloud or self-hosted?", and it frames that as whether n8n manages the infrastructure or you do.
| Edition | Cost, per n8n's docs | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Community | Free | Self-hosting with almost the complete feature set |
| Registered Community | Free | Adds folders, debug in editor and custom execution data |
| Business | Paid license key | Teams needing paid features like SSO, environments and projects |
| Enterprise | Paid license key | Advanced security, scaling and governance |
The same guide lists features that need a paid plan. They include SSO, environments, external secrets, log streaming, projects, workflow and credential sharing, and version control with Git.
Check that list against your needs before you assume free is enough. If several staff need to share workflows and credentials, that alone may push you to a paid edition.
What it costs
n8n's pricing page lists the Business plan at €667 per month, billed annually, for 40K workflow executions. It is self-hosted only for now, with a waitlist for a hosted version. Enterprise is by quote.
For comparison, its hosted Starter plan is €20 per month and Pro is €50 per month, both billed annually. n8n adds that a Business or Enterprise license key must ping its license server daily. The ping includes data such as production execution counts.
We are not giving you a server price, because that depends on your provider and load. Use your own numbers in this worksheet.
| Cost line | Your monthly figure |
|---|---|
| Server or cloud hosting | |
| Database and storage | |
| Backup storage | |
| Monitoring tools | |
| Staff time: updates and fixes (hours × your internal cost) | |
| Staff time: security reviews | |
| AI model usage | |
| n8n paid license, if needed | |
| Total |
Compare that total with n8n's hosted plan at your expected volume. The staff line is the one people leave out.
The upkeep you are signing up for
n8n's guide lists maintenance as your responsibility on self-hosted setups. Here is what that means, from its own documentation.
Updates. n8n's update guide says: "Try to update at least once a month." It says frequent updates avoid jumping multiple versions at once. It also advises checking the release notes for breaking changes.
Backups. The backup guide says: "A complete backup includes more than the CLI export commands produce on their own." The .n8n folder matters because it holds the key that encrypts your stored credentials.
Lose that key and your saved credentials are of no use, even if the database survives. Test a restore before you need one.
Security. n8n's security overview lists a security audit, SSL and SSO, restricted nodes and public API access, and redacted execution data. Note that SSO needs a paid plan.
Monitoring. n8n's operations section covers logging, monitoring, tracing and updates. Someone has to set these up and watch them.
The license: what you can and cannot do
n8n's code is under the Sustainable Use License. It says: "You may use or modify the software only for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial or personal use."
It also says: "You may distribute the software or provide it to others only if you do so free of charge for non-commercial purposes."
The license text does not define "internal business purposes." Running your own company's workflows seems to fit those words. Hosting n8n and charging clients for access, or building it into a product you sell, is a different situation.
n8n's docs include a page on deploying as an OEM integration, so commercial routes exist. If you are an agency or a software company, ask n8n or a qualified attorney before you commit.
One more detail applies to developers. The license says files with ".ee." in their name are not covered by it. You need a valid n8n Enterprise License for those.
When self-hosting makes sense
n8n's choosing guide gives clear pointers. It recommends self-hosting if you need full control over deployment, or if you have infrastructure and technical resources.
It recommends Cloud if you lack technical expertise or do not want to manage infrastructure. Take that advice at face value, even though n8n benefits from selling Cloud plans.
Self-hosting is also the route to keeping workflow data where you decide. n8n's pricing page says hosted data is stored in the EU, in Frankfurt. It adds: "For self-hosted plans, it's wherever you decide to host n8n."
Agents on a self-hosted instance
Agents raise the stakes, because your server holds the credentials they use. An agent that can reach those credentials can do real damage if it is manipulated.
OWASP's AI Agent Security Cheat Sheet says: "Grant agents the minimum tools required for their specific task." n8n's pricing page also lists human approval for tool calls. Consider using it for risky actions.
Self-hosting gives you more control. It does not make anything safe by itself, since the responsibility moves to you. Our guide to prompt injection explains one risk to plan for.
To weigh n8n against the alternatives, see n8n vs Zapier vs Make. If you connect it to MCP tools, read our guide to n8n's MCP nodes.
Next step
Fill in the worksheet with real numbers, including staff time, and compare it with a hosted plan. If you need a custom agent system built, see our AI agent development service.
Frequently asked questions
Is self-hosted n8n free for commercial use?
n8n's docs say the Community edition is free. The license allows use for your own internal business purposes, so running your own company's workflows appears to fit. Selling access to others is different, so ask n8n or an attorney.
Can I host n8n for my clients?
The license restricts use to your own internal business purposes or non-commercial or personal use. Hosting for paying clients may need a commercial agreement. Ask n8n or a qualified attorney before you offer it.
How much does it cost to self-host n8n?
Community edition has no license fee. You still pay for hosting, storage, backups, staff time and AI model usage. Use the worksheet above, since costs depend on your load and your provider.
What happens if I don't update n8n?
You miss features and fixes, and later updates get harder. n8n advises updating at least once a month to avoid jumping multiple versions at once.
Do I need a developer to self-host n8n?
n8n's guide lists technical expertise as required for installation and configuration. If nobody on your team can look after a server, it points you to n8n Cloud.
Does self-hosting n8n keep my data private?
It lets you choose where your data lives. Your AI model provider may still receive whatever the workflow sends it, so check that provider's terms as well.
