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World's Most Popular Workflow Automation Platform

n8n Pricing for AI Agents
& Workflows You Can See & Control

Build visually, go deep with code, connect to anything. Every step of your agents' reasoning, traceable on the canvas.

Get Started Explore Templates

Webhook Trigger

Receive data from external service

AI Agent

Process with LLM / RAG pipeline

Conditional Logic

Route based on AI decision

Send Notification

Deliver results via Slack/Email

0 Workflow Templates
0 + Integrations
0 + Community Members
0 % Open Source
Core Capabilities

Why Choose n8n?

The only workflow automation platform that gives you the power of code with the simplicity of visual building.

Visual Workflow Builder

Build complex automations with an intuitive drag-and-drop canvas. See every step, every connection, and every data transformation in real-time.

Drag & Drop Real-time Preview

Code When You Need It

Write JavaScript or Python anywhere in your workflow. Drop in custom code nodes for advanced logic, data transformations, and API calls.

JavaScript Python Custom Nodes

AI & LLM Integration

Build AI agents, RAG systems, and multi-model pipelines. Connect to OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, or run local models like Ollama.

AI Agents RAG MCP Support

Self-Hosted & Secure

Deploy on your own infrastructure with Docker or Kubernetes. Full data privacy, SSO/SAML, LDAP, encrypted secrets, and RBAC permissions.

Docker Kubernetes SSO/SAML

400+ Integrations

Connect to any app with an API. Native integrations for Slack, Salesforce, Google Sheets, Notion, GitHub, and hundreds more.

REST API Webhooks HTTP Request

Human-in-the-Loop

Combine AI automation with human oversight. Add approval steps, manual interventions, and guardrails to keep AI actions safe and controlled.

Approvals Guardrails Evaluations
Real-World Applications

What Will You Build?

From startups to enterprises, n8n powers automation across every industry.

AI & Machine Learning

Build RAG pipelines, orchestrate multi-agent systems, and automate batch inference. Connect multiple LLMs and manage AI workflows with full observability.

Example: Auto-generate support tickets from customer emails using AI classification, then route to the right team with confidence scoring.

Enterprise Automation

Automate business processes across departments. Sync CRM data, generate reports, manage approvals, and integrate legacy systems with modern APIs.

Example: Sync Salesforce opportunities to Asana tasks, notify Slack channels on deal closures, and update Google Sheets dashboards automatically.

Security & DevOps

Build SOAR capabilities, automate incident response, and create threat intelligence pipelines. Vodafone saved £2.2M using n8n for security automation.

Example: Auto-detect security alerts, run custom tests, notify the IT team, create ServiceNow tickets, and rollback failed deployments.

Data Engineering

Build ETL pipelines, transform data between formats, and orchestrate complex data flows. Schedule workflows and handle errors gracefully with retry logic.

Example: Extract data from multiple APIs, transform with custom JavaScript, load into a data warehouse, and send daily analytics reports via email.
Flexible Deployment

Runs Where You Decide

Choose the deployment option that fits your security, compliance, and scaling needs.

n8n Cloud

Fully managed hosting by n8n. Zero infrastructure maintenance. Perfect for individuals and small teams who want to start building immediately.

  • Instant setup
  • Automatic updates
  • Built-in backups
  • 24/7 monitoring
Learn More

Self-Hosted

Deploy with Docker or Kubernetes on your own infrastructure. Full control over security, data, and scaling. Access the entire source code on GitHub.

  • Full data privacy
  • Custom configurations
  • Unlimited workflows
  • Enterprise SSO/LDAP
Deploy Now

npm / Source

Install via npm or run from source. Ideal for developers who want maximum flexibility and the ability to customize every aspect of n8n.

  • npm install
  • Full source access
  • Custom node development
  • Community contributions
View Docs
Quick Start

Get Up & Running in Minutes

Choose your preferred method to start automating with n8n.

docker-compose.yml 
version: '3'
services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n:latest
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=password
    volumes:
      - ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n

Run with: docker-compose up -d

Terminal 
# Install n8n globally
npm install n8n -g

# Start n8n
n8n start

# Open in browser
# http://localhost:5678

Requires Node.js 18+ and npm installed on your system.

Start Instantly on n8n Cloud

No setup required. Sign up, and start building workflows in seconds. Perfect for trying n8n without any infrastructure commitment.

Sign Up Free

Browse 9,875+ Ready-Made Templates

1 AI Content Generator
2 CRM Sync Pipeline
3 Social Media Bot
4 Email Automation
5 Data ETL Flow
6 Slack Agent
Browse All Templates
Programmatic Control

n8n API & CLI

Automate your automations. Manage workflows, credentials, and executions programmatically via REST API or CLI.

Public REST API

n8n exposes a comprehensive REST API that lets you programmatically perform almost any action available in the GUI. Manage workflows, credentials, executions, users, and variables via HTTP requests.

  • Create, update, and delete workflows
  • Trigger executions remotely
  • Manage credentials and secrets
  • Query execution history and logs
  • Built-in API playground (self-hosted)

Note: API access requires a paid plan. Not available during the free trial.

curl List Workflows 
curl -X GET "https://your-n8n-instance.com/api/v1/workflows" \
  -H "X-N8N-API-KEY: n8n_api_xxxxxxxxxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json"

n8n CLI (Recommended)

The n8n CLI wraps the public API and is optimized for developers. It provides a command-line experience perfect for CI/CD pipelines, scripting, and AI agent integration with Claude Code or Cursor.

  • Export/import workflows as JSON
  • CI/CD pipeline integration
  • Bulk operations and migrations
  • AI agent integration ready
CLI Documentation
n8n CLI Commands 
# Install CLI globally
npm install n8n -g

# Export all workflows
n8n export:workflow --all --output=./backup/

# Import workflow
n8n import:workflow --input=./workflow.json

# List executions
n8n list:workflow

# Update credentials via API
n8n api   --endpoint credentials   --method PATCH   --id 123   --data '{"data":{"token":"new_token"}}'

API Authentication

n8n uses API keys for authentication. Generate keys from your n8n instance settings and include them in the X-N8N-API-KEY header with every request.

How to Get Your API Key

  1. Open your n8n instance
  2. Go to Settings → API
  3. Click Generate API Key
  4. Copy and store securely
  5. Use in X-N8N-API-KEY header
JavaScript Fetch Example 
const response = await fetch(
  'https://n8n.example.com/api/v1/workflows',
  {
    method: 'GET',
    headers: {
      'X-N8N-API-KEY': process.env.N8N_API_KEY,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    }
  }
);

const workflows = await response.json();
console.log(workflows.data);

Key API Endpoints

GET
/api/v1/workflows

List all workflows

POST
/api/v1/workflows

Create new workflow

GET
/api/v1/executions

List execution history

PATCH
/api/v1/credentials/{id}

Update credential

DELETE
/api/v1/workflows/{id}

Delete workflow

GET
/api/v1/variables

List environment variables

Full API Reference
Competitive Analysis

n8n vs Other Tools

See how n8n stacks up against Zapier, Make, Tray.io, and Workato.

Feature n8n Zapier Make Workato
Pricing Model Free self-hosted / Fair-code Task-based, expensive Operation-based Enterprise-only, $$$
Self-Hosting
Open Source
Custom Code (JS/Python)
Limited (Python only)
Basic formulas
Visual + Code Hybrid
AI/LLM Native Support
RAG, Agents, MCP
Sub-workflows / Branching
Git Version Control
Data Residency / Privacy
Full control
Learning Curve Moderate
Dev-friendly		 Easy Moderate Steep

Best for Technical Teams

n8n uniquely combines no-code speed with full-code flexibility. Ideal for developers, DevOps, and data engineers.

Most Cost-Effective

Self-host for free forever. No per-task or per-operation pricing. Scale without breaking the budget.

Maximum Control

Own your data, your infrastructure, and your logic. No vendor lock-in with fair-code licensing.

Enterprise-Grade

Security & Compliance

n8n is built with security-first principles. SOC 2 Type 2 certified with comprehensive data protection.

SOC 2 Type 2 Certified

Audited security controls

n8n achieved SOC 2 Type 2 certification, demonstrating rigorous security practices across data protection, access controls, and operational processes.

Encryption Everywhere

In transit & at rest

  • In Transit: All connections use HTTPS/TLS with valid certificates
  • At Rest (Cloud): AES-256 encryption via Azure Storage, FIPS-140-2 compliant
  • At Rest (Self-Hosted): You control volume/database encryption
  • Credentials: Encrypted secret stores with environment variable support

Access Controls

RBAC, SSO, MFA

  • RBAC: Role-based permissions on all paid plans
  • SSO/SAML/LDAP: Enterprise plan support
  • MFA: Multi-factor authentication available
  • Least Privilege: Quarterly access reviews, need-to-know basis
  • Sessions: Configurable timeouts with JWT rotation

Secure Development

DevSecOps practices

  • SAST: Static analysis in CI/CD pipeline
  • Code Review: Mandatory peer review before merge
  • Separate Environments: Testing and production isolation
  • Vulnerability Monitoring: Continuous scanning and rapid patching
  • GitHub MFA: All developers use multi-factor auth

Compliance Matrix

GDPR

EU data residency. Self-host to ensure data never crosses borders.

HIPAA

Self-host in HIPAA-eligible cloud with signed BAA for PHI data.

SOC 2 Type 2

Certified controls for security, availability, and confidentiality.

Transparent Pricing

n8n Pricing & Credits

Choose between free self-hosting or managed cloud. Pay for executions, not individual actions.

FREE FOREVER

Community

€0

Self-hosted on your infrastructure

  • Unlimited executions
  • Unlimited workflows
  • 400+ integrations
  • Full feature set
  • Community support
  • No AI Builder credits
  • No SSO/SAML

You provide: server (~€5-20/mo)

Starter

€24/mo

€20/mo billed annually (17% off)

  • 2,500 executions/mo
  • 5 concurrent workflows
  • 1 shared project
  • 50 AI Builder credits/mo
  • 24h execution history
  • Email/forum support
  • No API access

14-day free trial, no CC

MOST POPULAR

Pro

€60/mo

€50/mo billed annually (17% off)

  • 10,000 executions/mo
  • 20 concurrent workflows
  • 3 shared projects
  • 150 AI Builder credits/mo
  • 7-day execution history
  • REST API access
  • Priority support

14-day free trial, no CC

Business

€800/mo

€667/mo billed annually (17% off)

  • 40,000 executions/mo
  • 200+ concurrent workflows
  • 6 shared projects
  • SSO/SAML & LDAP
  • Git sync + environments
  • 30-day execution history
  • Audit logs

50% startup discount available

AI Workflow Builder Credits

n8n's AI Workflow Builder generates workflows from text prompts. This is separate from AI Agent nodes (which bill through your LLM provider directly).

50
Starter/mo
150
Pro/mo
1,000
Enterprise/mo

Community Edition does not include managed AI Builder credits.

What Counts as an Execution?

Unlike Zapier (per-task) or Make (per-operation), n8n counts one execution = one complete workflow run, regardless of how many nodes or steps it contains.

2-node workflow run 1 execution
20-node workflow run 1 execution
Failed workflow (no output) 1 execution

Self-hosted Community: unlimited executions. Cloud overage: €4,000 per 300K extra executions (Business).

Cost Comparison: n8n vs Competitors

At 150,000 executions/month, self-hosted n8n costs ~€50 (VPS) vs Zapier's €1,200+ a 96% savings. Even n8n Cloud Pro at €60 handles 10,000 executions that would cost hundreds on task-based platforms.

View Full Pricing Page
Beginner Friendly

How to Use n8n

From zero to your first automation in under 30 minutes. Follow this step-by-step guide.

1

Choose Your Setup

Decide between n8n Cloud (fastest, no setup) or self-hosted (free forever, full control). For beginners, n8n Cloud's 14-day free trial is the easiest path.

n8n Cloud

Sign up at n8n.io → instant access, no server needed.

Self-Hosted

Docker: docker run -it --rm -p 5678:5678 n8nio/n8n

2

Create Your First Workflow

Click "Create Workflow" or press N to add your first node. Every workflow starts with a Trigger the event that starts the automation.

Common Trigger Types

Schedule (cron)
Webhook (HTTP)
Email Received
RSS Feed
Slack Message
Database Event

Tip: Press N anywhere on the canvas to quickly search and add nodes.

3

Connect & Configure Nodes

Click the "+" connector on your trigger node to add an action. Search for the app you want to connect (e.g., "Slack", "Google Sheets", "OpenAI"). Drag to connect nodes and configure each one's settings.

Webhook Trigger
When POST request received...
Function / Code Node
Transform data with JS/Python
Slack / Email / API
Send notification or store data
4

Test, Debug & Activate

Click "Execute Workflow" to test manually. Inspect the output panel on the right to see exactly what data passed through each node. When satisfied, toggle the "Active" switch your workflow now runs automatically.

Test Single Node

Click "Execute Node" on any step to test in isolation.

Pin Test Data

Pin output from one node to use as input for testing others.

Execution History

Review past runs, inspect inputs/outputs, and retry failures.

5

Level Up: Expressions & AI

Use expressions {{ $json["email"] }} to dynamically map data between nodes. Add AI Agent nodes to build intelligent automations with OpenAI, Claude, or local models.

Example: Expression in Slack Message 
New lead from {{ $json["name"] }}!
Email: {{ $json["email"] }}
Company: {{ $json["company"] || "Unknown" }}
Source: {{ $json["source"] }}
Learn Logic & Branching Build Your First AI Agent

Start With a Template

Gmail → Slack Notify team of priority emails RSS → Email Digest Daily blog post summaries AI Chat Agent ChatGPT-powered support bot CRM Sync Sync HubSpot to Google Sheets
Access Your Instance

n8n Login & Access

How to sign in to n8n Cloud, self-hosted instances, and configure authentication.

Sign In to n8n Cloud

n8n Cloud is the managed hosting service. Your instance URL is generated when you sign up. No server setup required.

  1. Go to app.n8n.cloud/login
  2. Enter your email and password
  3. Or click "Sign in with Google" for SSO
  4. Access your personal dashboard

Instance URL: Your cloud instance is typically at https://<username>.app.n8n.cloud

n8n Cloud Login

Managed hosting with automatic updates, backups, and SSL.

Sign In Now Create Free Account

Self-Hosted Login

When self-hosting, n8n runs on your server at port 5678 by default. Access it via your server's IP or domain.

Default Access URLs

http://localhost:5678 Local dev
http://<server-ip>:5678 Remote IP
https://n8n.yourdomain.com Production

First Run: n8n will prompt you to create an owner account. This becomes the admin user.

Docker Quick Start & Login 
# Run n8n locally
docker run -it --rm \
  --name n8n \
  -p 5678:5678 \
  -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n \
  n8nio/n8n

# Access in browser
open http://localhost:5678

# For production with domain
docker run -d \
  --name n8n \
  -p 5678:5678 \
  -e N8N_HOST=n8n.yourdomain.com \
  -e N8N_PROTOCOL=https \
  -e WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.yourdomain.com/ \
  -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n \
  n8nio/n8n

Authentication Methods

Basic Auth (Default)

Email + password created on first run. Suitable for single-user or small team setups.

All plans
Self-hosted default

Google Sign-In

Available on n8n Cloud and configurable on self-hosted via OAuth 2.0 setup in Google Cloud Console.

Cloud: built-in
Self-hosted: manual config

SSO / SAML

Enterprise single sign-on via SAML 2.0 or LDAP. Available on Business and Enterprise plans.

Business plan+
Self-hosted: license key

MFA / 2FA

Multi-factor authentication via TOTP authenticator apps (Google Authenticator, Authy, etc.).

All paid cloud plans
Self-hosted: configurable

Common Login Issues

"Cannot connect to server"

Ensure port 5678 is open in your firewall. Check that the n8n container/process is running with docker ps or pm2 status.

"Invalid credentials"

On first self-hosted setup, you create the owner account during initial load. If you forgot the password, reset via CLI: n8n user-management:reset-password

"OAuth redirect failed"

For self-hosted OAuth (Google, GitHub), ensure your WEBHOOK_URL env var matches the authorized redirect URI exactly.

Reset Owner Password (CLI)

Self-Hosted Password Reset 
# Reset owner password via CLI
n8n user-management:reset-password \
  --email=admin@example.com \
  --password=NewSecurePass123!

# Or inside Docker
docker exec -it n8n n8n \
  user-management:reset-password \
  --email=admin@example.com \
  --password=NewSecurePass123!

Useful Links

Success Stories

Loved by Technical Teams

See what industry leaders say about n8n.

"n8n was the big unlock. Tools like ChatGPT and Claude are great, but n8n is the thing that allows you to integrate AI into your work and your processes in a safe and controlled way."

OS

Ollie Scheers

Huel AI-First Company Culture

"n8n provides SOAR capability and workflows in a low-code model, as well as the ability to code for more complex workflows. It did everything that we wanted, all in one tool."

VF

Vodafone Security Team

Saved £2.2 Million in Threat Intelligence

"Found the holy grail of automation yesterday... What would've taken me 3 days to code from scratch? Done in 2 hours. The best part? You can just drop in custom code nodes."

FL

Francois Laßl

Developer & Automation Expert

"It blows my mind. I was hating on no-code tools my whole life, but n8n changed everything. Made a Slack agent that can basically do everything, in half an hour."

FL

Felix Leber

Software Engineer

Transparent & Honest

Known Limitations

We believe in transparency. Here are the current constraints to consider before adopting n8n.

No Built-in SSO (Community Edition)

n8n Community Edition does not include native SSO/SAML/OIDC. Enterprise plans offer SSO, LDAP, and SAML. Community users can implement workarounds using reverse proxies like Keycloak or Okta.

Enterprise Available Workaround Possible

API Locked Behind Paid Plans

The n8n REST API is not available during the free trial or on the lowest tier. You must upgrade to a paid plan to access programmatic workflow management via API.

Paid Feature

Self-Hosted = Self-Managed Security

When self-hosting, you are fully responsible for security hardening, updates, backups, encryption, and compliance. This requires DevOps expertise that managed platforms handle for you.

DevOps Required

Steeper Learning Curve

Unlike pure no-code tools like Zapier, n8n expects some technical literacy. Concepts like JSON parsing, webhooks, and API authentication can overwhelm non-technical users.

Technical Users

No Native Mobile App

n8n is web-based only. There is no native iOS or Android app for monitoring or triggering workflows on the go. Mobile browsers work but the experience is not optimized for small screens.

Web Only

Real-Time Collaboration Gaps

While Git-based versioning exists, real-time collaborative editing (like Google Docs) is limited. Teams must coordinate to avoid overwriting each other's workflow changes.

Git Workflow
Join the Community

Learn, Share & Connect

n8n has one of the most active automation communities in the world.

Forum

Ask questions, share workflows, and get help from experts.

Documentation

Comprehensive guides, API references, and tutorials.

GitHub

Open source code, issues, and contributions welcome.

Workflows

Browse 9,875+ templates shared by the community.
Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know before getting started with n8n.

Yes! n8n is fair-code licensed and free to self-host forever with no usage limits. The n8n Cloud hosted version offers a free trial, but long-term use requires a paid plan. The self-hosted Community Edition is completely free you only pay for your own infrastructure.

Not necessarily. Many workflows can be built entirely visually using pre-built nodes. However, n8n shines when you can write small snippets of JavaScript or Python for custom logic. If you're comfortable with basic concepts like JSON and APIs, you'll be productive quickly. Complete beginners may find Zapier easier to start with.

Absolutely. Many enterprises run n8n in production using Docker or Kubernetes. For high-throughput environments, enable Queue Mode with Redis and multiple worker processes. Use external secrets managers (HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) and implement proper backup strategies for the SQLite/PostgreSQL database.

n8n has native AI capabilities built in. You can connect to OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, Hugging Face, Cohere, and local models via Ollama. Build RAG pipelines, multi-agent systems, and human-in-the-loop approvals. The AI nodes support prompt engineering, data enrichment, sentiment analysis, and structured output parsing.

By default, n8n uses SQLite for small deployments. For production, PostgreSQL is strongly recommended. MySQL is also supported. You can connect n8n workflows to virtually any database with a driver: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Snowflake, BigQuery, and more via native nodes or generic HTTP requests.

Yes! n8n supports custom node development using TypeScript/JavaScript. You can build private nodes for internal APIs, package them as npm modules, and load them into your self-hosted instance. The n8n CLI provides scaffolding commands to generate new node projects quickly.

There's no automatic importer, but migration is straightforward. Map your Zapier "Zaps" or Make "Scenarios" to n8n workflows node-by-node. n8n's HTTP Request node can replicate any API call. Start with high-volume or sensitive workflows where n8n's self-hosting and code flexibility provide the most value. The community forum has many migration guides.

n8n provides robust error handling. You can configure retry policies per node (max retries, backoff intervals), set up error workflows that trigger on failure, and inspect full execution logs with input/output data for each step. The "Execute Once" mode lets you test and debug without affecting live data.

Ready to Automate Everything?

Join thousands of technical teams building the future of workflow automation.

Start Building Free n8n Download