n8n Pricing & Hosting: The Real Cost of Self-Hosting (2025)

The Short Answer: n8n Cloud vs. Self-Hosted TCO Showdown

For those who are busy, here’s the bottom line. We’ve compared the estimated monthly costs for three common scenarios based on workflow execution volume, using the latest n8n and Zapier pricing.

Note: “Self-Hosted Time Cost” is calculated at a conservative $75/hr engineering rate. This is the “hidden cost” you must factor in.

Now, let’s break down exactly how we got these numbers.

The n8n Pricing & Hosting Deep Dive

Understanding your options is the key to making the right choice. Let’s explore the three main paths for using this powerful workflow automation tool.

Option 1: The Simplicity of n8n Cloud Pricing

This is the most straightforward path. You sign up, get an instance, and start building. It’s a pure SaaS model based on the latest plans from the official n8n website.

• How it’s Billed: Primarily by the number of workflow executions per month. The “Starter” plan offers 2,500 executions for $24/month, and the “Pro” plan offers 10,000 executions for $60/month.
• Pros: Zero setup, no maintenance, automatic updates, and managed security.
• Cons: Higher cost per execution compared to self-hosting, less control over the underlying environment, and your data is processed on their servers.
• Best for: Teams who want to get started immediately and value convenience above all else.

Option 2: The Economics of a “Simple” Self-Hosted n8n Instance

This is the most popular self-hosting route for developers and small businesses. It involves running all services on a single virtual private server (VPS).

• Server Costs: A basic VPS from providers like DigitalOcean, Hetzner, or Vultr is more than enough to start. A 2GB RAM / 2 vCPU machine, which costs around $10-$15/month, can handle tens of thousands of executions.
• Database Costs: For this setup, you can run a Postgres database in a separate Docker container on the same server at no extra software cost.
• The Hidden Cost: Your Time. This is the most critical factor.
  • Initial Setup: Budget 2-4 hours for the initial deployment.
  • Ongoing Maintenance: Budget 2-4 hours per month for updates, security patches, and monitoring.

Option 3: The Scalability of Hosting n8n on AWS

For larger teams or mission-critical workloads, you might opt for a more robust, scalable setup on a cloud provider like AWS.

• Compute Costs: Instead of a single server, you might use Amazon ECS or EKS to run the Docker container. Costs can range from $20-$100+/month depending on usage.
• Database Costs: A managed database service like Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL adds reliability for $15-$40+/month for a small instance.
• Best for: Enterprises that require high availability, have dedicated DevOps teams, and already operate within the AWS ecosystem.

Production Deployment Guide: How to Host n8n with Docker

Theory is great, but code is better. Here’s a step-by-step guide to deploying a production-ready, self-hosted n8n instance using Docker. This guide assumes you have a fresh Linux VPS (like Ubuntu 22.04) and a domain name pointed to its IP address.

Prerequisites

1. A Linux server with Docker and Docker Compose installed.
2. A domain name (e.g., n8n.yourcompany.com).
3. Basic comfort with the command line.

The Production-Ready docker-compose.yml

This file is the blueprint for your automation service. It defines the application, the Postgres database it will use, and how they connect.

Create a file named docker-compose.yml and paste the following content:

# A production-ready docker-compose file for n8n
version: '3.7'

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:5678:5678"
    environment:
      - DB_TYPE=postgresdb
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=postgres
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=${POSTGRES_DB}
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=${POSTGRES_USER}
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
      # Set a custom encryption key for credential security
      - N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=${N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY}
      # Set your timezone
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=America/New_York
      # Prune old execution data to save disk space
      - EXECUTIONS_DATA_PRUNE=true
      - EXECUTIONS_DATA_MAX_AGE=30
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
    depends_on:
      - postgres

  postgres:
    image: postgres:14
    restart: always
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_DB=${POSTGRES_DB}
      - POSTGRES_USER=${POSTGRES_USER}
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
  n8n_data:
  postgres_data:

Next, create a .env file in the same directory to securely store your credentials. Never commit this file to Git.

# .env file
# Database Credentials
POSTGRES_DB=n8n
POSTGRES_USER=n8n_user
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=generate_a_strong_password_here

# n8n Credentials
N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=generate_another_strong_secret_here

# Your domain for n8n
N8N_HOST=n8n.yourcompany.com

Setting Up a Reverse Proxy

You should never expose the service directly to the internet. A reverse proxy handles incoming traffic and provides SSL encryption. We recommend Caddy for its simplicity.

1. Install Caddy on your server.
2. Create a file named Caddyfile with the following content:

n8n.yourcompany.com {
    # Handles SSL automatically
    reverse_proxy localhost:5678
}

3. Run caddy start from the same directory.

Launching Your Instance

Now, the easy part. From the directory containing your docker-compose.yml and .env files, run:

docker-compose up -d

Your secure, production-ready n8n instance is now running and accessible at https://n8n.yourcompany.com.

The n8n TCO Calculator

To make your decision even easier, use our interactive Total Cost of Ownership calculator. Adjust the sliders and inputs to match your situation and see a personalized cost breakdown and recommendation.

n8n vs. Zapier vs. Make: A Developer’s Comparison

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Advanced Use Cases & FAQ

While n8n is a master of workflow automation, integrating it with one of the best AI assistants of 2025 can unlock even more powerful capabilities, like intelligent data processing or dynamic content generation.