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The n8n Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about n8n in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

n8n

The Insider’s Guide

Workflow automation and AI agents you can self-host

n8n, as pictured on n8n.io

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among automation tools, read from n8n’s own pages.

Made by n8n · checked Oct 4, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.4GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05After you payGetting your money back, getting out, and getting help
  6. 06The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  7. 07Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  8. 08About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from n8n’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on n8n’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 4, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.4

GPA, above 15 of the 40 other automation tools we grade

n8n is a workflow automation platform that combines a visual canvas with the option to write JavaScript or Python in any step. It can be used as a hosted cloud service or run on your own infrastructure, where the Community Edition is free. n8n describes its license as fair-code, with the source code available on GitHub, and it bills by workflow executions rather than by step.

To get you started, here are 10 things to know about n8n, taken from its own pages and our grades.

The hosted version at least saves you installing it; the free route doesn't.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for technical teams who want to host their own automation

    n8n lets you build on a visual canvas, drop into JavaScript or Python in any step, and run the whole thing on your own servers for free.

  2. 2

    Paid plans start at about $22.41 a month

    As its pricing page puts it: €20 / month, billed annually, for 2,500 executions (n8n Cloud Starter).

  3. 3

    There is a free plan

    The self-hosted Community Edition is free with almost the complete feature set, but without SSO, projects, environments, Git version control or workflow sharing. n8n Cloud has no free plan, only a trial.

  4. 4

    It runs on Web

    Web.

  5. 5

    Visual builder with code steps

    Workflows are built on a canvas, and JavaScript or Python can be written anywhere in them. Single steps can be re-run and earlier data replayed while debugging.

  6. 6

    AI agents

    Agents are assembled from AI nodes on the same canvas, with each step of their reasoning open to inspection and the option to require human approval.

  7. 7

    Self-hosting

    n8n can run on your own infrastructure with Docker, including air-gapped setups. The Community Edition is free; Business and Enterprise add SSO, environments and Git version control.

  8. 8

    Refunds: no set window

    A plain, unsentimental deal. On a monthly Cloud plan you stop whenever you like and keep the instance to the end of that month.

  9. 9

    A 2.4 GPA, above 15 of 40

    That is against the other automation tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  10. 10

    Keep it

    To replace n8n you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

n8n at a glance

Pricing
Free plan, from €20 / month, billed annually, for 2,500 executions (n8n Cloud Starter)
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
14-day n8n Cloud trial of Pro features, capped at 1,000 executions, no credit card required
Runs on
Web
Made by
n8n
Category
Automation
Our grade
2.4 GPA, fair

The report card

Best for technical teams who want to host their own automation

n8n lets you build on a visual canvas, drop into JavaScript or Python in any step, and run the whole thing on your own servers for free. The hosted version has no free plan, only a 14-day trial, and Starter is €20 a month for 2,500 executions. SSO and Git version control start on Business at €667 a month, which is self-hosted only, and prices are shown in euros only.

ToolGPA report cardn8nGraded Oct 10, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyCCloud Starter is €20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions, the dear end of this category, and a whole workflow run counts as one execution however many steps it has. Self-hosting the Community Edition costs nothing but your server, while SSO and Git version control start on Business at €667.
Free plan and trialCNo free plan on the hosted service, just a 14-day trial capped at 1,000 executions with no card needed. Free here means self-hosting the Community Edition, which is nearly the full product but leaves out SSO, projects, environments, Git and workflow sharing, and you maintain it.
FeaturesBA canvas with JavaScript or Python available in any step, single steps you can re-run while debugging, AI agents whose reasoning you can inspect and gate with approvals, 500+ integrations, custom API calls, and the option to run the lot air-gapped. The job, covered.
Ease of useCNo store rating on record, and it's pitched at developers: accounts to connect, a canvas to learn, and code in the middle of a workflow when the nodes run out. The hosted version at least saves you installing it; the free route doesn't.
Platforms and integrationsBA web app, hosted or on your own Docker setup, with no phone or desktop app. It cites 500+ integrations, reaches anything else through custom API calls, and the paid plans open up its own API.
Grade point averageFair, out of 4.02.4

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who n8n is for

  • Fits if you want automations on your own servers, where the Community Edition is free
  • Works for workflows that need a few lines of JavaScript or Python in the middle

Who it is not for

  • Skip it if you want a free hosted plan, because n8n Cloud only has a 14-day trial
  • Not for you if nobody on the team is technical, since it's pitched at developers
  • Pricey if you need SSO or Git version control, which start on Business at €667 a month, self-hosted only
  • Watch out: the free Community Edition leaves out projects, environments and workflow sharing, and you maintain it
  • Watch out: prices are in euros, and no US dollar price list was found on n8n's site

Good to know

Good for

  • Technical teams that want to host their automation on their own servers
  • Developers who mix visual workflows with JavaScript or Python
  • Building AI agents where every step can be inspected

Worth knowing

  • n8n Cloud has no free plan; the free option is self-hosting the Community Edition, which you run and maintain yourself.
  • The Community Edition leaves out SSO, projects, environments, Git version control and workflow sharing.
  • The Business plan is self-hosted only and starts at €667 a month, billed annually.
  • The pricing page showed prices in euros when checked; no US dollar price list was found on n8n's site.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

~$22.41

A month to start. There is a free plan too

n8n has a free plan. Paid plans start at €20 / month, billed annually, for 2,500 executions (n8n Cloud Starter).

  • Community Edition

    €0

    Self-hosted from GitHub. Almost the complete feature set, without SSO, projects, environments, Git version control or workflow sharing.

  • Starter

    €20

    per month, billed annually, for 2,500 executions

    Hosted by n8n. Unlimited steps per workflow, 1 shared project, 5 concurrent executions, and agents, MCP and AI nodes.

  • Pro

    €50

    per month, billed annually, for 10,000 executions

    Hosted by n8n. 3 shared projects, up to 50 concurrent executions, 7 days of insights, admin roles and workflow history.

  • Business

    €667

    per month, billed annually, for 40,000 executions

    Self-hosted only. 6 shared projects, SSO with SAML and LDAP, multiple environments, Git version control, queue mode and 30 days of insights.

  • Enterprise

    Custom

    Hosted or self-hosted. Custom executions, unlimited shared projects, 200+ concurrent executions, external secret store, log streaming and SLA support.

The free plan

The self-hosted Community Edition is free with almost the complete feature set, but without SSO, projects, environments, Git version control or workflow sharing. n8n Cloud has no free plan, only a trial.

Trying it first

14-day n8n Cloud trial of Pro features, capped at 1,000 executions, no credit card required

Read from n8n.io on Oct 4, 2026.

Ways to pay less

  • Annual discount

    Save 17% with annual billing

    n8n's pricing page shows a 17% saving when a plan is billed annually instead of monthly. The prices listed here are the annual rates.

    Stated on n8n.io

  • Startups

    Start-up Plan: 50% off Business

    Companies with fewer than 20 employees can check whether they qualify for the Start-up Plan, which takes 50% off the Business plan.

    Stated on n8n.io

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

1

Place it runs: Web

Workflow automation and AI agents you can self-host. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: self-hostable, public API, AI features, workflow automation.

A web app, hosted or on your own Docker setup, with no phone or desktop app.
From our grade for platforms and integrations
Visual builder with code steps
Workflows are built on a canvas, and JavaScript or Python can be written anywhere in them. Single steps can be re-run and earlier data replayed while debugging.
AI agents
Agents are assembled from AI nodes on the same canvas, with each step of their reasoning open to inspection and the option to require human approval.
Self-hosting
n8n can run on your own infrastructure with Docker, including air-gapped setups. The Community Edition is free; Business and Enterprise add SSO, environments and Git version control.
Execution-based pricing
One run of a whole workflow counts as a single execution, however many steps it has. Going over the plan quota does not stop workflows, but overage charges may apply.
Integrations and custom APIs
The homepage cites 500+ integrations, including Google Sheets, Slack and OpenAI, and other services can be reached through custom API connections.
Shared projects
Shared projects group workflows for a team: 1 on Starter, 3 on Pro, 6 on Business and unlimited on Enterprise. Pro adds admin roles and workflow history.

Where it runs

  • Web

What it works with

  • Google Sheets
  • Gmail
  • OpenAI
  • Slack
  • Telegram
  • Airtable
  • Notion
  • Discord

n8n is made by n8n.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

15/40

Other automation tools it is graded above

n8n's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 15 of the 40 other automation tools we grade, and level with 8.

It stands best on features (B, above 17 of 40) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 2).

Its paid plans start at about $22.41 a month, against a middle price of $18.50 for the category: 19 of the 29 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 41 automation tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. n8n’s own letter is outlined.

  • CValue for moneyAbove 10 of 40
  • CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 40
  • BFeaturesAbove 17 of 40
  • CEase of useAbove 3 of 40
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 10 of 40

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 33 automation tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. n8n is the marked dot.

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$1$2$5$10$20$50$100$200$500$1kMore for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessn8nIFTTTNode-REDMakeZapierActivepieces

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace n8n you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

It costs $268.94 a year.

What you could not

  • Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
  • AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
  • What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on.
  • Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. n8n’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Refunds

After you pay

Getting your money back, getting out, and getting help

CRefunds
DSupport

What happens once you have paid: whether you can get your money back, how to leave, and how to reach a person when something goes wrong. Each is graded from n8n’s own terms and help pages.

Refunds and cancelling

CGrade

Ordinary · checked Oct 18, 2026

A plain, unsentimental deal. On a monthly Cloud plan you stop whenever you like and keep the instance to the end of that month. Pay for a year and the terms call it non-refundable in so many words, so that money is spent. No guarantee, no window, no grace, but nothing standing between you and the exit either, which is where most subscription software sits. A C.

Refund window
No set window
How you cancel
Yourself, in settings
Getting your money back

The Cloud terms say an annual plan is a non-refundable payment made in advance for 12 months of access. On a monthly plan, fees are payable in advance at the start of each month, and cancelling gives you access to the end of that month with no further payments taken. The terms set out no refund window, no money-back guarantee and no exception beyond that.

Stated on n8n.io
How to cancel n8n

The Cloud terms say you can terminate your subscription through the Cloud Services themselves or by writing to n8n by email. No help page read sets out where the setting sits or what the steps are. A monthly plan can be cancelled at any time; the terms also say only monthly services can be downgraded, so an annual plan cannot be reduced part way through its term.

Stated on n8n.io
What you keep afterwards

The terms say your right to use the Cloud Services and the content on them expires when the subscription ends. Workflows can be downloaded beforehand from the Export tab of the Cloud admin dashboard. The only retention figure published is for trials: 90 days to download workflows after a free trial ends, after which n8n says they are permanently deleted and unrecoverable.

Stated on docs.n8n.io
Renewals

The terms say monthly fees are payable in advance at the beginning of each month and keep being taken until you cancel, and that an annual plan is paid in advance for a 12-month period. They do not use the word automatic, and promise no reminder before a charge. If you exceed your plan's limits n8n says it may upgrade your account, giving 14 days' notice in which you can object.

Stated on n8n.io

In your favour

  • Cancel a monthly plan whenever you like and you keep the instance until the end of that month.
  • You end the subscription in the product itself, by the terms, without having to ask anyone.
  • The admin dashboard has an Export tab, so your workflows can be downloaded before you go.
  • If n8n bumps you to a bigger plan for overuse, it gives 14 days' notice and you can object.

Watch out for

  • An annual plan is non-refundable in so many words: pay for the year and the year is spent.
  • You cannot downgrade an annual plan mid-term either, only a monthly one.
  • No help page says where to cancel, only the terms, which point vaguely at the product or an email.
  • The only data-retention figure published is for trials, so there is no stated grace after a paid plan ends.

Customer support

DGrade

Weak · checked Oct 18, 2026

The forum is genuinely good and n8n's own engineers post in it. The problem is that it is all an ordinary paying customer gets. The pricing FAQ says outright that the Business plan is self-serve and dedicated support is Enterprise only, the comparison table puts email support on Enterprise alone, and the contact page asks you to post in the forum instead of writing in. Pay €50 a month for Pro and there is still no one to raise a ticket with. That is a D.

Ways to get help

  • Email

    The Cloud terms give an email address for ending a subscription. The pricing comparison notes against its email support row that support with billing and the like is included on all plans, while the row itself is ticked for Enterprise only.

    Stated on n8n.io

  • Contact form or ticket

    A customer support centre where you open a ticket, described on the support page as Enterprise-only and offering priority support. The pricing FAQ repeats that dedicated support is available only on the Enterprise plan.

    Stated on n8n.io

  • Help centre

    Documentation covering hosting, the Cloud admin dashboard, every node, integrations and administration, with a machine-readable index. It is open to anyone without an account.

    Stated on docs.n8n.io

  • Community or forum

    The community forum, which the support page describes as free for every n8n user and a place where n8n engineers take part alongside other builders. The pricing table shows forum access on every plan, self-hosted Community Edition included.

    Stated on n8n.io

Not listed on n8n’s pages: live chat, phone.

When people answer

Its pages do not say.

How fast it says it replies

No response time is published for any self-serve plan. The pricing page says dedicated support means direct access to the in-house team with guaranteed response times available through SLAs, and that a support contract with response times set by issue severity can be added at extra cost. No figures are given.

Stated on n8n.io
What depends on your plan

The comparison table ticks forum access on every plan, including the free self-hosted Community Edition, and ticks email support and dedicated support with an SLA for Enterprise only. Its note says support with billing and similar is included on all plans. The pricing FAQ confirms the Business plan is self-serve.

Stated on n8n.io

In your favour

  • The forum is free to everyone, self-hosters included, and n8n says its engineers answer there.
  • The documentation is large, open and kept in step with the product.
  • Billing questions are covered on every plan, according to the note on the pricing table.

Watch out for

  • On Starter, Pro or Business you get the forum, not a support desk.
  • n8n says plainly that dedicated support is Enterprise only, and that Business is self-serve.
  • A support contract with set response times is an extra, chargeable on top of Enterprise.
  • The contact page asks you to post problems in the forum rather than write in.

What these two grades rest on. Read on 18 October 2026: n8n's self-serve Cloud terms on payment, cancellation and termination, the pricing page with its support comparison rows and FAQ, the support page, the contact page, and the Cloud documentation on the admin dashboard, downloading workflows and the free trial. Nobody here cancelled a plan or contacted its support. They are graded apart from the five that make the GPA. How we grade refunds and support.

Part 06 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Zapier, Make and IFTTT

The 3 tools n8n is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

  • 2.6GPA

    Zapier

    Free plan · from $19.99/mo

    Workflow automation across 9,000+ apps, with AI agents.

    • Only Zapier lists a browser extension.
    • n8n is self-hostable, according to its own site.
    • Zapier also covers databases.
    n8n and Zapier compared in full
  • 2.8GPA

    Make

    Free plan · from $9/mo

    Visual automation builder for multi-step scenarios and AI agents.

    • Only Make lists iOS and Android apps.
    • n8n is self-hostable, according to its own site.
    n8n and Make compared in full
  • 3.0GPA

    IFTTT

    Free plan · from $2.99/mo

    Simple trigger-and-action automations for apps and smart devices.

    • Only IFTTT lists iOS and Android apps.
    • n8n is self-hostable, according to its own site.
    • IFTTT also covers templates.
    n8n and IFTTT compared in full

Part 07 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

20

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is n8n free?

n8n has a free plan. The self-hosted Community Edition is free with almost the complete feature set, but without SSO, projects, environments, Git version control or workflow sharing. n8n Cloud has no free plan, only a trial.

How much does n8n cost?

n8n lists 5 plans. Community Edition: €0.

What platforms does n8n work on?

n8n is available on Web.

Does n8n offer any discounts?

n8n publicly lists the following: Save 17% with annual billing; Start-up Plan: 50% off Business.

Does n8n have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 4, 2026. n8n is listed for Web.

Does n8n have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 4, 2026. n8n is listed for Web.

Is n8n open source?

n8n is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 4, 2026.

Can n8n be self-hosted?

Yes. n8n's own site says it can be run on a server of your own.

Does n8n have an API?

Yes. n8n offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does n8n integrate with?

n8n's listing names Google Sheets, Gmail, OpenAI, Slack, Telegram, Airtable, Notion and Discord.

Does n8n have a free trial?

Yes. 14-day n8n Cloud trial of Pro features, capped at 1,000 executions, no credit card required.

Who makes n8n?

n8n is made by a company of the same name.

What are the alternatives to n8n?

The closest alternatives to n8n in our directory are Zapier, Make and IFTTT.

Does n8n give refunds?

The Cloud terms say an annual plan is a non-refundable payment made in advance for 12 months of access.

How do I cancel n8n?

The Cloud terms say you can terminate your subscription through the Cloud Services themselves or by writing to n8n by email.

What happens to my data if I cancel n8n?

The terms say your right to use the Cloud Services and the content on them expires when the subscription ends.

How do I contact n8n support?

n8n's pages list these ways to get help: email, contact form or ticket, help centre and community or forum.

How does n8n compare with other automation tools?

n8n's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 15 of the 40 other automation tools we grade, and level with 8.

Is n8n good value for money?

ToolGPA grades n8n C for value for money. Its paid plans start at about $22.41 a month, against a middle price of $18.50 for the category: 19 of the 29 others that charge start lower.

Could I make my own version of n8n?

To replace n8n you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from n8n’s own pages on Oct 4, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from n8n's own pages on 4 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-12.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by n8n. Prices change, so check n8n.io before you buy.

Part 08 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

3,189

Tools graded, in 94 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 3,189

    tools graded

  • 94

    categories

  • 426

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "n8n: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 4, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/n8n

Know someone choosing between automation tools?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/n8n/guide

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The best-graded automation tools after n8n, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what n8n’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. n8n is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by n8n. Prices and plans change: check n8n.io before you buy.