How many executions do you actually run each month?

Count them before you choose. A daily workflow that triggers once is 30 runs a month. A webhook that fires on every new form submission across three forms can hit 4,000 before you notice.

On Cloud, the pricing ladder is $24 for 2,500, $60 for 10,000, and $800 for 40,000. On the community edition, executions are free — the ceiling is your server’s RAM. A 2GB droplet handles a surprising amount of light automation, and 4GB is plenty for most solo setups.

Does data residency rule out the cloud?

Sometimes it does. Cloud regions are limited to the EU and US, so if a client contract demands that records stay inside a specific country, or your legal team is nervous about a third party holding credentials, self-hosting on your own infrastructure is the only option that satisfies them.

For a solo operator with no such constraints, that concern disappears. The hosted build stores credentials encrypted with your instance key either way.

What does maintenance really cost you?

Running n8n yourself is not hard, but it is not zero work. Docker Compose plus a reverse proxy for TLS is a weekend job the first time. After that you own upgrades, database backups and log rotation.

Be honest about your tolerance here. If a personal project goes down for a day, nobody cares. If a client invoicing workflow fails silently on a Friday, that is a different conversation.

Can you migrate later?

Yes, and this is the strongest argument for starting on Cloud. Export any workflow as JSON from the canvas menu, then import it into a self-hosted instance. Nodes, connections and credentials references come across, though credentials themselves must be re-authenticated on the new instance.

That means the decision is reversible. Start hosted so you can learn the tool this week, then move to a VPS when your execution count or your paranoia justifies it.

Key Takeaways

• Cloud costs $24/month for 2,500 executions; a $6 VPS runs the community edition with no cap.
• Choose Cloud for zero maintenance and fast setup; choose self-hosted for volume or strict data residency.
• Workflows export as JSON, so Cloud to self-hosted migration is straightforward apart from re-authing credentials.
• Only EU and US regions exist on Cloud, which is the main disqualifier for regulated projects.

Last updated: September 2026.

Self-hosting n8n Cloud used to be the default route for anyone who wanted the tool at all. The cloud tier changes that math, but only if you actually understand what counts as an execution.

What is n8n Cloud, exactly?

It is n8n running on the company’s infrastructure rather than your own. The workflow editor is identical to the community edition: a canvas with nodes you drag and connect, where each node is a trigger, an app action, or a piece of logic.

The core difference is billing and operations. You never touch Docker, you never patch a bug, and n8n handles backups. In return, you pay per execution tier and accept the vendor’s uptime.

How much does n8n Cloud cost in 2026?

There are three tiers that matter for a solo builder or small team:

The jump from Pro to Business is steep, and it is the point where most small teams start eyeballing self-hosting; a $20/month VPS can run the community edition with unlimited executions.

How do you build your first workflow?

The fastest honest path is a scheduled task that posts something useful. Here is the sequence:

1. Create the workspace, then click Add workflow.
2. Add a Schedule Trigger node and set it to every day at 08:00.
3. Add an HTTP Request node pointing at any JSON API you already use.
4. Add a Slack node, authenticate with OAuth, and select the channel.
5. Map the API field you want into the Slack message text, then test the node.

One gotcha: testing a node from the editor still counts as executions. A careless afternoon of clicking Execute can burn a few hundred runs on the Starter plan.

Who should use n8n Cloud and who should not?

It suits freelancers and small teams who want glue between SaaS tools without maintaining infrastructure. If your workflows touch sensitive customer data, check the data-residency options before you commit, because the standard regions are EU and US only.

Skip it if you run heavy volume. Once you pass a few thousand executions a day, the hosted pricing loses to a $6 DigitalOcean droplet and a bottleneck is cheaper than a Business tier.

Key Takeaways

• n8n Cloud starts at $24/month for 2,500 executions; self-hosting the community edition is free apart from the server.
• The workflow editor is the same across cloud and self-hosted, so skills transfer either way.
• Node tests consume executions, which is the most common surprise on the Starter plan.
• Regions are limited to EU and US, which matters for compliance-heavy projects.

Last updated: September 2026.