Choose how to use n8n

n8n offers two primary deployment options: n8n Cloud (fully-managed) and Self-hosted (deploy on your own infrastructure). Choosing involves two decisions:

1. Cloud or self-hosted? Decide whether n8n manages the infrastructure or you do.

2. Which plan or edition? Within each option, pick the tier that has the features and limits you need.

This page helps with both.

Choosing your n8n deployment option, plan, and edition

Want to try n8n quickly?

Start with n8n Cloud for instant access with no installation required.

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Decision 1: Cloud or self-hosted

Use this guide to choose a deployment option:

Your situation	Recommended option	Reason
Want to start quickly	n8n Cloud	No installation needed
Don't have technical expertise	n8n Cloud	Fully managed, no setup or maintenance required
Need production-ready deployment	Both options work	Both n8n Cloud and self-hosted support production use
Don't want to manage infrastructure	n8n Cloud	n8n handles hosting, updates, and scaling
Need full control over deployment	Self-hosted	You control the environment and configuration
Have customized use cases	Self-hosted	Full control over deployment and configuration
Need enterprise features (SSO, environments, projects, etc.)	Both options work	Enterprise plans (paid) are available with both
Have infrastructure and technical resources	Self-hosted	You can manage your own deployment
Want to run n8n for free	Self-hosted (Community edition)	Free with almost the complete feature set

For specific feature availability across different plans, see the pricing page.

Pros and cons comparison

Aspect	n8n Cloud	Self-hosted
Setup & Deployment
Installation	✅ No installation needed	❌ Requires setup (npm, Docker, or server)
Technical expertise	✅ None required	❌ Required for installation and configuration
Infrastructure Management
Hosting	✅ Fully hosted by n8n	❌ You must provide and manage infrastructure
Maintenance	✅ Handled by n8n	❌ Your responsibility
Control & Customization
Deployment control	❌ Managed by n8n	✅ Full control over deployment
Customization	❌ Limited to available options	✅ Recommended for customized use cases
Cost
Free option	⚠️ Free trial available	✅ Free Community edition with most features
Paid options	✅ Range of paid plans	✅ Paid Business and Enterprise options available
Features
Core features	✅ Included	✅ Included in free Community edition
Enterprise features	❌ Requires paid plans	❌ Requires a paid plan (free Community limited)
Use Cases
Quick start	✅ Ideal for getting started	⚠️ Takes longer to set up
Production use	✅ Supported	✅ Recommended for production
Custom requirements	⚠️ Limited customization	✅ Recommended for customized use cases

Legend: ✅ Advantage | ❌ Disadvantage | ⚠️ Mixed/depends on needs

For specific feature availability across different plans, see the pricing page.

Decision 2: Choose a plan or edition

Once you've chosen a deployment option, pick a plan or edition. The pricing page lists the definitive features, usage limits, and prices.

Pick a plan for n8n Cloud

Every plan runs on the same underlying product with different features, usage limits, and computing power.

Plan	Designed for
Free trial	Trying n8n Cloud with Pro features for 14 days
Starter	Individuals and small projects getting started
Pro	Power users and small teams that need higher limits, admin accounts, and insights
Enterprise	Organizations that need advanced security, scaling, and dedicated support

For how to start a trial and upgrade, see Try free then choose a plan. For what each plan includes, see the pricing page.

Pick a plan/edition for self-hosted n8n

Every self-hosted installation runs on the same underlying product. You can stick with the basic Community edition for free, indefinitely. Alternatively, register to unlock extra features for free, or subscribe to a paid plan to get a license key that unlocks the features for that plan.

Edition / Plan	Cost	Designed for
Community	Free	Self-hosting with almost the complete feature set
Registered Community	Free	Community plus folders, debug in editor, and custom execution data. Unlock by registering your email
Business	Paid (license key when you subscribe to Business plan)	Teams needing paid features like SSO, environments, and projects
Enterprise	Paid (license key when you subscribe to Enterprise plan)	Organizations needing the most advanced security, scaling, and governance

For the differences between editions and how to register or license an instance, see Compare plans and editions. For what each plan includes, see the pricing page.

To register a Community edition instance for the extra free features, go to Settings > Usage and plan and select Unlock.

Which features need a paid plan or edition

Some features require certain paid plan subscriptions, including:

• Custom variables

• Environments

• External secrets

• External storage for binary data

• Log streaming (standard logging is included)

• Multi-main mode (queue mode is included)

• Projects

• SSO (SAML, LDAP)

• Workflow and credential sharing

• Version control using Git

Feature availability changes over time and differs by plan and edition. For exactly what each plan and edition includes, the pricing page is the definitive source. See also Compare plans and editions for how the self-hosted plans and editions differ.

Getting started

Ready to begin?

• Get started with n8n Cloud — sign up for instant access, then choose a plan

• Get started with self-hosted — installation and deployment guides, then choose a plan or edition

For the current plans, editions, licenses, and prices, always check the pricing page.