Guide · hosted n8n or look elsewhere
When n8n Cloud is the right pick (and when it is not)
The Cloud job is one execution per full workflow run, on a host you do not run. Totals are not published yet. See the live scorecard. A score is not a reason to leave a canvas or a catalog that still writes. This page does not add new scores.
Use this page if you are choosing n8n Cloud
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Use this page if…
You need when the execution meter, the n8n editor, and a host you do not run are the honest pick — and when to stay on Make’s scenario canvas, stay on Zapier’s catalog, or move to a box you own. Dated plan facts are from the official pages, accessed 2026-09-21.
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You already know you will run Docker or a VPS — that is When n8n self-host is worth it (and when it is not). You are already on Cloud and choosing Starter or Pro — that is n8n Starter vs Pro — when Pro earns the step. You are on Cloud Pro and choosing Business — that is n8n Pro vs Business — when the self-hosted step earns it. You only need the free or trial gate — When free isn’t enough — trial, free plan, or first paid plan. You still need four questions before a product — Which automation tool for small teams. You want a 2026 winner. This page does not rank products.
A pick for a small-team job.
- You will count one execution per full run on n8n Cloud — or you need when that is not the job.
- You want n8n Cloud vs stay on Make or Zapier vs move to self-host.
- You need the dated Cloud plan and execution model, with Zapier tasks and Make credits as units only.
Read more
What this page tells you. When one execution per full run on n8n Cloud fits, and when to stay on Make or Zapier or move to self-host. Shopping “what else exists” is a different page. When to pick each tool is also on Make vs n8n vs Zapier — when to pick each.
GuideSome scores not shown yetVendor pages accessed 2026-09-21Live scorecard
One execution per full run is the n8n Cloud job
This page is not the self-host read, and it is not a second scorecard. The self-host page is about owning uptime. This page is about the hosted editor: n8n runs the box, and you count executions. A score is not a reason to pick it for every job, and it is not a reason to rebuild a Make scenario or a Zap that still writes the right rows. It is not a second ranking.
n8n’s pricing page says you pay for a full execution, not for each step. An execution is a single run of the entire workflow. It does not matter how many steps are in it or how much data it processes. The docs say the same thing in shorter form: an execution is a single run of a workflow. On paid plans, only production executions count toward the quota. Those are runs started by a trigger, a schedule, or a poll that found new data. Manual runs from the editor do not count. A sub-workflow counts once, on the parent. An error-workflow run does not count. A schedule counts every time it fires. A webhook counts every inbound request that actually starts the workflow.
That unit is not a Zapier task and not a Make credit. A Zapier task is a successful action step. Triggers do not count. Zapier’s own example — a new email, upload the file, message Slack — is two tasks per run. A Make credit, for most non-AI apps, is one operation, and one operation equals one credit. Make builds that job as a scenario: modules on a canvas. Do not treat one task as one credit as one execution. Worked units: Same job, three meters · Tasks vs credits vs executions.
Source: n8n pricing · n8n — understand executions · Zapier — how task usage is measured · Make — credits · Make — what’s a scenario · accessed 2026-09-21
Choose n8n Cloud when the execution meter and the editor fit
Editor
Someone will use the n8n editor
Cloud does not ask you to install n8n. The choose-how page recommends Cloud when you want to start right away, you do not have the expertise to install and maintain a server, or you do not want to manage infrastructure. n8n handles hosting, updates, and scaling. The thing you still use is the n8n editor.
The pricing page lists code steps in JavaScript or Python, and custom API requests, on its developer-tools list. All plans on that page include unlimited users, unlimited workflows, and every integration. If the person who will own the workflow will use that editor, n8n Cloud can be the pick. If they will not, look at Zapier or Make before you switch.
Source: n8n — choose how to use n8n · n8n pricing · accessed 2026-09-21
Catalog
The catalog is enough — or an HTTP step covers the gap
On 2026-09-21 the n8n integrations directory headline was 2,192 integrations. Zapier’s help center publishes 9,000+ apps. That gap is a catalog fact, not a new score. If the app you need is on Zapier and missing from n8n, staying on Zapier is often simpler than a custom request.
If the app is missing and someone will write the HTTP step inside the n8n editor, Cloud can still be the pick. That is a builder choice. A directory size is not a score.
Source: n8n integrations · Zapier — introduction to apps · accessed 2026-09-21
Not a scenario canvas
You are not trying to draw a Make scenario
In Make, everything you build is a scenario. Modules are the building blocks. A standard scenario is a series of non-AI modules that follow fixed rules. Credits are the billing unit, and for most non-AI apps one operation equals one credit. That canvas plus that credit meter is the Make job.
n8n Cloud is a different picture: one execution for the whole run, in the n8n editor, with no box to run. If the team wants routers and modules they can see on a Make canvas, stay on Make. Longer read: When Make is the right pick. Two-tool compare: Make vs n8n.
Source: Make — what’s a scenario · Make — credits · accessed 2026-09-21
Estate
You already run n8n Cloud workflows that write the right rows
If those workflows already write the right rows, keep them until you can parallel-run one critical job. A score is not a reason to rip them out. Leaving means rebuilding the job on the other tool and comparing outcomes while the Cloud workflow stays on.
Source: n8n — export and import · accessed 2026-09-21
Cloud plans and the execution model (dated)
Official pages only: n8n pricing · n8n — choose how to use n8n · n8n — understand executions, accessed 2026-09-21. n8n plan prices vary by region, so the table points to n8n pricing for the current figure. Make and Zapier rows are units only. This page does not claim you will save.
Entry tiers only. Pro also lists a 50,000-execution size, and Business lists sizes above 40,000. Those higher tiers are on the pricing page and are not copied here. The comparison table on that page lists saved-execution caps of 2.5k, 25k, and 50k, and storage of 2.5 GB, 25 GB, and 50 GB, across the Starter, Pro, and Enterprise columns. The pricing FAQ says hitting a saved-history limit does not stop workflows. It only shortens how much history you can still open. That is not the monthly execution quota.
Swipe sideways on a narrow screen.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Seat / ops model | Free-plan limits | Meter | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud Free | Free | Free | 50 workflow executions. 1 user. 1 shared project. Pricing page: run first workflows in the cloud. | Free card on the pricing page. Not the same sentence as the Cloud trial FAQ. | Executions | 2026-09-21 |
| n8n Cloud trial | — | — | Pricing FAQ: 1,000 executions, 5 concurrent, 180-second timeout, 1 team project. No credit card. Choose-how: Pro features for 14 days. | Trial, described separately from the Free card. | Executions | 2026-09-21 |
| n8n Cloud Starter | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Unlimited users. 2,500 workflow executions. 5 concurrent executions. Hosted by n8n. | See Free card and Cloud trial | Executions | 2026-09-21 |
| n8n Cloud Pro | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Unlimited users. 10,000 workflow executions on the entry tier. 20 concurrent executions at that size. Hosted by n8n. | See Free card and Cloud trial | Executions | 2026-09-21 |
| n8n Business | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Marked self-hosted on the pricing page. Entry tier 40,000 workflow executions. Not an n8n Cloud seat. | Not a Cloud plan | Executions | 2026-09-21 |
| n8n Enterprise | Custom — contact sales | Custom — contact sales | Custom number of workflow executions. Choose-how: paid Enterprise exists for Cloud and for self-host. | See Free card and Cloud trial | Executions | 2026-09-21 |
| n8n Community Edition | Free | Free | Self-host on GitHub. You own the box. Choose-how: this is the free self-host path. | No Cloud host. | Self-host (you run it) | 2026-09-21 |
| Make | — | — | Units only. A scenario is modules. For most non-AI apps, 1 operation equals 1 credit. | — | Credits | 2026-09-21 |
| Zapier | — | — | Units only. A task is a successful action step. Triggers do not count. | — | Tasks | 2026-09-21 |
The pricing FAQ and the choose-how doc do not describe the Free card and the Cloud trial as the same plan. The Free card is 50 executions, 1 user. The trial FAQ is 1,000 executions, 5 concurrent executions, a 180-second timeout, and no credit card. Choose-how calls the Cloud free option a 14-day trial with Pro features, and points “run n8n for free” at the Community edition you host yourself. Business on the pricing page is marked self-hosted. For Business or Enterprise, the FAQ says workflows keep running past the quota and that overage may be billed, with a published Business rate for extra executions on n8n pricing. It does not publish a Starter or Pro overage rate.
Stay on Make or Zapier when the execution meter is not the job
Stay on the tool that already matches the job. Look at n8n Cloud when you will count one execution per full run and someone will use that editor. A score is not a leave order.
Stay · Not scored yet
Stay on Make
You will draw the flow as a scenario — modules, a sheet row, then Slack — and count credits. You do not want the n8n editor, and you do not want a box. Honest cases: When Make is the right pick.
Stay · Not scored yet
Stay on Zapier
The app is in Zapier’s 9,000+ catalog and missing from n8n’s 2,192, or the people who will own the job will not use the n8n editor. You will count successful action steps, not executions. Honest cases: When Zapier is still the right pick. Two-tool compare: n8n vs Zapier.
Move to n8n self-host when you will own the box
Same editor family. Different job. Choose-how says self-host when you need full control of the environment and you can provide the infrastructure. Installation can be npm, Docker, or a server, and it takes technical expertise. Cloud is the other choice: no install, n8n handles hosting, updates, and scaling.
If a named owner will take that work, that is the self-host job. It is not a fourth cloud seat. Staying on Cloud is a hosting choice, and it is not a reason to treat the Business plan as a Cloud seat. On the pricing page we opened, Business is marked self-hosted. Full read: When n8n self-host is worth it.
Source: n8n — choose how to use n8n · n8n pricing · accessed 2026-09-21
Export is n8n workflow JSON
n8n saves workflows as JSON. From the editor you can download that file, import a file, or import JSON from a URL. The download is n8n’s workflow file. It is not a Make blueprint, and it is not Zapier’s export file. Those formats are not interchangeable. There is no one-click move from Make or Zapier onto Cloud.
Exported JSON includes credential names and IDs. n8n says the names can be sensitive, and an HTTP Request node imported from cURL can still hold authentication headers. Strip those before you share the file. Then rebuild one critical job, compare outcomes, and cut over. What does not migrate between Zapier, Make, and n8n · Parallel-run before you switch.
Source: n8n — export and import · accessed 2026-09-21
Scoring status
Scoring status
The live card is Make vs n8n vs Zapier. Totals are not published yet. Self-hosted is a separate lane. This page does not add new scores.
Criterion scores are not published yet. The /500 total is not published yet. Rules: How scoring works.
Two-tool pages: Make vs n8n for small teams (2026) · n8n vs Zapier for small teams (2026). When to pick each: Make vs n8n vs Zapier — when to pick each.
Product links
Sources
Primary vendor pages. Access date for every citation on this page: 2026-09-21. n8n prices stay on n8n pricing.
- n8n pricing · accessed 2026-09-21
- n8n — choose how to use n8n · accessed 2026-09-21
- n8n — understand executions · accessed 2026-09-21
- n8n — export and import · accessed 2026-09-21
- n8n integrations · accessed 2026-09-21
- Zapier — how task usage is measured · accessed 2026-09-21
- Zapier — introduction to apps · accessed 2026-09-21
- Make — credits · accessed 2026-09-21
- Make — what’s a scenario · accessed 2026-09-21
FAQ
When is n8n Cloud the right pick for a small team?
Pick n8n Cloud when you will count one execution per full workflow run, someone will use the n8n editor, and nobody will run a box. n8n Cloud is on the live scorecard. A score is not a crown. Stay on Make when the job is a visual scenario billed in credits. Stay on Zapier when the wider catalog or a task meter is the job. Move to n8n self-host (not a fourth cloud seat) only when a named owner will run the box. This page does not cite a total. It does not add new scores.
Does this page change the Make vs n8n vs Zapier scores?
No. Totals are not published yet. It is not a fourth cloud seat. Rules live on Methodology.
When should I stay on Make or Zapier instead of n8n Cloud?
Stay on Make when you will draw modules on a scenario canvas and count credits. For most non-AI apps, 1 operation equals 1 credit. Stay on Zapier when you need the wider catalog — Zapier’s help center publishes 9,000+ apps — or the people who will own the job will not use the n8n editor. A Zapier task is a successful action step. Triggers do not count. Do not treat one task as one credit as one execution. Honest cases: When Make is the right pick and When Zapier is still the right pick.
When should I move to n8n self-host instead of n8n Cloud?
When a named owner will run the box. n8n’s choose-how page recommends Cloud if you want to start right away, do not have the technical expertise to install it, or do not want to manage infrastructure. Self-host is the pick when you need full control and you can provide the server. It is not a fourth cloud seat. On the pricing page we opened, the Business plan is marked self-hosted. It is not an n8n Cloud seat. Honest cases: When n8n self-host is worth it.
What is an n8n execution, and how does it differ from a task or a credit?
n8n’s docs: an execution is a single run of a workflow. The pricing page says it does not matter how many steps are in the workflow or how much data it processes. On paid plans, only production executions count toward the quota. Manual editor runs, sub-workflow calls (only the parent counts), and error-workflow runs do not. A Zapier task is a successful action step. A Make credit, for most non-AI apps, is one operation. This page contrasts those units. It does not invent a monthly dollar.
What did the n8n pricing page show for Cloud plans?
On 2026-09-21 n8n.io/pricing listed Starter at 2,500 workflow executions and Pro at 10,000 workflow executions, each with monthly and annual billing. Check that page for the current figure. A Free card listed 50 executions with 1 user. The same page’s FAQ describes a Cloud trial: 1,000 executions, 5 concurrent executions, a 180-second timeout, and no credit card. Higher execution tiers exist and are not copied here.
Is the Free card the same thing as the Cloud trial?
The two official pages do not use one name. The pricing page lists a Free card with 50 executions, 1 user, and 1 shared project, described as running first workflows in the cloud. The same page’s FAQ describes a separate Cloud trial with Pro-level features, 1,000 executions, and no credit card. The choose-how doc calls the Cloud free option a 14-day trial with Pro features, and points “run n8n for free” at the self-hosted Community edition. This page reports both. It does not merge them into one plan.
Can I import a Make blueprint or a Zap into n8n Cloud?
n8n saves workflows as JSON. Download, import from a file, or import from a URL brings in n8n workflow JSON. That file is not a Make blueprint and it is not Zapier JSON. There is no one-click Make or Zapier import. Rebuild one critical job, compare outcomes, then cut over. See What does not migrate and Parallel-run one job before you switch.
Does this page invent monthly dollar prices or a 2026 winner?
No. n8n figures are the euro amounts on the pricing page we opened on 2026-09-21. US dollar amounts were not on that view, so they are left as an em dash. Make and Zapier rows are units only — a credit and a task — with no monthly or annual dollar. This page does not claim you will save. Commissions do not move a score.
Will a commission change these numbers?
No. Make Partner is the site’s one live affiliate; this page carries no affiliate link. n8n and Zapier stay official-site URLs with no affiliate ID. Zapier has no Stack affiliate — this page does not invent one. Commissions do not move a score, a weight, or a list price.
Affiliate disclosure
Make Partner (pc=stackscorecard) is live elsewhere on the site and is not the primary call here. n8n and Zapier stay official-site URLs with UTM only — no invented IDs. Zapier has no Stack affiliate. Rankings are not sold. Policy: Affiliate disclosure · Disclosures.