Guide · pick self-host or stay hosted
When n8n self-host is worth it (and when it is not)
Self-host means you own uptime. Make, n8n Cloud, and Zapier stay hosted products on the live scorecard. Owning the box is not a leave-Cloud order. This page does not add new scores.
Pick self-host, stay on n8n Cloud, or look at Make or Zapier
Pick · Not scored yet
Pick self-host if…
A named owner will run Docker or a VPS, take backups, own upgrades, and take the 2am page. n8n recommends self-host for expert users. It is not a fourth cloud seat. You own uptime. The vendor does not.
Stay · Not scored yet
Stay on n8n Cloud if…
You want the same editor family and n8n manages hosting, updates, and scaling. n8n recommends Cloud if you want instant access, do not want to manage infrastructure, or are not experienced at managing servers. You do not own uptime.
Look
Look at Make or Zapier if…
The job is a hosted product, not a box you run. Make if you will draw a visual scenario and count credits. Zapier if you need a Zap this week, the catalog, or a non-technical owner. You do not get a box on either. Longer reads: When Make is the right pick (and when it is not) · When Zapier is still the right pick (and when it is not).
A pick for a small-team job.
- You are deciding whether to run n8n yourself — Docker or a VPS — or stay hosted.
- You want pick self-host vs stay on n8n Cloud vs look at Make or Zapier.
- You need dated list prices, and you will not treat self-host as a fourth cloud product.
Read more
What this page tells you. Self-host means you own uptime. Dated list prices come from the official pages. Shopping “what else exists” is n8n alternatives for small teams. When to pick each tool is also on Make vs n8n vs Zapier — when to pick each.
GuideSome scores not shown yetVendor and community pages accessed 2026-09-17Live scorecard
Self-host means you own the box
This page is not a stay-or-leave list. Self-host means you own uptime. A Community edition is a licence fact, not a cheap-licence win. This page does not add new scores. It is not a second ranking.
Methodology does not treat self-host operational cost as free because a licence looks cheap. A validated self-host score is not free demand. Name the owner on Who should own your automations before you treat a self-host licence as demand. Four questions first: Which automation tool for small teams.
Pick self-host when you will own uptime
n8n’s Docker Compose host guide is for expert users: servers, containers, scaling, and security. Mistakes can lead to data loss, security issues, and downtime. If you are not experienced at managing servers, n8n recommends n8n Cloud. Self-host is worth it only if you can name the person who owns the box.
Owner
You will run the box
Compose or a VPS you patch and restart. There is no vendor desk behind it. Mount the volume at /home/node/.n8n — not /root/.n8n. Community: a bind to /root/.n8n was ignored; data wrote to the container overlay; every update looked like a fresh install.
n8n’s Compose example puts Traefik in front and serves HTTPS only. DNS, TLS, the proxy, disk, and the process are yours. If that stack stops, the workflows stop.
Source: n8n — use Docker Compose · n8n Community — Docker update lost data and the encryption key · accessed 2026-09-17
Runtime
The runtime has to stay on infrastructure you already run
n8n’s choose-how page splits two jobs: n8n Cloud (n8n manages hosting, updates, and scaling) versus self-hosted (you control the environment and configuration). If the job is “the engine stays on infrastructure we already run,” that is the self-host case. If the job is “do not make us manage a server,” that is n8n Cloud.
Source: n8n — choose how to use n8n · accessed 2026-09-17
2am
You named who pages at 2am
Vendor cloud pages the vendor. Self-host pages you. If the instance dies at 2am, n8n Cloud does not get that call. Name the person who gets the page. Wire an Error Trigger so a failed job alerts someone. n8n’s Error Trigger only runs when an automatic workflow errors — a manual test does not prove the page path. If nobody would notice, do not ship the job yet.
A quiet miss that still looks on is when automations look fine.
Source: n8n — Error Trigger · n8n — handle errors gracefully · accessed 2026-09-17
Upgrades
You will take the weekly upgrade job
n8n publishes a new minor version most weeks. The stable tag is for production; beta may be unstable. Updating Docker Compose is pull, down, then up. That is operator time and a short outage window you own. Community: a wrong volume mount survived until the first pull. If nobody will pull and restart, pick n8n Cloud — n8n handles updates there.
Source: n8n — use Docker Compose · n8n — install with Docker · n8n Community — Docker update lost data and the encryption key · accessed 2026-09-17
Backups
You will back up the volume and the encryption key
Mount n8n_data at /home/node/.n8n. Persist it even with PostgreSQL — keys, logs, and source-control assets still live there. If you use PostgreSQL, back up that database too. A volume you have never restored is not a backup you can trust.
n8n encrypts credentials before they hit the database. Lose N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY and stored credentials become permanently unreadable. Store a copy off the box. A dump without the key is not a restore. Community: a corrupted config file lost the key; credentials could not be recovered.
Source: n8n — use Docker Compose · n8n — install with Docker · n8n — set a custom encryption key · n8n — deploy to OpenShift (encryption-key warning) · n8n Community — lost config file, credentials unrecoverable · accessed 2026-09-17
List prices (dated)
Official list pages only: n8n pricing · Make pricing · Zapier pricing, accessed 2026-09-17. n8n plan prices vary by region, so the n8n rows point to n8n pricing for the current figure. Zapier dollars below are the published entry task tiers. Make’s page lists Free, Core, Pro, Teams, and Enterprise with monthly and annual billing and a credit slider — it does not publish a single fixed monthly or annual dollar on the page we could read, so those $ figures are omitted. This page does not claim you will save.
Swipe sideways on a narrow screen.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Seat / ops model | Free-plan limits | Meter | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n8n Community Edition | Free | Free | Self-host on GitHub. You own the box. Not a published per-seat price. | Standard self-hosted edition. No Cloud host. | Self-host (you run it) | 2026-09-17 |
| n8n Business | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Unlimited users. 40k workflow executions. Marked Self-hosted on the list page. | See n8n Cloud Starter trial | Executions | 2026-09-17 |
| n8n Cloud Starter | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Unlimited users. 2.5k workflow executions. Hosted by n8n. | Cloud trial: 1,000 executions; 5 concurrent; no credit card. No ongoing free Cloud plan on the list page. | Executions | 2026-09-17 |
| n8n Cloud Pro | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Unlimited users. 10k workflow executions. Hosted by n8n. | See n8n Cloud Starter trial | Executions | 2026-09-17 |
| n8n Enterprise | Custom — contact sales | Custom — contact sales | Custom number of workflow executions. Contact sales. | See n8n Cloud Starter trial | Executions | 2026-09-17 |
| Make Free | Free | Free | Credits. Not a published per-seat price. | 1,000 credits / month; 2 active scenarios; 15-minute minimum interval | Credits | 2026-09-17 |
| Make Core | Not a fixed $ on the list page (credit slider) | Not a fixed $ on the list page (credit slider) | Credits. Unlimited active scenarios. Not a published per-seat price. | See Make Free | Credits | 2026-09-17 |
| Make Pro | Not a fixed $ on the list page (credit slider) | Not a fixed $ on the list page (credit slider) | Credits. Priority execution. Not a published per-seat price. | See Make Free | Credits | 2026-09-17 |
| Make Teams | Not a fixed $ on the list page (credit slider) | Not a fixed $ on the list page (credit slider) | Credits. Team roles. Not a published per-seat price. | See Make Free | Credits | 2026-09-17 |
| Make Enterprise | Custom — talk to sales | Custom — talk to sales | Credits. Custom enterprise features. | See Make Free | Credits | 2026-09-17 |
| Zapier Free | Free | Free | 1 seat. Tasks reset monthly. | 100 tasks / month; two-step Zaps; 1 seat | Tasks | 2026-09-17 |
| Zapier Professional | $29.99 / month at 750 tasks | $19.99 / month billed annually at 750 tasks | 1 seat. Tasks reset monthly. | See Zapier Free | Tasks | 2026-09-17 |
| Zapier Team | $103.50 / month at 2,000 tasks | $69.00 / month billed annually at 2,000 tasks | 25 seats. Tasks reset monthly. | See Zapier Free | Tasks | 2026-09-17 |
| Zapier Enterprise | Custom — contact sales | Custom — contact sales | Unlimited seats on the list page. Annual task limits. | See Zapier Free | Tasks | 2026-09-17 |
n8n Starter and Pro cards say Hosted by n8n. Business is marked Self-hosted. Community Edition is the free self-host path on GitHub. There is no free-forever path without infra time. Zapier Professional and Team figures are the entry task tiers on zapier.com/pricing (750 tasks and 2,000 tasks). Higher task tiers exist on that page and are not copied here. Make extra-credit dollars are not listed as a fixed figure on the primary pricing page.
Stay on n8n Cloud when you will not run the box
Same editor family, vendor-hosted. n8n manages hosting, updates, and scaling. n8n recommends Cloud if you want instant access or do not want to manage infrastructure — and if you are not experienced at managing servers. You do not own uptime. A self-host licence is not a reason to leave Cloud.
If the current Cloud estate already writes the right rows and the UI still looks healthy, do not treat self-host as a reason to move. Catch silent breakage first: When automations look fine. Two-tool pages: Make vs n8n · n8n vs Zapier. When Cloud itself is the question: When n8n Cloud is the right pick.
Source: n8n — choose how to use n8n · n8n — use Docker Compose · accessed 2026-09-17
Look at Make or Zapier when the job is a hosted product
Make and Zapier are hosted products. You do not get a box to run. Look there when the constraint is a canvas, a catalog, or a non-technical owner. Do not treat one task as one credit as one execution.
Canvas
Look at Make
Visual scenario builder, credit-fit volume, no box to run. A score is not a crown. Honest cases: When Make is the right pick. Two-tool compare: Make vs n8n.
Catalog
Look at Zapier
First Zap, a wide catalog, or a non-technical operator. Still the pick when the catalog is the job. Honest cases: When Zapier is still the right pick. Two-tool compare: n8n vs Zapier.
Compare the same job in each vendor’s own unit before you treat self-host as a savings story. Tasks vs credits vs executions · Same job, three meters.
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) · Make 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 and community threads. Access date for every citation on this page: 2026-09-17. List prices stay as published.
- n8n — use Docker Compose · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n — install with Docker · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n — choose how to use n8n · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n — set a custom encryption key · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n — deploy to OpenShift (encryption-key warning) · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n pricing · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make pricing · accessed 2026-09-17
- Zapier pricing · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n — Error Trigger · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n — handle errors gracefully · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n Community — Docker update lost data and the encryption key · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n Community — lost config file, credentials unrecoverable · accessed 2026-09-17
FAQ
When is n8n self-host worth it for a small team?
Pick self-host when a named owner will run the Docker or VPS box, take backups, own upgrades, and own 2am. n8n recommends self-host for expert users. It is not a fourth cloud seat. Staying on n8n Cloud keeps the hosted editor. This page 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.
Is n8n Self-host a fourth cloud option?
No. Self-host means you own uptime. Owning the box is not a leave-Cloud order, and a Community edition is not a cheap-licence win. This page does not add new scores.
When should we stay on n8n Cloud instead?
Stay on n8n Cloud if you want the same editor family and n8n manages hosting, updates, and scaling. n8n recommends Cloud if you want instant access, do not want to manage infrastructure, or are not experienced at managing servers. You do not own uptime on Cloud. This page does not claim you will save.
When should we look at Make or Zapier instead?
Look at Make when a visual scenario plus a credit meter is the job and you will not run a box — When Make is the right pick. Look at Zapier when a Zap this week, the catalog, or a non-technical owner is the job — When Zapier is still the right pick. Those are hosted products. You do not get a box to run. Compare the same job in each vendor’s own unit on Same job, three meters.
Is there a free path if we skip infra time?
No. There is no free-forever path without infra time. n8n publishes a Community edition and paid Business and Enterprise license keys. That is a licence fact, not a total-cost claim. You still own the Docker or VPS box, backups, and who owns 2am. Dated list prices are on this page. This page does not invent a monthly dollar.
What happens if I lose the encryption key?
n8n encrypts credentials before they are saved to the database. The key is generated on first launch in ~/.n8n, or you set N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY. n8n’s OpenShift host guide: lose the key and stored credentials become permanently unreadable. Community: a corrupted config file lost the key; credentials could not be recovered. Back up the key off the box. A dump without the key is not a restore.
Does this page invent monthly prices or a 2026 winner?
No. Dated list prices come from the official n8n, Make, and Zapier pricing pages. n8n dollars are the USD view. Make $ is omitted where the list page did not show a fixed figure. 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.