Cost Comparison Cloud vs. Self-Hosted on Hetzner Over 3 Years

Calculated over three years, n8n in the Cloud model on the Pro plan costs around 1,800 euros (50 euros per month with annual billing), while self-hosting on an entry-level server at Hetzner (CX23, 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM) comes to around 216 euros in pure server costs over three years. At first glance the difference looks clear, but self-hosting adds real operational effort for updates, backups and monitoring that you should factor into the calculation. As of: July 2026.

n8n Cloud: the current pricing tiers

The prices for n8n Cloud are based on the number of monthly workflow executions, not on individual steps within a workflow. According to the official n8n pricing page the following key figures apply for annual billing:

• Starter: 20 euros per month, 2,500 executions, 5 concurrent executions, 1 shared project.
• Pro: 50 euros per month, 10,000 executions, 20 concurrent executions, 3 shared projects.
• Business: 667 euros per month, 40,000 executions, plus SSO, version control via Git and a self-hosted option.

With monthly instead of annual billing, prices are around 17 percent higher according to n8n. For an SME with several active workflows, the Starter plan often doesn't last long, since 2,500 executions per month can be reached quickly with automations running daily. In practice many users end up on the Pro plan, which is why we use it as the basis for the calculation example.

Self-hosting on Hetzner: what your own server costs

According to the current Hetzner Cloud pricing overview the Cost-Optimized line starts with the CX23 model with 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM and 40 GB SSD storage at 5.99 euros per month net, plus VAT. For most n8n installations with a medium number of workflows, this configuration is sufficient to start, and if demand grows the server can be upgraded to a larger variant with more RAM at any time. In addition, there are usually smaller items such as a domain, which you usually already own, and optionally backup storage space. Important to know: n8n itself is free as an open source version, you only pay for the infrastructure it runs on.

Calculation example: 3 years Cloud versus Self-Hosted

For a realistic comparison, we set the n8n Cloud Pro plan against a self-hosted server at Hetzner, each over 36 months:

• n8n Cloud Pro: 50 euros × 36 months = 1,800 euros in pure license costs, without your own maintenance effort.
• Hetzner CX23 server costs: 5.99 euros × 36 months = around 216 euros net, plus occasional costs for backups or a larger upgrade as volume increases.
• Operational effort for self-hosting: a realistic estimate is 1 to 3 hours per month for updates, security patches, backup checks and occasional troubleshooting, so 36 to 108 hours over three years.

If you value this effort at an internal or external hourly rate, around 60 to 80 euros per hour, this results in an additional 2,160 to 8,640 euros over three years. This means the pure monetary amount for self-hosting, depending on the effort, lies somewhere between the server costs alone and an amount close to or even exceeding the Cloud costs. The real advantage of self-hosting therefore lies less in the bare price than in full control over the data, the elimination of execution limits and independence from the provider's price changes.

Operational effort honestly factored in

One point is often left out of comparison calculations: an n8n server on Hetzner does not run by itself. You or your team have to install Docker updates, keep an eye on TLS certificates, actually test backups and debug problems yourself, without support that the Cloud version provides. Anyone without the in-house capacity for this should either outsource this effort or realistically include it in the calculation, instead of selling self-hosting as generally free. This is exactly where NordFlux comes in: we take over the setup and operation of n8n on German servers at a fixed price, so that you retain control over your data without becoming a server administrator yourself. You can find more about this at n8n automation by NordFlux.

When which model is worthwhile

The Cloud variant is suitable if you want to start quickly, do not have in-house know-how for server operation and can manage well with the execution limits. Self-hosting is worthwhile above all if data sovereignty is a central criterion, the execution volume exceeds the Cloud plans, or operating costs are to be reduced in the long term and the maintenance effort is either covered internally or deliberately outsourced. With the ROI calculator you can offset your own figures on execution volume and time savings and thus make a well-founded decision.

Frequently asked questions about n8n cost comparison Cloud vs. Self-Hosted

Is n8n self-hosting really free?

No. The software itself is free as the Community version, but you pay for the server, domain, optionally backup storage and above all for the time that updates, maintenance and troubleshooting cost. These time costs are real, even if they don't appear on an invoice.

Which Hetzner server is sufficient for n8n?

For smaller to medium workflow volumes, the entry-level CX23 model with 2 vCPU and 4 GB RAM is usually sufficient according to the current Hetzner price list. For many parallel workflows or larger data volumes, an upgrade to a variant with more RAM is recommended.

From when does switching from n8n Cloud to Self-Hosted pay off?

A switch is usually worthwhile as soon as the execution limits of the Cloud plan are regularly reached, or if data protection and data sovereignty requirements call for your own German server location. With very low automation volume, the Cloud variant often remains the simpler choice.

Can I switch back from Self-Hosted to n8n Cloud later?

Yes, workflows can be exported as JSON and imported into the Cloud version. A switch in both directions is technically possible in principle, but requires a clean migration of credentials and connections to external systems.