I build most of my automations with n8n. People often ask me what it is, whether it is free, and whether "it is right for us". This guide answers those three questions for a business without a technical team: a contractor, a shop, a professional firm, a company with a handful of employees. Pricing and license details come from n8n's official pages, checked on October 17, 2026, with links at the end. If you already know what you want to automate and are looking for someone to build it, my business automation page explains how I work.
What is n8n, in one minute?
n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n", short for "nodemation" according to the project's official repository) is a workflow automation tool. A workflow is a series of steps that runs by itself: "when a client fills in the form, create their record in the CRM, send them a confirmation email and notify me on my phone".
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| What is it for? | Moving information between your software without retyping, and triggering actions automatically |
| How do you use it? | In a visual editor, by connecting blocks ("nodes"), with the option to write code |
| Is it free? | Yes in the self-hosted Community edition, for internal use; paid in the hosted version |
| What is billed? | Executions: one full run of a workflow, however many steps it has |
| Who is it for? | Any business repeating the same tasks across several tools, as long as someone builds and looks after the workflows |
How does n8n work?
Five ideas are enough to understand any n8n workflow:
- The trigger: what starts the workflow. A set time ("every morning at 9"), an event in a tool (a new email, a new spreadsheet row), or an outside call (a form on your website sending its data).
- Nodes: each step of the workflow. Read a Google Sheet, send a Gmail email, filter, calculate, ask an AI model for an answer. n8n offers ready-made nodes for many apps, and a generic HTTP Request node to talk to any tool that has an API (the interface that lets two programs exchange data).
- Credentials: access to your accounts, saved once and encrypted by n8n. Nodes use them without you retyping a password.
- Execution: one run of the workflow, from trigger to last step. n8n keeps an execution history, so you can see what happened and why a step failed.
- Code, when needed: a Code node lets you write a few lines when the interface is not enough, for example to calculate a price with discounts.
On screen, a workflow looks like a diagram: blocks connected by arrows, left to right. You click a block to set it up, run a test, and watch the data move from one step to the next.
What about artificial intelligence?
n8n now presents itself as a platform for building workflows and AI agents. In practice, an AI step is a node like any other: you send it some text (an incoming email, a client request), it returns a summary, a category or a draft reply, and the rest of the workflow uses it. The benefit is keeping control over what goes to the AI model and what comes back. I suggest one simple rule: AI prepares, a person approves anything that commits the business (a price, a reply to a complaint, a message to an unhappy client).
Is n8n free or paid?
Both, depending on how you use it. It is the most common question, and the answer fits in one table (n8n pricing page, checked on October 17, 2026):
| Version | Listed price | What is included | Who runs the server |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community (self-hosted) | Free | The software, available on GitHub, under the Sustainable Use License | You (or your provider) |
| Starter (hosted) | €20 a month, billed annually | 2,500 executions a month, unlimited steps | n8n |
| Pro (hosted) | €50 a month, billed annually | 10,000 executions a month, unlimited steps | n8n |
| Business and Enterprise | See the pricing page | Features for larger teams (paid license) | Depends on the plan |
The pricing page also offers a free trial of the hosted version, with no credit card, limited to 1,000 executions.
What the free license allows, and what it forbids
The Community edition is distributed under the Sustainable Use License, a so-called "fair-code" license: the code is open to read and free to use, with rules. According to the official license FAQ:
- Allowed: using n8n to run your business, for personal projects, for learning.
- Allowed: a provider can build automations for clients on their own instance and charge for creation, setup and maintenance, as long as clients do not create or edit workflows themselves.
- Forbidden: hosting n8n as a service where your clients build their own workflows.
- Forbidden: white-labeling n8n by removing its branding.
So for a small business automating its own tasks, the free version works. The real cost is elsewhere: the server, and above all the maintenance time.
What are examples of using n8n in a small business?
Here are ten common automations. They are typical examples to adapt to your tools; some have their own tutorial on this blog.
| # | Task | Trigger | Tools connected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Generate a quote PDF from your website form | Form submitted | Website, Google Docs, Gmail, Sheets |
| 2 | Follow up on unanswered quotes | Every morning | Spreadsheet or CRM, email |
| 3 | Chase unpaid invoices in stages | Every morning | Spreadsheet or invoicing software, email |
| 4 | Send emailed supplier invoices to the accounting software | New email with a PDF | Gmail, Pennylane |
| 5 | Remind the team about missing receipts | Every Monday | Bank (API), email |
| 6 | Create a new contact record in the CRM | Form or email | Website, CRM |
| 7 | Sort incoming emails and draft a reply with AI | New email | Email, AI model |
| 8 | Send an appointment reminder the day before | Every evening | Calendar, email or SMS |
| 9 | Notify the workshop or warehouse for each order | New order | Online store, team chat |
| 10 | Get a weekly numbers summary every Monday | Every Monday | Spreadsheet, invoicing, email |
Detailed tutorials: generating a quote PDF from a form (1), following up on quotes (2), chasing unpaid invoices (3), automating bookkeeping with Pennylane and Qonto (4 and 5). For AI email sorting (7), my article on AI agent use cases for business covers more ideas.
Should you use n8n hosted or on your own server?
The hosted version (n8n Cloud) is the simplest: you create an account and start. The vendor handles the server, updates and backups. You pay according to the number of executions.
The self-hosted version is free, but someone has to install the server, secure it, back it up and update it. In return, your data stays on a server you control, and the number of executions is only limited by the machine's power. I cover three hosting providers and the steps in installing n8n on a VPS.
My simple rule: if nobody will handle maintenance, go hosted. With a provider who looks after it, or high volume, self-host.
n8n, Make or Zapier: what is the difference?
All three do the same thing in principle. Zapier is the easiest to pick up alone, Make offers a flexible visual editor, and n8n targets a slightly more technical audience but can run on your own server and counts executions rather than steps. The longer your workflows, the more that billing model pays off. Pricing details and a recommendation by situation are in my n8n vs Make vs Zapier comparison.
Where should you start with n8n?
1. List your repetitive tasks
For one week, note every task you do more than twice that consists of moving information from one tool to another. The checklist above saves you time.
2. Pick a single task
Choose the most frequent and simplest one, not the most impressive. A quote or invoice follow-up is an excellent first project: a clear rule and a visible gain.
3. Clarify the process by hand
You do not automate a fuzzy process. If your quote statuses are not up to date, the automation will send wrong messages.
4. Build, then test on yourself
Free trial of the hosted version, or install on a server. During testing, every email goes to your own address.
5. Document
One page per workflow: what it does, its trigger, the connected accounts, who to tell if it stops. The day it needs changing, that page is worth its weight in gold.
When should you pick something other than n8n?
- Your software already does it. Many invoicing tools and CRMs have built-in reminders. One more tool is one more tool to maintain.
- You want to do everything yourself, with no technical background. For two or three very simple automations, Zapier is often quicker to learn.
- You want your own clients to build workflows. The Community license forbids it; you need a commercial license or another tool.
- The task needs human judgment every time. A renovation quote, a sensitive complaint, a client dispute: automate the preparation, not the decision.
- Nobody will look after the workflows. A workflow breaks one day (expired access, a tool that changes). With no alert and nobody to fix it, it fails silently.
If you want the benefits without spending your evenings in the editor, that is the core of my n8n automation work: a free 30-minute call, a free mockup built on your case, then a fixed-price quote after the demo. I hand over the access and documentation so someone else can take over the work.
Sources checked on October 17, 2026
- n8n, pricing page
- n8n, license FAQ (Sustainable Use License)
- n8n, self-hosting documentation
- n8n, integration catalog
- n8n, official GitHub repository (name, license)
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n free?
The Community edition is free if you install it on your own server, for internal use, under the Sustainable Use License. The hosted version run by n8n is paid: €20 a month billed annually for the Starter plan, according to the pricing page checked on October 17, 2026.
What does n8n stand for?
According to the project's official repository, n8n stands for "nodemation" and is pronounced n-eight-n. It is workflow automation software that connects your tools and runs chains of steps on its own.
Do you need to code to use n8n?
Not for simple workflows, which you build by connecting blocks in the visual editor. For calculations or tools without a dedicated node, some basic knowledge of code and APIs helps a lot.
Can you use n8n for free to serve your clients?
A provider can build and maintain workflows for clients on their own instance and charge for that work, as long as clients do not create or edit workflows themselves. Hosting n8n as a service for them is forbidden under the Community license.
Is n8n good for small businesses?
Yes, when the business repeats the same tasks across several tools and someone builds and maintains the workflows. For two or three very simple automations handled alone, an easier tool may be enough.
What is the difference between n8n and Zapier?
Zapier is easier to pick up alone and bills each action. n8n is a bit more technical, counts one execution per full run whatever the number of steps, and can run on your own server.