Tools we recommend ZestMate is not a reseller
n8n Free, or EUR 20/month

n8n Review: The Best Value if Someone Can Run It

Connect every system and build AI agents in one place

The short version

If you have someone who can look after a server, n8n is the best value in automation: free to self-host and billed per workflow run rather than per step like Zapier. With nobody to maintain it, the upkeep costs more than the licence you saved.

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This is a review, not a sales page. Links to the vendor are referral links. If you sign up through one, ZestMate may earn a fee at no extra cost to you, and it does not change the pros and cons written here.

Good fit for

Businesses connecting several systems, with at least one technical person, or a requirement to keep data on their own infrastructure.

Not for

Teams with nobody to maintain the system who want automation in a few clicks. A packaged no-code tool fits better there.

What works

  • Free to self-host, so company data never leaves your infrastructure
  • Billed per workflow run regardless of step count, which wins on long flows
  • Add as many team members as you like without per-seat fees
  • Connects Zoho, Google, LINE, databases and any REST API
  • Built-in nodes for AI agents, usable with any LLM provider

What to know first

  • Self-hosting means someone owns the server, the upgrades and the backups
  • Steeper start than typical no-code tools, you need to follow the data between nodes
  • The free edition has no contracted support, only community forums
  • Without alerting, a broken workflow fails quietly and you notice days of lost data too late

What n8n does

Drag and drop flows

Chain nodes on one canvas and see the whole path from trigger to result

Over a thousand integrations

Connect Zoho, Google, Slack, LINE, databases or any REST API

Drop into code

Write JavaScript or Python inside a node for logic no-code tools cannot express

Build AI agents

Use Claude, OpenAI or a self-hosted model, with RAG over your own company data

n8n pricing

Community

Self-hosted on your own server

Free
Unlimited workflows and users
Full integration library
Code inside nodes
AI agent nodes
Community support

Starter

Hosted by n8n, no server to run

€20 /month
2,500 runs per month
Unlimited workflows
No server maintenance
5 concurrent runs
1 shared project

Pro

Teams running heavier automation

€50 /month
10,000 runs per month
20 concurrent runs
Admin roles
3 shared projects
Execution search

One run means the whole workflow, not each step as Zapier and Make count it. Self-hosting stays free.

Pricing taken from the vendor site, last checked August 2026. Always confirm current pricing on their page.

Start with n8n

If you would rather not run it yourself

n8n is software we recommend, not something we resell. What ZestMate does deliver is designing and building automation and AI agents for your business, including work that uses n8n underneath.

See our automation service

FAQ

How much does n8n cost?

Self-hosting is free. n8n Cloud starts at Starter EUR 20 a month for 2,500 runs, and Pro is EUR 50 a month for 10,000 runs. Every plan allows unlimited users.

How does n8n pricing differ from Zapier?

n8n counts one whole workflow run as one execution no matter how many steps it has, while Zapier and Make bill per step. The longer the flow, the bigger the gap in n8n favour.

Does ZestMate sell n8n?

No. This page is a review with an affiliate link. We do take on automation design and implementation work, including projects built on n8n.

Want to try n8n

Self-host it for free or start on n8n Cloud. If you want the system designed for you, get in touch.

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