Can I open-source n8n Cloud?

YES · mature open-source replacement
price $27.73/moyou'd save $332.76/yrcategory 🤖 automationreplaced by 0 people

Yes. n8n (130k stars), Activepieces Community Edition (24k stars), Windmill (15k stars) are mature open-source replacements for n8n Cloud — self-host in one command and stop paying $27.73/mo.

why people still pay

They pay to avoid maintaining an automation server that their business workflows depend on.

what you lose

xmanaged hosting

xbackups

xscaling

xemail support

xreduced ops burden

xteam/admin features

the open-source alternatives

These projects already replace it, free.

AActivepieces Community EditionA genuinely open-source workflow runner with a simpler one-container path.24kaug 2026open source↗AAutomatischA smaller AGPL automation server for people who do not need n8n's entire ecosystem.14kjan 2026open source↗Nn8nNode-based workflow automation with 400+ integrations, AI agent nodes, and code steps, self-hosted via Docker130kaug 2026open source↗

What each one is, in full: Activepieces Community Edition · Automatisch · n8n

all 5 open-source alternatives to n8n Cloud →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

share on X ↗"I just replaced n8n Cloud ($27.73/mo) with open source"
the numbers

n8n Cloud pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
community edition (self-hosted)$0/workspace$0/workspaceUnlimited workflows, steps and users in the software; hosting, database and operations are user-supplied.
starter (cloud)$27.73/workspace$23.11/workspace2,500 executions/month, 1 project, 5 concurrent executions, 2,300 AI credits/month, 7-day logs and 2.5 GB stored execution data.
pro (cloud)$69.33/workspace$57.77/workspace10,000 executions/month, 3 projects, 20 concurrent executions, up to 13,700 AI credits/month, 30-day logs and 25 GB stored execution data.
business (self-hosted)—$770.72/workspace40,000 executions/month, 6 projects and 30-day insights; self-hosting required.
enterprisecustom—Custom executions, unlimited projects, 200+ concurrency and up to 365-day insights.

free tierno free n8n Cloud plan; Community Edition is free to self-host with unlimited workflows/users, but infrastructure is not included

billingStarter/Pro monthly + annual; Business published annual price; 14-day Business trial and no-card Starter/Pro trial; VAT/tax may apply

hidden costsAn execution is one complete workflow run regardless of steps. AI credits reset and expire monthly, cannot be carried over or purchased separately. Business overage is €4,000 (about $4,622.00) per additional 300,000 executions; no prorated refunds.

verified 2026-08-11 · source ↗

questions
Is n8n Cloud free?

No free cloud plan, just a trial; self-hosting the open source core is free. Paid is Starter (Cloud) at $27.73/mo (checked 2026-08-11).

Can I open-source n8n Cloud?

Yes. Activepieces Community Edition replaces n8n Cloud today — self-host it on your own server or machine with no subscription. The full list of open-source alternatives is on this page.

How much does n8n Cloud cost?

n8n Cloud costs about $27.73/month (Starter (Cloud), checked 2026-08-11), which is $332.76 per year. That's what you save by replacing it with open source.

What do I lose by replacing n8n Cloud?

Honestly: managed hosting; backups; scaling; email support; reduced ops burden; team/admin features. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to n8n Cloud?

Yes: Activepieces Community Edition (A genuinely open-source workflow runner with a simpler one-container path.) Automatisch (A smaller AGPL automation server for people who do not need n8n's entire ecosystem.) n8n (Node-based workflow automation with 400+ integrations, AI agent nodes, and code steps, self-hosted via Docker) All 5 curated open-source alternatives are at caniopensourceit.online/n8n-cloud/alternatives.