Self-Hosted n8n vs Zapier: Real Monthly Cost
Self-hosted n8n on an $8 VPS against Zapier plans from 750 to 50,000 tasks a month, with Zapier prices from its pricing page, and when Zapier is better.
Zapier charges by the task: each action a Zap completes counts against your plan. Self-hosted n8n has no task or execution count at all; you pay for the server it runs on. This page puts the two side by side for the same monthly volume, with Zapier's prices as of 2026-10-18 and VeloxaHost's from its price list.
The monthly cost
n8n runs on Veloxa 1 ($8 a month, $0.02 an hour), the recommended size for the one-click n8n app. A server left running all month costs its $8 cap, whatever the volume.
| Zapier tasks a month | Zapier Professional, billed monthly | Zapier Professional, billed yearly (per month) | Self-hosted n8n on VeloxaHost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 (Free plan: two-step Zaps only, no webhooks) | $0 | $0 | $8 |
| 750 | $29.99 | $19.99 | $8 |
| 2,000 | $73.50 | $49.00 | $8 |
| 10,000 | $193.50 | $129.00 | $8 |
| 50,000 | $433.50 | $289.00 | $8 |
How the units compare: a Zapier task is one successful action step, so a Zap with three actions that runs 1,000 times uses 3,000 tasks. Triggers, filters and formatter steps are not counted. On Zapier, going over the plan either pauses your Zaps or, with pay-per-task turned on, bills extra tasks at 2.5 times the base rate on monthly plans and 1.25 times on yearly ones.
What limits n8n instead is the server. Many workflows running at once, big files or heavy code nodes need more CPU and memory; Veloxa 2 ($15 a month, $0.03 an hour) doubles both, and the column becomes $15.
n8n also sells its own hosted service. Its pricing page lists Starter at €20 a month billed annually with 2,500 executions, and Pro at €50 a month billed annually with 10,000 executions. An execution there is a whole workflow run, not a step.
What the VeloxaHost column leaves out
- HTTPS webhooks on your domain. Without extra cost, n8n's webhook URLs are
http://<shared address>:<port>on a port of the server's shared IPv4 block. Services that only call HTTPS URLs need a dedicated IPv4 address, a paid add-on with limited availability, so you can serve port 443. The console shows its current price. - Your time. You install upgrades, watch disk space, keep the
.n8nfolder and its encryption key backed up, and fix what breaks. Snapshots before an upgrade cost nothing, but someone has to take them. - Support. n8n's Community Edition is supported by its community forum. VeloxaHost supports the server, not your workflows.
Where Zapier is the better pick
- Low volume. If a few two-step Zaps fit in 100 tasks a month, Zapier's Free plan costs $0, which beats any server.
- Nobody wants to run a server. Zapier has no upgrades, backups or certificates to manage.
- The integrations you need only exist there. Zapier's catalogue of ready-made app connections is larger. n8n can call any HTTP API, but building a connection yourself takes time.
- A non-technical team builds the automations. Zapier's editor is built for that; n8n is friendlier to people who are comfortable with JSON and expressions.
Where self-hosted n8n is the better pick
- Volume. Past a few hundred tasks a month, a fixed $8 server is cheaper, and at 10,000 tasks the difference is over $100 a month.
- Multi-step workflows. Every extra step costs tasks on Zapier and nothing on your server.
- Your data stays with you. Credentials and execution data live on your server, not a third party's.
- Code. n8n's code nodes, custom nodes and direct database access are yours to use with root on the server.
FAQ
Is self-hosted n8n really free?
The Community Edition has no license fee and no execution limit. It is released under n8n's Sustainable Use License, which allows use for your own internal business purposes. You still pay for the server: $8 a month on Veloxa 1.
How many workflows can an $8 server run?
There is no fixed number. It depends on how often workflows run, how much data they move and what their code nodes do. If executions queue up or memory runs out, move to a bigger size from the console.
Can I move my Zaps to n8n automatically?
There is no automatic converter from VeloxaHost. Rebuild each Zap as an n8n workflow: the trigger becomes a trigger node, each action an app or HTTP Request node.
Do I need a domain for n8n webhooks?
Not to start. A webhook URL on a port of your shared IPv4 block works for services that accept plain HTTP. For HTTPS on your own domain, add a dedicated IPv4 address and put Caddy in front of n8n.
What does a month cost if I only run n8n for part of it?
Its hours: $0.02 for each hour a Veloxa 1 runs, up to $8. A server you stop is not charged.
Facts about Zapier were checked on 2026-10-18 against their own published pages: zapier.com, n8n.io. Prices and plans change; check theirs before you decide.
Ready to deploy?
Start a free trial, or compare plans to match your team's scale.