Which n8n edition does a self-hosted team need?
A team self-hosting n8n with no mandatory single sign-on, Git version control or multi-main requirement can usually stay on the free Community edition. Once SSO, environments with Git, or a high availability setup with several main instances becomes mandatory, the team needs the Business plan (self-hosted only) or Enterprise, which adds the most advanced security, scaling and governance controls. Start by writing down which of those controls your security and compliance policies require, because that list decides the edition more than any feature comparison.
n8n documents four self-hosted editions. Community is free and includes almost the complete feature set. Registered Community is the same free edition after you register an email address, which gives a free license key that unlocks folders, debug in editor and custom execution data. Business is for teams that need SSO, environments and projects. Enterprise is for the most advanced security, scaling and governance requirements. Community is a strong fit for internal automation where a shared login and manual change control are acceptable, so do not upgrade for features you will not use. Confirm the current list of features per edition on the n8n Community edition features page before you put it in a decision record.
Check three things before you commit. First, confirm whether your identity provider must enforce SAML sign-on, since n8n lists SAML SSO only on Business and Enterprise. Second, decide whether workflow changes must go through Git review, which is also Business and Enterprise. Third, ask whether a single main instance with a restart window is acceptable, because multi-main is limited to Enterprise self-hosted deployments. Also record that a Business or Enterprise key is applied to an existing Community instance by entering the emailed key, so an upgrade path exists if requirements change later. Ask n8n for current pricing and the terms of any license in writing, since the Business price on the pricing page is per month billed annually and changes over time.
Which features sit in Community, Business and Enterprise
This table maps the documented feature split across the free Community edition, registered Community, Business and Enterprise for self-hosted n8n. Read each row as a question to ask: if your team needs the capability in the right-hand column, the edition on that column is where it starts. The main takeaway is that Community covers most building needs, while SSO, Git environments, queue mode and multi-main high availability each push a team toward a paid tier.
| Capability | Community (free, registered or not) | Business | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSO and LDAP | No | Included, SAML SSO with guides for Okta and Azure AD | Included |
| Shared projects | Not included in Community | 6 shared projects | Unlimited shared projects |
| Environments and Git version control | No | Included, environments with Git | Included, environments with Git |
| Log streaming | No | Included per pricing page | Included, plus extended data retention |
| External secrets | No | Not listed on the pricing page for Business | Included via external secret store integration |
| Multi-main mode for high availability | No | Not included, queue mode only | Included, restricted to self-hosted Enterprise |
| Folders, debug in editor and custom execution data | Unlocked by registering with an email for a free license key | Included | Included |
| Insights retention | Not listed for Community | 30 days | 365 days |
When SSO, projects and Git justify the Business plan
The Business plan earns its cost when a specific requirement appears that Community cannot meet. The most common trigger is identity: if your policy requires users to sign in through your corporate directory, SAML single sign-on is included in Business and Enterprise, and n8n publishes step-by-step SAML setup guides for Okta Workforce Identity and Azure AD. Before you buy, confirm that your identity provider's SAML configuration, group mapping and user provisioning match what your security team requires, and test sign-in and deprovisioning on a non-production instance first. Shared projects follow the same logic: once several teams need separate workspaces with controlled access to shared workflows, Business adds six shared projects, while Enterprise lifts that limit.
Environments and Git version control are the second trigger. If you need to build workflows in a development instance, review them in version control and promote them to production, Business includes multiple environments and Git integration, and those are not in Community. Queue mode is the third trigger. It separates the main instance, Redis and worker processes so that executions can scale out, and it is included in Business as a self-hosted option. Queue mode also requires a shared encryption key across the main instance and workers, so plan how that key is stored and rotated before you commit to the architecture.
Be fair about where this does not apply. A single team running a handful of internal automations, with no identity mandate and no need for promotion between environments, may never need any of these features, and the Community edition with a registered license key may cover its needs. Two limits deserve a check before you decide. Business is currently self-hosted only, so a team that wants n8n's managed cloud should look at those plans instead. Multi-main high availability is not part of Business and is restricted to Enterprise self-hosted deployments, so confirm with n8n whether your uptime requirement depends on it. Ask n8n for current pricing terms in writing, since the Business price and execution quota are the figures that will shape your annual cost.
What Enterprise adds for regulated and high-availability teams
Enterprise is custom priced, and the items below are the ones that move a self-hosted n8n deployment from a single team tool toward a governed production service. Each card names the condition under which the capability matters, so you can tell which items your environment actually needs before you request a quote.
Log streaming for audit trails
Log streaming sends n8n event data to an external log destination so your security operations team can retain and correlate it outside the n8n instance. It matters most when your audit policy requires that workflow and login activity survive an instance rebuild or is ingested by a central SIEM. Log streaming is included only in the Business and Enterprise plans, so Community teams have no equivalent built-in path. Ask your n8n representative which destinations and event types are supported in your version, and confirm how the stream behaves during an outage of the destination.
External secret store integration
External secret store integration lets workflows pull credentials from a vault you already operate instead of storing them in the n8n database. This matters when your standard requires central rotation, access logging for secrets, or separation of duties between the platform team and the automation builders. Confirm which secret backends are supported in your n8n version and how credential references are resolved in queue mode, where workers also need access. This feature sits on the Enterprise plan only.
Multi-main high availability
Multi-main mode runs several main instances so the trigger and webhook layer keeps working if one main instance fails. It matters for a production queue where missed schedules or webhooks cause downstream business impact, and it builds on queue mode with Redis and a shared PostgreSQL database. Multi-main is restricted to Enterprise self-hosted deployments and is not available in the Community edition or n8n Cloud. Before committing, ask for the failover behavior, the Redis and database high availability you must provide yourself, and the upgrade procedure for a multi-main cluster.
Extended data retention
Extended data retention governs how long execution data stays in your database, which determines what an investigator or auditor can still reconstruct after an incident. It matters when regulators or internal policy require execution history beyond a short default window, and when storage growth is a planning concern. Retention is part of the Enterprise plan, while Community operators manage their own pruning settings. Confirm the retention periods your records policy requires, who owns the database backups that hold that data, and how deletion is evidenced.
Concurrency for high-volume queues
Enterprise lists 200 or more concurrent executions, which matters when several business processes run at the same time and queue wait time becomes visible to users. Concurrency is tied to how many worker processes you run and how much capacity your database and Redis can absorb, so the license figure is only part of the sizing. Ask how the concurrency limit is counted in a queue deployment, whether it applies per worker or across the cluster, and what load test your team should run before go-live.
Insights history and dedicated support
Enterprise extends insights history to 365 days and adds dedicated support with an SLA, which matter when operations leads need year-over-year failure trends and when an outage must be answered within a contracted response window. Business provides 30 days of insights, so teams that report on longer periods will need to export data or accept a shorter view. Ask for the SLA response targets in writing, the support channels included, and whether support covers your queue and database components or only the n8n application.
How execution quotas and license keys work
An execution counts as one whole workflow run, regardless of how many steps the workflow contains. That makes the quota a function of how often workflows start, not how many nodes they touch, so a fifty-step flow triggered once uses one execution. The Business plan's key covers 40,000 executions per billing period, and the n8n pricing page lists that plan at 667 euros per month billed annually. Before you commit, pull the last 90 days of trigger volume from your current instance, identify high-frequency webhooks and polling triggers, and model them against that 40,000 figure. Confirm with n8n exactly how the billing period is defined and whether unused executions carry over.
A Business or Enterprise license key can be applied to unlimited instances, and combined usage across those instances counts against one quota. This matters for teams that run separate test, staging and production installs: a busy staging environment draws from the same pool as production. The FAQ also says workflows keep running when the quota is exceeded, so an overage does not stop production automation. The cost of that protection is the overage charge. Business overage is 4,000 euros per extra bucket of 300,000 executions. Ask n8n how overage is invoiced and whether alerts are available before you reach a threshold.
Self-hosted Business and Enterprise keys must ping n8n's license server daily to stay active, and the ping reports data such as production execution counts. Plan for outbound HTTPS from the instance to that license server, and check with your security team whether an air-gapped or egress-restricted network can allow it. Confirm with n8n how an offline or failed ping is handled before you depend on it. If you already run Community, the upgrade path is to apply the emailed license key to that existing instance, which avoids a migration. Check the upgrade in a staging copy first, and record the key's owner and renewal date in your asset register.
What each edition costs and what drives the bill
This table separates what you pay for each n8n edition from what you pay to run it yourself, since self-hosting costs apply to every tier. Read it as a checklist for building a budget and a quote request, with the published n8n figures labeled by source.
| Cost component | Who is paid, one-time or recurring | What drives it up or down |
|---|---|---|
| Community license | n8n is free to download and run; registering with an email gives a free license key. Nothing is paid to n8n, and the cost is recurring only in infrastructure and staff time. | Adding registration does not change the bill, but use limits under the Sustainable Use License still apply to how you use it commercially. |
| Business subscription | Recurring. The n8n pricing page lists 667 euros per month billed annually, self-hosted only, for 40,000 workflow executions. | Execution volume above the included amount, the number of shared projects, and whether you need SSO, environments, Git or queue mode. |
| Enterprise license | Recurring, custom priced. n8n publishes no price, so the figure comes only from a written quote for self-hosted or n8n-hosted use. | Execution volume, concurrency level (the page lists 200 or more concurrent executions), insight retention, external secrets, log streaming, multi-main HA and support scope. |
| Overage buckets | Recurring when triggered. The pricing FAQ states Business overage costs 4,000 euros per extra bucket of 300,000 executions. | Sustained execution growth. Workflows keep running after the quota is exceeded, so track usage against the bucket size before it triggers charges. |
| Self-hosting infrastructure | Paid to your cloud or data center provider, recurring. n8n does not charge for this, and the quote does not include it. | Instance count, main and worker sizing, queue mode, and storage for binary data. Confirm sizing with your platform team. |
| Database, Redis and staff time | Recurring for databases and Redis hosting, and recurring staff time for upgrades, backups and monitoring. Confirm which of these your existing platform already covers. | Queue mode needs Redis and PostgreSQL, and the main instance's encryption key must be shared with workers. Multi-main HA adds operational work on Enterprise. |
Moving from Community to Business or Enterprise
This sequence takes a self-hosted n8n instance from the free Community edition to a licensed Business or Enterprise deployment, with the license key verified, the license server reachable, and the encryption key handled correctly before any scaling work begins.
Register the Community edition with an email
The instance owner registers the existing Community edition with an email address to receive a free license key. This key unlocks folders, debug in editor and custom execution data, so the team can confirm the registration works before paying for anything. Done means the key email arrives at a monitored mailbox and the key can be applied in the instance settings. Keep the key and the registration email in your records, because the same email address is the route to the paid key later.
Confirm the encryption key and backups
Before changing the edition, the platform owner records the instance encryption key and confirms that database backups and the key are stored together in a secure location. Credentials stored in the database cannot be read without this key, so losing it means re-entering every credential. Done means a documented restore test has been run against a copy of the database and the key is recorded in your secrets store, not on a shared drive.
Apply the Business or Enterprise license key
After the purchase or quote is agreed in writing, an administrator applies the emailed Business or Enterprise license key to the existing instance. The Community instance upgrades in place, so workflows and credentials stay where they are. Done means the edition shows as licensed in the instance settings and the paid features, such as SSO, environments and Git version control, appear as available. Ask the vendor which feature list applies to the purchased plan before you start.
Verify the daily license server ping
A self-hosted Business or Enterprise key must contact n8n's license server daily to stay active, and the ping reports data such as production execution counts. The network team confirms that the instance can reach the license server through the proxy and firewall rules that govern outbound traffic. Done means the instance stays licensed after the first daily cycle, and the team has documented the outbound path. Air-gapped or restricted networks need a plan agreed with n8n before go-live, so raise this with the vendor early.
Confirm the usage quota and overage rules
Business and Enterprise keys count production executions against a quota shared across all instances the key is applied to. Workflows keep running when the quota is exceeded, and the pricing FAQ describes the overage terms for Business. Finance and the platform owner agree on who monitors execution counts and what triggers a plan change. Done means the team has a written quota, a named owner for monitoring, and an overage view in the quote.
Plan the move to queue mode
If the instance needs separate worker processes, the team plans the move to queue mode. The main instance handles triggers and webhooks and hands executions through Redis to workers that write to PostgreSQL. The encryption key must be shared with every worker and webhook processor so they can read stored credentials, so the key distribution method is decided before any worker starts. Done means an architecture diagram lists the main, worker, webhook, Redis and database components, and each one has the same encryption key configured in a controlled way.
Decide on multi-main high availability
Multi-main setup, which runs several main instances for high availability, is restricted to Enterprise self-hosted deployments and is not available in Community or n8n Cloud. Teams that need this should confirm the requirement with n8n before the design is locked. Done means the team has a written decision on whether high availability is needed, and if it is, an Enterprise license is confirmed as part of the purchase.
Plan the downgrade path before go-live
Moving back from Business or Enterprise is a reverse step that removes the paid features, so the team documents it before relying on them. Features such as SSO, environments, Git version control, log streaming, external secrets and multi-main mode depend on an active paid license, and a downgrade removes access to them. Done means the team has written which workflows, credentials, environments and access rules would need rework, and has tested the change on a non-production copy. Confirm with n8n exactly what remains available on the free edition after the change.
Questions buyers ask before choosing an n8n edition
What does the free Community edition leave out for enterprise needs?
Community covers almost the full feature set, but it does not include SSO, LDAP, environments, projects, sharing, Git version control, custom variables, external secrets, external storage for binary data, log streaming or multi-main mode. Those features sit on the self-hosted Business and Enterprise plans. If your team needs centralized sign-in, separated development and production environments, or audit-friendly log export, Community will not meet the requirement on its own. Check the current feature list on n8n's Community edition features page before you commit, because edition boundaries can change between releases.
Is registering the Community edition enough for a small team?
Registering the Community edition with an email gives a free license key that unlocks folders, debug in editor and custom execution data. That is often enough for a small team that does not need SSO, environments or Git. It does not add SSO, projects or log streaming. A small team should list the features it truly needs, map each one to an edition, and confirm with n8n whether the registration terms fit its internal use. Because the Sustainable Use License limits use to internal business, non-commercial or personal purposes, a team that resells or embeds n8n should get its own licensing answer first.
How much does Business cost, and what drives overage?
n8n's pricing page lists Business at 667 euros per month billed annually for 40,000 workflow executions, self-hosted only. It includes 6 shared projects, SSO and LDAP, 30 days of insights, multiple environments, queue mode and Git version control. The pricing FAQ says a Business license key can be applied to unlimited instances with combined usage counted against the quota, and workflows keep running when the quota is exceeded. Overage is billed at 4,000 euros per extra bucket of 300,000 executions. Execution volume is the main cost driver, so model your production run count before you budget. Confirm current terms with n8n, since pricing pages change.
What does Enterprise add, and is its pricing published?
Enterprise adds unlimited shared projects, 200 or more concurrent executions, 365 days of insights, external secret store integration, log streaming, extended data retention, multi-main high availability and dedicated support with an SLA. n8n does not publish a fixed price for Enterprise. It is custom priced for self-hosted or cloud deployments, so you will need a written quote from n8n that reflects your execution volume, support terms and deployment model. Ask for the quote to state what is recurring, what is included in support, and how the license key is renewed.
Can we self-host and upgrade n8n without outside help?
Many teams can run a single-instance n8n on their own infrastructure with an in-house operations team. The work grows once you add queue mode, which needs a main instance, Redis and worker processes that read and write a PostgreSQL database, plus the encryption key shared with every worker and webhook processor. Upgrades need a plan for the 2.x line and any 1.x instances still in use. Self-hosted Business and Enterprise keys must ping n8n's license server daily to stay active, so your network policy must allow that. Assess your team's skills in these areas honestly. DeployOpen plans, implements, hardens, backs up, upgrades and supports self-hosted open-source platforms inside a client's own infrastructure, on a fixed scope agreed in writing, and ongoing support is available as a retainer.
How long does the move from Community to Business take, and what does it need from us?
Upgrading an existing Community instance is done by applying the emailed Business license key, so the license step itself is short. The effort lies in what you change around it: configuring SSO, for example with SAML for Okta or Azure AD, rebuilding projects and environments, setting up Git version control, and testing workflows across environments. Your side needs an identity owner, a named admin for n8n, a change window and someone who signs off on the license terms. Timing depends on your environment, workflow count and identity setup, so ask a vendor or implementation partner for a written scope and timeline before you plan dates.
Does Business or Enterprise change how n8n's license applies to us?
No. Business and Enterprise change the features and support you receive, but the Sustainable Use License still governs use and modification of the code. Files with .ee in their name or directory are not covered by that license and require a valid n8n Enterprise License, so any .ee features you rely on need an Enterprise license. Confirm with n8n or your counsel how the license terms apply to your deployment, especially if you plan to embed n8n in a product or offer it to third parties.
How DeployOpen scopes an n8n edition rollout
Before any edition decision reaches a purchase order, a rollout needs a written scope. DeployOpen plans, implements, hardens and documents self-hosted platforms inside the client's own infrastructure, whether that is a cloud account, a data center or an air-gapped network. For n8n, that means the scope covers where the instance runs, how it is reached, which identity provider signs users in, how credentials are encrypted and where the database lives. Most engagements are fixed-scope, so deliverables, timelines and responsibilities are agreed in writing before work starts. Ask any partner to show you the written scope for each edition you are considering, including who owns the license key and who applies it.
The decisions that most change the scope are the ones tied to the edition gates: SSO, environments with Git version control, log streaming, external secrets and multi-main high availability. Each one adds configuration, testing and documentation work for the team that operates n8n afterward. A fixed-scope quote should list each gated feature as a line item, with the component it touches and the evidence it produces, so the cost of an upgrade from Community to Business or Enterprise is visible before it is committed. Confirm with n8n which features your planned edition includes, because the edition tables change over time.
DeployOpen does not publish a price list. A quote follows from the written scope, so the figure you receive depends on the number of environments, the identity integration, the hosting footprint and the handover material you request. Ongoing support, upgrades and continuous testing are available as retainers, which is where recurring effort sits after go-live. When you request a quote, ask for one-time work and recurring retainer work as separate sections, and ask how each n8n license renewal or edition change would be handled. DeployOpen is not an n8n partner, reseller or certified provider, and you should verify any licensing position directly with n8n.
