n8n vs Windmill pricing for self-hosted teams

A small team of builders that does not need single sign-on can often start on the free editions of both tools. n8n's Community edition is free to self-host, and its pricing page states that all plans include unlimited users, workflows and integrations, so the main limits to check are operational rather than seat-based. Windmill's Community Edition is free to self-host with unlimited executions, but it is capped at 3 workspaces, 50 users and 4 groups, which rarely matters for a small group but should be confirmed against your structure.

• n8n trigger points: SSO and LDAP, environments with Git, and log streaming sit only in the Business and Enterprise plans, so a team without those needs can stay on Community.
• Windmill trigger points: Enterprise is priced per developer and per operator plus compute units, so a builder-only team pays nothing for seats in Community until it exceeds the workspace, user or group caps.
• Licensing check: n8n's Sustainable Use License permits internal business use, so confirm that your use is internal rather than a managed service you sell.
• Windmill licensing check: prebuilt Community images include proprietary code free for internal use, while managed services or reselling need a commercial license.
• Quote scope: if you later need SSO, ask both vendors which tier includes it and whether the quote covers your hosting work.

Before committing, confirm current plan contents on each pricing page, since both vendors change their tier boundaries.

A mid-size team that needs SAML single sign-on and Git-backed environments usually moves past the free tiers in both products. In n8n, SSO and environments with Git are included only in Business and Enterprise, and n8n SAML single sign-on is available on those plans, with setup guides for Okta Workforce Identity and Azure AD. The Business plan is currently self-hosted only, which suits a team already running its own infrastructure. Windmill places SAML, SCIM and full Git sync in its Enterprise Edition, which is priced per developer, per operator and by compute units.

• n8n Business: a flat monthly per-plan price, billed annually, with unlimited users and workflows, so cost grows with the plan rather than with headcount.
• Windmill Enterprise: a base price that starts at a stated monthly amount, plus per-developer and per-operator charges and compute units, so cost grows with each added builder.
• Identity provider fit: confirm that your identity provider is covered by the documented SAML setup in each product, and ask for the setup effort in writing.
• Git workflow: compare what each vendor's Git feature covers, including whether Windmill's full Git sync matches your branching and review process.
• Quote request: ask for the headcount assumptions behind each per-seat line, the compute unit basis, and whether SAML setup and Git configuration are included.

Illustrative example: a team with a handful of developers should model both per-seat and flat-plan totals before deciding, since the crossover depends on headcount you have not yet fixed.

A platform team that serves many non-developer operators is where the pricing models diverge most. n8n's plans state unlimited users, so adding operators does not add a seat charge, and its execution count treats a whole workflow run as one execution regardless of step count. Windmill's Enterprise pricing charges per operator in addition to per developer, so a large group of operators who run flows but do not build them directly affects the bill. Both models should be tested against your real user mix.

• n8n seat model: unlimited users on every plan, so operator headcount does not change the price, though scaling needs may push you to queue mode.
• n8n queue mode costs: queue mode relies on Redis and PostgreSQL, and self-hosted multi-main high availability is an Enterprise feature, which can change the tier you quote.
• Windmill seat model: developers and operators are priced separately, so split operator and developer counts in your quote request.
• Compute units: Windmill's sizing guidance of one worker per vCPU with 1 to 2 GB of RAM means execution load drives infrastructure as well as license cost.
• Quote request: ask each vendor to price your operator count, expected concurrency and the high availability setup you need, in writing.

Do not assume operators are free in either model until the written quote confirms it.

A regulated team that needs audit logs and external secret backends should expect to be on an enterprise tier in both products, because the features that answer those requirements are paid. Windmill's Enterprise Edition adds audit logs, external secret backends such as Vault and AWS Secrets Manager, SAML and SCIM, and Prometheus and OpenTelemetry support. n8n lists log streaming, external secrets and multi-main high availability as Enterprise capabilities, with dedicated support and an SLA. The cost question is therefore less about the base tier than about which enterprise line items your control set requires.

• Audit logs: confirm whether each vendor's audit log output meets your retention and export needs, and who pays for log storage.
• External secrets: n8n's external secrets sit in Enterprise, while Windmill lists Vault and AWS Secrets Manager in Enterprise, so map each to your secret store.
• n8n license files: files with .ee in their name require a valid n8n Enterprise License, so confirm which components your deployment will use.
• Support terms: n8n's Enterprise tier includes dedicated support with an SLA, so ask for the written SLA terms and response commitments.
• Quote request: ask each vendor to itemize enterprise features separately so you can see what your controls actually require.

The independent auditor decides whether your evidence is sufficient, so verify requirements with your assessor before signing.