n8n Community Edition
A broad visual connector catalog with retries and logs; free for internal self-hosting, fair-code rather than open source.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-10
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Free tier / Free tool)
- License
- n8n Sustainable Use License
- Hosting Model
- Self-host (your server)
- Platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- Installation
- Install with Docker or npm; Docker is the recommended production path.
- Operational Setup
- Requires a server, HTTPS and a public webhook URL for many integrations, plus ongoing updates, backups and provider credentials.
- Where Your Data Lives
- SQLite stores workflows, credentials and executions by default; PostgreSQL is supported, with binary data in the database, filesystem or object storage.
- The Catch / Trade-off
- n8n is broader but more technical than Albato and leaves hosting, backups, scaling and incident response to you.
Replaces 7 paid apps
up to $169.71/mo ($2,037/yr) in subscriptions
n8n Community Edition FAQ
Common questions
Is n8n Community Edition free and open source?+
n8n Community Edition is a free tool that runs on self-host. A broad visual connector catalog with retries and logs; free for internal self-hosting, fair-code rather than open source.
What paid software does n8n Community Edition replace?+
n8n Community Edition serves as a free replacement for 7 paid SaaS applications: Albato, Integrately, Make, n8n Cloud, Pabbly Connect, Pipedream, Zapier, saving up to $169.71/month ($2,037/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up n8n Community Edition?+
Installation: Install with Docker or npm; Docker is the recommended production path.. Setup notes: Requires a server, HTTPS and a public webhook URL for many integrations, plus ongoing updates, backups and provider credentials.
What is the catch or trade-off with n8n Community Edition?+
n8n is broader but more technical than Albato and leaves hosting, backups, scaling and incident response to you.