n8n Cloud vs Self-Hosted: 11 Hidden Limits That Decide It

How we checked: n8n Cloud limits come from n8n’s pricing page and documentation. Self-hosted behaviour was checked against n8n 2.40.7 and n8n’s docs. Memory figures are from our own tests. Selfhost.dev details come from our live product page.

n8n Cloud vs self-hosted looks like an easy call. Every comparison says the same thing: Cloud is simple, self-hosting is free. Both leave jobs for you. n8n Cloud stops your workflows at the plan’s run limit, gives them 640 MiB of memory and keeps your credentials when you leave. Your own server leaves you the security fixes, the encryption key, the backups and the team features.

Volume alone rarely decides it. Under 2,500 runs a month, Starter can be enough; between 2,500 and 10,000, compare Pro with a server of your own. Code-heavy or file-heavy workflows, shell commands and data outside Frankfurt point to self-hosting at any volume. Cloud wins when a team must share workflows and nobody can look after a server.

There is a third way: Selfhost.dev runs self-hosted n8n on a server of your own, with the setup done for you. Below are the 11 limits that decide it.

Key Facts

• n8n Cloud Starter: 2,500 runs a month for €20/mo billed annually, 640 MiB of memory, 5 minutes per run at most.
• Self-hosted n8n (free Community edition): no run limit, an owner plus members, free two-factor login. Sharing, SSO and Git need a paid licence.
• Shell commands: Execute Command isn’t available on n8n Cloud, and it’s off by default on self-hosted n8n since version 2.0.
• Your data: n8n Cloud keeps it in Frankfurt on Microsoft Azure, with no region choice, and upgrades every instance at least every two weeks.
• Security: n8n published 19 critical security fixes between January and May 2026. On your own server, installing each one is your job.
• Selfhost.dev: n8n on a dedicated 4 GB server for $0.02 an hour in Europe (about $15.18 a month), with no charge per run.

n8n Cloud vs self-hosted at a glance

n8n Cloud is n8n’s hosted service: n8n runs and maintains the instance for you. Self-hosted n8n is the same software on infrastructure you control, run by you or through a hosting provider.

n8n Cloud vs self-hosted comes down to 11 limits: six on n8n Cloud, five on your own server. Cloud limits how much you run, what you run and where it runs. Self-hosting removes those plan limits, makes your server’s size the ceiling, and hands you the jobs Cloud does quietly.

What n8n Cloud won’t do

1. Keep your workflows running past the plan’s run limit.
2. Give your workflows more than 640 MiB of memory on Starter and the entry Pro plan.
3. Run the Execute Command node or unverified community nodes.
4. Let you choose where your data lives.
5. Let you stay on one version for long.
6. Hand over your credentials when you leave.

What your own server won’t do

1. Install n8n’s security fixes for you.
2. Protect the encryption key behind every saved credential.
3. Set up your webhook URL and HTTPS.
4. Give you sharing, SSO or Git for free.
5. Back itself up.

n8n figures from n8n.io/pricing and docs.n8n.io.

Selfhost.dev is the last column: self-hosted n8n with the setup done before n8n starts. For costs, see every n8n Cloud plan, priced monthly and annually.

What n8n Cloud won’t do for you

n8n Cloud runs n8n for you, on n8n’s terms: capped runs on every plan, 640 MiB of memory on Starter and the 10,000-run Pro plan, no shell commands or unverified community nodes, data in Frankfurt, an upgrade at least every two weeks, and no credential export when you leave.

1. The execution limit: runs fail at 2,500 on Starter

An execution is one run of a workflow, however many steps it has. n8n’s pricing includes 2,500 a month on Starter and 10,000 on Pro, with larger Pro sizes above that. At the limit, n8n’s support page is blunt: “Executions at the limit are not queued. They fail immediately with an error.” A workflow that checks an inbox every 5 minutes uses 8,640 runs a month on its own, more than three Starter plans.

Hitting your plan’s run limit? Price a dedicated European 4 GB n8n server with no per-run line on the bill, no signup needed.

2. Memory: 640 MiB on Starter (H3)

n8n’s Cloud docs list 640 MiB of memory for the Trial, Starter and 10,000-run Pro plans, with 1% to 2% of one processor core that can briefly use more. The 50,000-run Pro plan gets 1,280 MiB. Only Enterprise gets 4,096 MiB.

That margin is thin. In our tests on n8n 2.40.7, n8n idled at 394 MiB, and five Code nodes running at once crash-looped it under a 512 MB limit. Cloud’s setup isn’t ours, but Code-heavy and file workflows feel it first. See how much memory n8n really needs, measured.

3. Execute Command and unverified community nodes are blocked

Execute Command is the node that runs shell commands on the server, and n8n’s docs say plainly: “It isn’t available on n8n Cloud.” Community nodes are add-ons built by other developers, and the ones n8n hasn’t reviewed are out too: “Unverified community nodes aren’t available on n8n cloud and require self-hosting n8n.” (n8n docs)

Your own server isn’t wide open either. Since n8n 2.0, Execute Command ships switched off on every self-hosted install, and one server setting, NODES_EXCLUDE, turns it back on. On Cloud there is no setting to change; the workaround is the SSH node, calling a server you run elsewhere.

4. Data location: Frankfurt only

n8n’s pricing page says “data is stored within the EU, on servers located in Frankfurt, Germany.” n8n’s security page adds that Cloud runs on Microsoft Azure and that backups go to another site in the same country. No plan lets you pick a location yet. If your contracts or your users need data elsewhere, Cloud can’t follow.

5. Upgrades: at least every two weeks

On Cloud you pick the version and a maintenance window, then n8n’s docs add the catch: “n8n upgrades every instance at least every two weeks.” Major and migration updates carry a warning too: “You can’t roll back these updates to the previous version.”

6. Credentials stay behind when you leave

Cloud lets you download your workflows. n8n’s docs say those backups “contain workflows only, never credentials,” and n8n documents no other way to export Cloud credentials. An exported workflow keeps each credential’s name and ID, not the secret behind it. Leaving means re-entering every API key and reconnecting every OAuth app by hand. Self-hosted n8n exports them all with one command.

n8n self-hosted limitations: what your own server won’t do

Self-hosted n8n removes Cloud’s plan limits and gives you control over the server’s configuration. The n8n self-hosted limitations are the jobs nobody does for you: installing security fixes, keeping the encryption key safe, wiring the webhook URL and HTTPS, paying n8n for team features and running backups.

7. Security fixes are yours to install

n8n’s security advisories list 19 critical fixes between January and May 2026, published on seven separate days. On n8n Cloud, n8n upgrades the platform. On your own server, the install stays exposed until someone updates it.

Two came in the first week of January. CVE-2026-21877, rated 9.9 out of 10, meant that “under certain conditions, an authenticated user may be able to cause untrusted code to be executed by the n8n service,” and the advisory says “Both self-hosted and n8n Cloud instances are impacted.” A day later, CVE-2026-21858, rated 10, could let an attacker with no login read files on the server through certain form-based workflows.

8. The encryption key is yours to protect

n8n encrypts every saved credential with one key, and its docs explain where that key lives: “n8n creates a random encryption key automatically on the first launch and saves it in the ~/.n8n folder.” Lose that folder in a server move or a volume mix-up, and every saved API key and password becomes unreadable. The fix is your own N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY, kept outside the data volume.

9. The webhook URL and HTTPS are yours to set up

Many n8n workflows start from a webhook, which needs a public HTTPS address. A reverse proxy is the web server in front of n8n that handles HTTPS and passes traffic to it. n8n builds its webhook URL from its host and port settings, and its docs warn: “If n8n runs behind a reverse proxy, that won’t work.” You set N8N_WEBHOOK_URL, N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL, the proxy and a renewing certificate yourself. Miss one and webhooks point at localhost. Our n8n hosts that wire HTTPS and webhooks for you shows who does this step.

10. Sharing, SSO and Git need a paid licence

The free Community edition is more generous than its reputation. Google’s AI Overview calls it single-user; it isn’t. An owner and members work for free, two-factor login is free, and registering with your email adds folders and “debug in editor”. What’s missing is the team layer: in n8n’s words, “Only the instance owner and the user who creates them can access workflows and credentials.” Sharing, projects, SSO and Git version control need the Business plan, €667/mo billed annually.

An r/selfhosted thread titled “I tried it and I’m disappointed” shows the trade-off. The poster left over paid Git version control. Many replies said they had never needed a paid feature, and the one others missed most was SSO. The free edition covers solo and small-team use; teams that need Git or SSO buy a licence, which the owner enters in n8n under Settings > Plan & usage.

Self-hosting also means n8n’s Sustainable Use License applies to how you use the software: “for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial or personal use.” Building n8n into a product your customers log into needs a deal with n8n; if unsure, email [email protected].

11. Backups are yours to run

n8n’s backup and restore guide for self-hosted instances reads like a job description. You back up the ~/.n8n folder, which holds the encryption key and, on the default SQLite database, the data itself, plus any Postgres database “with your database’s own tooling.” Skip the folder and a restored database can’t decrypt its credentials. On n8n Cloud, n8n’s security page says backups go to a separate region in the same country. On your own server, nothing is backed up until you set it up and test a restore.

Limits 8 and 9 are handled by the one-click n8n template: it sets the webhook URL, HTTPS and the encryption key before n8n starts, in about four minutes. Limit 11 becomes a switch for daily backups, and limit 7 a button: new security releases appear in the console with their CVEs, and you choose when to press Update.

Is n8n Cloud safer than self-hosting?

Neither is safer by default. n8n installs security fixes on n8n Cloud and holds a SOC 2 Type 2 report, shared with Enterprise customers (others can read its SOC 3 report), but your data and API keys sit on n8n’s servers. Self-hosted n8n keeps everything on a server you control, yet a missed update leaves it open. The difference is who installs the next fix, and how fast.

• Cloud: n8n patches the platform. You trust n8n with every credential your workflows use.
• Self-hosted: you decide who can reach n8n and where data sits. You also own the firewall, the HTTPS and every upgrade.

On Selfhost.dev, the server is yours and locked down by default (firewall closed except web traffic and SSH, HTTPS renewed automatically), and the console labels a security release with its CVEs. You still choose the moment and press Update.

Why don’t people use n8n Cloud?

The usual reasons to leave n8n Cloud are the run limit, the memory ceiling and the blocked nodes. A busy month pushes Starter past 2,500 runs, Code-heavy workflows strain 640 MiB, and anything needing shell commands or an unverified community node can’t run at all. Others need their data somewhere other than Frankfurt.

Cloud also has no plan with SSO or Git below Enterprise. Self-hosting removes the run meter entirely, so a busy month costs the same as a quiet one.

When n8n Cloud is the better choice

n8n Cloud is the better choice for a team that needs to share workflows and credentials without buying a licence. Starter includes 1 shared project and Pro includes 3; the free self-hosted edition has none, on any server, ours included. Add a team with nobody to look after a server, and Cloud is the simpler answer.

Should you self-host n8n? A decision rule with numbers

Self-host n8n when your workflows are Code-heavy or file-heavy, need shell commands or unverified community nodes, or need data outside Frankfurt. On volume alone, Starter covers 2,500 runs a month; between 2,500 and 10,000, compare Pro with a server of your own. Stay on Cloud if your team must share workflows without a licence. Should I self host n8n, then? If any of the first three apply, yes.

If the table pointed you to your own server, start one with $5 of free credit, no card: at $0.02 an hour in Europe, that’s about ten days of n8n.

Self-hosted n8n without the server work: Selfhost.dev

Selfhost.dev runs self-hosted n8n as a one-click template on a dedicated 4 GB server of your own. The webhook URL, HTTPS and the encryption key are set before n8n starts, nothing meters your runs, and you choose when n8n updates. It removes limits 1, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, makes limit 11 an optional daily backup, swaps limit 2’s 640 MiB for a dedicated 4 GB server that n8n shares only with its task runner and the operating system, and turns limit 7 into one button you press.

A VPS gives you the server. These are the jobs that come with it:

After you deploy:

1. The template deploys in about four minutes, then we email you the URL.
2. Open it straight away: n8n starts with no admin, and the first person to open it becomes the owner.
3. Keep the generated HTTPS address, or point your domain’s A record at the server. HTTPS sets itself up.
4. When a new n8n release ships, the console shows Update available, or Security update with its CVEs.

Six locations: Falkenstein and Nuremberg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Ashburn and Hillsboro (US) and Singapore; the $0.02/hr server is sold in the three European ones. Monthly figures at 730 hours. No charge per run, workflow, user or gigabyte of traffic. Daily backups are optional at +20% of the server price.

• Version: the template pins n8n 2.40.7, so a restart never changes it. If a new release comes up unhealthy, the service switches back to the previous one. Turn on daily backups before a big jump.
• Size: a European 4 GB server handles up to about 20,000 light runs a month. In our tests, the whole server peaked at 2.2 GiB with five Code runs at once. Heavier volume suits the Postgres version of the template.
• What it doesn’t do: it runs n8n in standard mode, not queue mode (which spreads runs across extra worker processes), and it’s the free Community edition: sharing, projects and SSO need an n8n licence, entered the n8n way. Execute Command stays off on the template.

How to move from n8n Cloud to self-hosted (or back)

Moving from n8n Cloud to self-hosted takes five steps: download the workflows, import them into the new n8n, then re-create every credential, because Cloud’s backups hold workflows only. Point your webhook senders at the new address, and switch the Cloud copies off before the new ones go live.

1. Download your workflows from the Cloud console backup or each workflow’s Download option.
2. Start your new n8n and claim the owner account straight away.
3. Import the workflow files with Import from File.
4. Re-create each credential under the same name, then re-select it in the nodes that use it.
5. Switch over without running twice. Turn off each scheduled workflow on Cloud before turning on its new copy, and update the webhook URL in every service that calls n8n. Running both copies at once can send every email and create every record twice.

Going back to Cloud works the same way in reverse: workflow files import in the editor, and credentials are entered again. You can try the import on the $5 welcome credit before you cancel anything.

The verdict: n8n Cloud or self-hosted?

Choose n8n Cloud if you want n8n to run the infrastructure and your team needs shared workflows without a paid licence. Choose self-hosted n8n if you need more runs, more memory, shell commands or your own data location, and someone can handle updates. Choose Selfhost.dev if you want self-hosted n8n without setting up the server yourself.

On Selfhost.dev that means no run limit, a dedicated 4 GB server, and the webhook URL, HTTPS and encryption key set before n8n starts.

See what the n8n template sets up on a dedicated 4 GB server, and what it costs.

Or

Deploy n8n now on the $5 welcome credit.

Keep reading: n8n pricing in 2026 · The best n8n hosting providers · n8n system requirements, measured · n8n vs Zapier

n8n Cloud vs self-hosted FAQ