n8n can be self-hosted for free as the Community Edition, or with a paid Business or Enterprise license that adds features companies usually need in production: SSO and LDAP, Git-based version control, multiple environments, role-based access to shared projects and queue mode for scaling. Enterprise adds log streaming, external secret stores, audit logging and support with an SLA. If one team runs a few internal workflows, Community Edition is often enough. If several teams share credentials, deploy changes through dev and prod, or must pass a security audit, you will need Business or Enterprise.
n8n Community vs Business vs Enterprise (self-hosted)
| Feature | Community | Business | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosting | Yes, free | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML) and LDAP | No | Yes | Yes |
| Git version control and multiple environments | No | Yes | Yes |
| Shared projects with roles (RBAC) | No | Limited number of projects | Unlimited |
| Queue mode for scaling | Available | Yes | Yes |
| Log streaming to SIEM | No | No | Yes |
| External secret stores (e.g. Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) | No | No | Yes |
| Audit logging | No | No | Yes |
| Support with SLA | Community forum | Check plan details | Dedicated, with SLA |
Feature lists and prices change. The table reflects the n8n pricing page as checked on 7 October 2026. Always confirm the current plan details with n8n before you buy.
Which enterprise features matter in practice
SSO and user management
With SSO, people log in with the company identity provider (for example Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace). When someone leaves, IT disables one account and access to n8n is gone too. Without SSO you manage separate n8n logins, which auditors usually flag.
Environments and Git
Source control lets you build and test a workflow in a development instance, then push it to production through Git. You get a history of changes and a way to roll back. In Community Edition teams often edit production workflows directly, which is the most common cause of broken automations we see.
Projects and roles
Projects separate workflows and credentials by team. Marketing does not see finance credentials, and an external contractor can get access to one project only.
Log streaming, audit logs and external secrets
These are the features security teams ask for. Log streaming sends events to tools like a SIEM, audit logs show who changed what, and external secret stores keep API keys outside the n8n database.
Why companies self-host n8n
- Data location: data processed by workflows stays on your servers or in your chosen cloud region.
- Cost at scale: self-hosted Community Edition has no per-execution fee; you pay for infrastructure and maintenance.
- Network access: n8n can reach internal databases and ERP systems that are not exposed to the internet.
Self-hosting also means responsibility: updates, backups, monitoring, uptime and security patches are on your side. Budget time for that, or have a partner run it.
License: what self-hosted Community Edition allows
n8n uses the Sustainable Use License. It allows free use for your own internal business purposes, including building workflows for your company. It does not allow selling n8n itself as a hosted service or white-labelled product. Read the full terms in the n8n documentation before you build a product on top of it.
How to choose
- Count users and teams. One technical team: Community. Several teams with separate data: Business or Enterprise.
- Check compliance needs: SSO, audit logs, secret management.
- Decide who maintains the server. If nobody, consider n8n Cloud or a managed setup.
- Start with a pilot on Community Edition, then upgrade when you hit a real limit.
Need help with n8n?
Codeless designs, deploys and maintains n8n for companies in Poland and the EU, both on Community Edition and with enterprise licenses. See our n8n automations and business process automation service (in Polish), or book a free consultation.