Is n8n an iPaaS? Pricing, License Limits and What It Can't Do

Short answer: n8n does the job of an iPaaS (it connects apps and APIs and runs multi-step workflows), and directories such as G2 file it there, but it is usually described as a developer-friendly, self-hostable alternative to classic iPaaS tools. It runs under a source-available "fair-code" license, not a standard open source one. Which label you use matters less than three practical things: how it bills, whether you may self-host it for your use case, and where it stops.

Is n8n an iPaaS or a different kind of tool?

iPaaS means "integration platform as a service": a hosted product that links your apps through prebuilt connectors and workflows. n8n does exactly that, and G2 files it under its iPaaS category. Other sources I read frame it as an alternative to traditional iPaaS instead, pointing at full visibility into workflow logic and the option to run it on your own infrastructure. I could not find a Gartner placement for n8n, so I will not claim one. For a formal classification, check Gartner's own iPaaS research.

A practical way to decide: if you want a hosted, no-code, connector-heavy tool and never touch a server, n8n Cloud behaves like an iPaaS. If you want custom code, self-hosting and AI agent nodes in the same canvas, it behaves more like a workflow engine for technical teams. Our n8n vs Zapier vs Make comparison covers the head-to-head.

What does n8n cost?

Third-party pricing guides (JetAdmin, Toolradar and others) agree on the main numbers. n8n bills per workflow execution, not per step, and publishes cloud prices in euros. These are the figures those guides report on annual billing, so confirm them on n8n's own pricing page before buying:

Two caveats from those same guides: sources disagree on whether Business is cloud or self-hosted, and several commentators call the jump from Pro to Business a pricing cliff. Make and Zapier count differently: Zapier bills per action step, while Make bills per module call (it renamed operations to credits, and one guide notes polling triggers spend a credit on every check). Because n8n counts a whole run as one execution, a ten-step workflow is one execution there.

Can I self-host n8n for free for my business?

Mostly yes, with limits. n8n's core uses the Sustainable Use License, which is source-available, not OSI open source. According to a license guide published by Activepieces (an n8n competitor, so verify against the license text in n8n's repository), the common cases look like this:

• Running it for your own company's internal workflows: allowed.
• Building and maintaining workflows for a client's internal use and charging for your labour: described as allowed.
• Selling n8n itself (hosting it for others, reselling access, embedding it in a product): not allowed without a commercial agreement.
• Enterprise features: need a license key.

If your plan sits near the edge, such as a SaaS that connects to your end users' accounts, ask n8n directly rather than rely on a blog summary.

What is n8n missing on its own?

n8n moves data; it does not collect data from sites that have no API. Scraping a marketplace, a directory or Reddit still needs a scraper feeding the workflow. That is why many n8n builders pair it with a pay-per-result actor on Apify: the actor produces clean rows, n8n routes them to Google Sheets, Slack or Telegram. We publish ready-made n8n templates for this on the n8n templates page.

A concrete pairing: Reddit Lead Finder scores posts and comments from 0 to 100 for buying intent, needs no Reddit login or API key, and can return only leads that are new since the last run. Wire it to a Slack or Sheets step in n8n and you have a daily lead alert. After Reddit changed its feeds, see how to replace Reddit lead alerts. More lead tools are listed in the lead generation hub.

How do I choose between n8n Cloud, self-hosted n8n, Make and Zapier?

1. No server skills, simple flows: Zapier or Make are quicker to start. Make is generally cheaper per unit of volume in the comparison guides I read; Zapier lists more integrations.
2. Long, branching workflows or AI agents: n8n's per-execution billing tends to fit, since steps are not billed one by one.
3. Data privacy or cost at volume: self-hosted Community Edition, if you can maintain a server and the license fits your case.
4. Data from sites without APIs: add a scraper whichever platform you choose.

FAQ

Try it

Want leads flowing into an n8n workflow without writing a scraper? Try the actors on Apify (new accounts get free credit) and start with Reddit Lead Finder.

Sources: JetAdmin and Toolradar n8n pricing guides (2026), G2 discussion "What does n8n do?", Activepieces n8n license guide (2026), Make and Zapier pricing comparisons from DEV Community and Costbench. Prices change, so confirm on each vendor's page.

Last updated: November 2026