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n8n hosting with a free tier
Free n8n hosting exists, but each option has a catch. We list what each host's own page says. Checked 2026-10-17.
Free plans and free software
| Option | What is free | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Docker on your own server | The n8n Community edition is free software. source | You pay for the server and do all updates. |
| Coolify | Self-hosted Coolify is "free forever". source | You still need your own server. |
| xCloud | Free plan if you bring your own server: 1 server, 10 sites. source | You pay for the server elsewhere. |
| Railway | Free plan at $0/month: a 30-day trial with $5 credits, then $1 per month. source | Up to 1 vCPU and 0.5 GB RAM per service, and 0.5 GB of volume storage. That is tight for n8n. |
| Render | Free instance at $0/month with 512 MB RAM. source | Render says "limitations apply". 512 MB is tight for n8n. |
Free trials
A trial lets you test a host before you pay. It is not a way to run n8n for free long term.
- n8n Cloud: Free trial, no credit card required. source
- Elestio: $20 in credits that last 3 days. source
- n8nautomation.cloud: 10-day free trial. source
- Sliplane: Free demo server, deleted after 48 hours unless you add a payment method. source
- InstaPods: $10 in credit when you add a payment method. source
- Selfhost.dev: $5 in free credits. source
- Sevalla: The pricing page says a free trial is available. source
What we suggest
- To learn n8n, start with a trial or run it on your own computer with Docker.
- For real workflows, plan on paying for a small server. See the cheapest n8n hosting.
- Free plans with 512 MB of RAM or less may stop or slow down with bigger workflows.
Free plans change often. If one of these is out of date, tell us.
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