Last updated September 2026
n8n Automation Consulting for Technical SaaS Teams
n8n is the automation platform for teams that have some engineering capacity and care about long-term cost control. We design and build the workflows -- you keep full control of the infrastructure.
n8n is an open-source workflow automation platform that can run in the cloud or fully self-hosted on your own infrastructure. Unlike most automation tools, n8n bills by workflow execution, not by individual step -- and self-hosted n8n has no per-execution cost at all.
Is n8n the Right Fit?
We'd rather tell you honestly than sell you the tool that's easiest for us to pitch.
Good fit if
- You have some technical capacity on your team, even if it's not a full engineering org
- Your workflows run at real volume -- thousands of executions a month, not a handful
- Data residency or compliance means your automation data can't leave your own infrastructure
- You want to connect a tool with no official integration, using its API directly
Consider something else if
- You want zero ongoing technical dependency at all -- not even an optional maintenance arrangement with us
- Your workflows are simple and low-volume -- the cost savings won't matter yet
- You need to connect a long list of niche SaaS tools with zero setup effort
The pricing model most people miss
Most automation platforms charge per task -- meaning a single 10-step workflow that runs 1,000 times a month can rack up 10,000 billed actions. n8n charges per execution instead: that same workflow, however many steps it has, counts as one unit. Self-hosted n8n removes this cost entirely. For a company running high-volume workflows -- lead routing, data enrichment, multi-step follow-ups -- this difference alone can cut automation costs by 80-90% compared to task-based pricing.
What We Build With n8n
Lead capture & CRM auto-logging
A form submission triggers enrichment, CRM record creation, and a Slack notification -- the exact workflow from our own How We Work page, built in n8n.
Multi-step lead scoring & routing
Complex branching logic -- score a lead, check multiple conditions, route to the right team -- without paying per branch.
Self-hosted client data pipelines
For companies with real compliance requirements, workflows that touch customer data can run entirely inside your own infrastructure.
AI-powered enrichment & summarization
n8n's native AI nodes let a workflow call an LLM mid-process -- summarizing a call, drafting a follow-up, or classifying a support ticket automatically.
Versus Make and Zapier: n8n asks more of your team upfront -- it's genuinely more technical to set up and maintain, though we offer ongoing maintenance if you'd rather not build that capacity in-house. What you get back is control: no per-task billing, no data leaving your infrastructure if you self-host, and no ceiling on workflow complexity. If that tradeoff doesn't fit your team, our
Make or
Zapier pages cover the other two -- or see our full
side-by-side comparison of all three.
Every n8n implementation starts with the same process we use for everything — audit first, then build what the audit actually finds, not the other way around.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need our own developer to use n8n?
Not necessarily. Ongoing changes are easier with some technical capacity in-house, but if you don't have that, we offer ongoing maintenance as an arrangement instead of leaving you stuck -- we scope this honestly during the audit, before recommending n8n over a simpler tool.
Is self-hosted n8n really free?
The software is free and open-source with unlimited executions. You pay for the server it runs on -- typically a small monthly hosting cost, far below what task-based platforms charge at volume.
Can n8n replace Zapier entirely?
For technical teams running real volume, often yes. For simple, low-volume automations or connecting very niche apps with zero setup effort, Zapier's larger integration catalog can still be the faster path.
How long does an n8n implementation typically take?
A handful of straightforward workflows can be live within a week or two. More complex builds -- multi-step lead routing, self-hosted data pipelines with real compliance requirements -- typically take three to six weeks, scoped precisely during the audit before any work starts.
Do you handle ongoing maintenance after the workflows are built?
Yes, available as an ongoing arrangement if you want it -- but we also hand off documentation and walk your team through each workflow, so you're never dependent on us for basic changes if you'd rather keep it in-house.
Roughly how much does self-hosting n8n actually cost?
Most small-to-mid volume setups run comfortably on a $5-$20/month VPS. Higher-volume or production workloads with redundancy needs cost more, but even then it's typically a fraction of what task-based billing would charge at the same volume.
