TL;DR
- n8n:
- $20-80/mo (cloud) or free (self-hosted). Monthly cloud or free self-hosted.
- FairFlow:
- $0.005-0.02/run. No subscription. Full features from day one.
A n8n alternative that charges what it costs.
n8n charges $20-80/mo (cloud) or free (self-hosted). The infrastructure to run workflow automation — servers, APIs, storage, delivery — costs roughly $0.003/run. FairFlow charges $0.005-0.02/run. No subscription. No seat limits. No annual contract.
Why people leave n8n
Self-hosting requires DevOps knowledge
Cloud pricing includes workflow limits
Less app coverage than Zapier
FairFlow vs n8n
| FairFlow | n8n | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay per use | Monthly cloud or free self-hosted |
| Price | $0.005-0.02/run | $20-80/mo (cloud) or free (self-hosted) |
| Free tier | Free actions included | Self-hosted is free; cloud has workflow limits |
| Contract | None | Monthly available |
| Zero-usage month | $0 | Still charged |
| Feature gating | All features included | Some features gated |
| Infrastructure cost | $0.003/run | Not disclosed |
What it actually costs to run
The infrastructure cost for workflow automation — servers, APIs, storage, delivery — is roughly $0.003/run. n8n charges $20-80/mo (cloud) or free (self-hosted).
Fair charges $0.005-0.02/run — cost plus a small margin.
When to choose which
Choose n8n if
Developer teams wanting open-source workflow automation
Choose FairFlow if
You want workflow automation without a subscription. FairFlow charges $0.005-0.02/run. Use a lot? Pay a little more. Use nothing? Pay nothing. All features included from the first use.
Where n8n gets expensive
- Self-hosting is work
- Smaller app ecosystem than Zapier/Make
Switch from n8n. Keep the features. Lose the subscription.
FairFlow — $0.005-0.02/run. No subscription. No seat pricing. No annual contract. Your first actions are free.
Related comparisons
Fair is the anti-subscription. 13 tools, one account, pay for what you use.