n8n 3.0 makes Docker the only way to self-host: should small businesses move to Cloud?

n8n 3.0, in beta since 27 October 2026, makes Docker the only supported way to self-host n8n, and installing with npm or npx is no longer possible. The stable release is planned for early December. For a small business, that makes the "free" self-hosted edition more work than before, so the choice between self-hosting and n8n Cloud, which starts at €20 a month, deserves a fresh look.

What changed for self-hosting

According to n8n's announcement, self-hosted n8n now runs on Docker, because the new security features depend on a container setup. Installing with npm or npx is no longer supported, and n8n offers a one-line setup script as an alternative. Kubernetes and Helm deployments are not affected.

Other points that matter when you plan:

• No rollback. Moving to 3.x is one way, so take a full backup first and test on a staging copy.
• Support dates. After the stable release, 2.x gets security and critical fixes for 12 months, and new features ship only on 3.x. Support for 1.x ends on 31 December 2026, and 1.x users must move to 2.x first.
• Migration Report. n8n 2.39 and later has a Migration Report under Settings that lists the workflows and settings 3.0 affects.

Our n8n 3.0 summary covers the removed nodes and breaking changes in detail.

What n8n charges for the alternatives

From n8n's pricing page, on annual billing:

• Cloud Starter: €20 a month for 2,500 workflow executions, with unlimited active workflows.
• Cloud Pro: €50 a month for 10,000 executions.
• Business: €667 a month, self-hosted only, with 40,000 executions, SSO, queue mode and Git version control. There is a waitlist for a hosted version.
• Community Edition: the standard self-hosted version, available on GitHub. The pricing page lists no price for it.
• Enterprise: priced on request.

An execution is one run of a whole workflow, however many steps it has, so a 20-step workflow costs the same as a 2-step one.

What it means for businesses

The decision comes down to who looks after the server.

• Choose Cloud if nobody on your team maintains servers. You get updates, uptime and backups handled for you, and the cost is predictable. Check that your monthly executions fit the plan.
• Self-host if data must stay on your own server, or volumes are high enough that per-execution pricing hurts. Budget for Docker, backups, monitoring and a one-way upgrade, not just the licence.
• If you are on 1.x, act first. The 31 December 2026 support deadline matters more than the 3.0 choice.
• Do not upgrade production during the beta. Wait for the stable release and test on a copy.

For a broader comparison with Make and Zapier, read our Zapier vs Make vs n8n guide. If you would rather have someone set up and maintain n8n for you, our business process automation team does that, and our n8n agency guide explains how we work. Or ask us directly.