Dash0 vs n8n — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
n8n starts at $25.92/mo. Dash0 uses custom pricing — request a quote to compare.
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Dash0 (Per Usage) — Dash0 bills purely on usage — $0.20/M metrics + $0.60/M spans/logs/events (no monthly base). There is no fixed per-seat fee, so the monthly cost depends entirely on how much you consume.
- n8n (Per Usage) — n8n bills on usage — Workflow executions/month on top of a paid plan starting at $25.92/mo. The plan includes an allowance; anything beyond it is metered.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
Dash0 is a consumption-based OpenTelemetry-native observability platform with zero monthly base fee — pay only for data ingested. Rates: $0.20 per million metric data points (13-month retention), $0.60 per million spans/log records/web events (30-day retention), $0.20 per thousand synthetic API check runs (13-month retention), $0.60 per Agent0 AI credit, $10/user for AI Coding Insights. 14-day unlimited free trial, no credit card. Recently acquired Polar Signals.
Open-source workflow automation positioned as the alternative to Zapier and Make for developers who want self-hosting + code-level control. Distinctive for fair-code license (free for internal use, paid for embedded resale) and its JavaScript node execution. Valued $2.3B private (2025 raise). Free when self-hosted; Cloud plans $20-$50/mo (annual). Popular with technical teams whose Zapier bill grew painful and who want to run automations on their own infrastructure.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Dash0 monthly | Dash0 annual | n8n monthly | n8n annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Pay-as-you-go / — | Free | Free | — | — |
| Entry paid | — / Starter | — | — | $25.92 | $21.6 |
| Pro / power | — / Pro | — | — | $64.8 | $54 |
| Teams | — / Business | — | — | $864 | $720 |
| Enterprise | — / Enterprise | — | — | Custom | Custom |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Dash0 is worth it if… Dash0 is ideal for teams tired of predicting observability spend against per-host commits. Best if telemetry volume is bursty and you want granular per-signal cost visibility instead of tier-based billing.
n8n is worth it if… developers and ops-savvy teams that want visual workflow automation with the option to self-host and write custom JavaScript nodes — particularly if you value data sovereignty or need automations that Zapier/Make can't handle. Starter covers small teams; Pro adds more execution; Business adds RBAC and versioning; self-hosted free forever.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Dash0 over n8n if…
Choose Dash0 if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, a free entry tier).
- You match the profile Dash0 is built for: ideal for teams tired of predicting observability spend against per-host commits.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose n8n if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, from $25.92/mo).
- You match the profile n8n is built for: developers and ops-savvy teams that want visual workflow automation with the option to self-host and write custom JavaScript nodes — particularly if you value data sovereignty or need automations that Zapier/Make can't handle.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Dash0 | n8n | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Entry price | Pricing not published | $25.92/mo |
| Enterprise available | No | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | Per Usage |
| Verification | Pricing under review | Checked September 28, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 28, 2026. Verification cadence varies by tool; check each tool page.