n8n vs Zed — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
n8n starts at $25.92/mo. Zed starts at $10/mo. Zed is $15.920000000000002/mo cheaper on the entry tier than n8n.
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.
- 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.
- Zed (Per Seat) — Zed bills on a fixed plan from $10/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
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.
Open-source, high-performance code editor with AI features built in. Written in Rust with GPU-accelerated UI. Zed core is free and open source; Zed Pro adds premium AI models + higher usage limits at $20/user/mo. Business plan at $50/user/mo adds team features. Positioned as the fast-native alternative to Electron-based editors (Cursor, VS Code) for developers who care about performance.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | n8n monthly | n8n annual | Zed monthly | Zed annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | — / Personal | — | — | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Starter / Pro | $25.92 | $21.6 | $10 | $10 |
| Pro / power | Pro / — | $64.8 | $54 | — | — |
| Teams | Business | $864 | $720 | $30 | $30 |
| 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
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.
Zed is worth it if… developers who want a fast-native code editor that feels sub-16ms on every action, with AI features that don't slow it down. Free tier is a real editor (not a demo); Pro at $20/user/mo unlocks Claude Opus and other premium models.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — n8n is per usage, Zed is per seat.
Choose n8n over Zed if…
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.
Choose Zed if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $10/mo).
- You match the profile Zed is built for: developers who want a fast-native code editor that feels sub-16ms on every action, with AI features that don't slow it down.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| n8n | Zed | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Entry price | $25.92/mo | $10/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | No |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | Per Seat |
| Verification | Verified September 9, 2026 | Verified September 20, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 20, 2026. Tracked daily.