Why We Self-Host n8n Instead of Paying $600/mo for Zapier

Self-hosting n8n on a $20/mo VPS delivers the same capability as Zapier at $600+/mo. Here is why agencies make the switch.

The cost math

Zapier charges per task. At 50,000 tasks per month on their Business plan, you pay $599/mo. On n8n, you pay for server time: typically $20-40/mo for a DigitalOcean or Hetzner VPS that handles 500,000+ executions.

What you keep

• All your workflow IP - clients cannot see or replicate your logic
• Flat billing - no surprise invoices when a campaign fires extra emails
• Full n8n feature set - custom code nodes, HTTP requests, AI agent nodes

The tradeoff

You maintain the VPS. With modern Docker setups and automatic backups, this takes about 30 minutes a month.

For agencies billing $500-2,000/mo per client, the math is simple.