n8n uses a fair-code license model, which combines elements of open-source principles with commercial protection. Here's a detailed breakdown of the licensing considerations for n8n:
🧾 n8n Licensing Overview
1. Core License: Sustainable Use License (SUL)
n8n is distributed under the Sustainable Use License (SUL), a type of source-available license.
You are allowed to:
Use, modify, and self-host n8n for free.
Access and change the source code (available on GitHub).
But there are important limitations:
You cannot offer n8n as a hosted service (e.g., “n8n-as-a-service”) unless you have a commercial license.
Commercial reselling or embedding in your SaaS platform without a license is not allowed.
2. n8n Cloud
If you want a fully managed service, you can subscribe to n8n Cloud, their official commercial offering.
This is a hosted version managed by the n8n team, with:
SLA guarantees
Managed scaling
Commercial support
3. Enterprise License
- For companies needing:
- Custom SLAs
- On-premise support
- Multi-user role-based access control
- Priority bug fixes
- Pricing is custom and negotiated directly with the n8n team.
4. Node & Package Licensing (via MCP)
- Community or third-party packages added via Modular Community Packages (MCP) may have separate licenses.
- Always review individual package licenses before deploying them in production.
🚫 What You Can't Do Under SUL
| Action | Allowed? | Notes |
| ------------------------------ | -------- | --------------------------- |
| Modify and run locally | ✅ | Fully permitted |
| Use in internal business tools | ✅ | No license needed |
| Offer n8n as a public service | ❌ | Requires commercial license |
| Fork and create a SaaS version | ❌ | Violates SUL terms |
| Contribute to the core | ✅ | Welcome via GitHub |
🔍 Why Not Open Source (Like MIT/Apache)?
n8n chose SUL to:
- Allow free and fair use for individuals and businesses.
- Prevent big cloud providers from monetizing n8n without giving back.
- Ensure long-term sustainability of the project.
This is similar to other “fair-code” or source-available models like:
- Elasticsearch (Elastic License)
- MongoDB (SSPL)
✅ Best Practices for Compliance
- Self-host? ✅ You're fine.
- Embed in internal tools? ✅ Go ahead.
- Selling n8n-based workflow builder? 🔒 You’ll need a license.
- Always keep track of MCP packages and their individual terms.
📎 References
Would you like a compliance checklist or a comparison table with OSS licenses (e.g., MIT vs SUL vs SSPL)?