The Problem
Why teams leave n8n
Self-hosting requires ongoing DevOps maintenance
Enterprise features need custom pricing
Limited connectors compared to Zapier/Make
Documentation can be sparse for complex use cases
Cloud pricing limits executions
What We Build Instead
Your custom automation tool
Custom automation engine deployed on your infrastructure
All enterprise features included — SSO, audit, permissions
Custom connectors built for your specific integrations
Monitoring, alerting, and execution history dashboards
No execution limits — runs as much as you need
The Math
n8n vs. custom build
Based on 10 seats at $20/seat/month, with ~10% annual SaaS price increases.
Keep paying n8n
Build with 86 SaaS
3-year savings with 10 seats
-$24,705
-312% less than n8n
Pricing Breakdown
n8n tier pricing vs. one-time custom build
Compare what you pay per seat across n8n's tiers against a single investment in software you own forever.
| Tier | Monthly/Seat | Annual/Seat | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $20/mo | $17/mo | Unlimited workflows, Community support, 140+ integrations, 5 active workflows |
| Pro | $50/mo | $42/mo | Unlimited active workflows, Priority support, Global variables, Source control |
| Enterprise | $125/mo | $105/mo | SSO/SAML, Audit log streaming, Custom variables, Dedicated support |
| Custom Build by 86 SaaS | $15,000–$30,000 one-time | $0/seat | Unlimited users, full ownership, no recurring fees |
Migration Timeline
From n8n to ownership — week by week
A structured migration plan to move off n8n in 4-8 weeks with zero downtime.
Discovery & Audit
1 weekInventory existing automations and map trigger-action dependencies
Architecture & Design
1 weekDesign self-hosted automation architecture with queue management
Core Development
2-4 weeksBuild automation engine with workflow editor and connector library
Data Migration & Testing
1 weekMigrate workflows, test execution paths, validate error handling
Deployment & Training
1 weekDeploy on your infrastructure and train team on workflow management
Total build time
4-8 weeks
Feature Comparison
What you keep, what you skip, and why
A transparent comparison of n8n features vs. your custom-built alternative.
| Feature | n8n | Custom Build | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Workflow Editor | |||
| Custom Code Nodes | |||
| Webhook Triggers | |||
| Error Handling & Retry | |||
| Execution History | |||
| Self-hosted Deployment | |||
| SSO & Enterprise Auth | |||
| Community Nodes | Build purpose-specific connectors instead | ||
| Unlimited Executions | No execution quotas on your infrastructure | ||
| Data Sovereignty | Full control — runs entirely on your servers |
Your custom build focuses on the features your team actually uses — typically 15-20% of what n8n offers — built exactly for your workflow.
How It Works
From n8n to ownership in 4-8 weeks
Free Audit
We analyze your n8n usage and identify exactly which features your team actually uses.
Scope & Build
We build your custom automation tool with only the features you need. 4-8 weeks.
Deploy & Migrate
We deploy to your infrastructure, migrate your data from n8n, and train your team.
You Own It
Full source code, documentation, and optional maintenance retainer. No vendor lock-in. Ever.