Context
n8n is a fair-code workflow automation platform with over 400 integrations and native AI capabilities, serving more than 3,000 enterprise customers and 200,000 active users. The company recently raised $60M in Series B funding and operates with both community-led self-serve and Enterprise motions. n8n’s fair-code licensing model provides a balance between permissive open source and proprietary SaaS, empowering organizations of all sizes to build powerful automations while maintaining full control over their data.
Challenge
Before the collaboration, n8n’s pricing model limited both adoption and monetization scalability. A flat per-workflow fee created barriers to intra-company expansion, while the pricing metric lacked alignment with delivered value. Deal sizes struggled to reach true enterprise levels, and the absence of an SMB-focused offering forced sales teams to oversell the Enterprise tier. Additionally, usage and pricing did not scale proportionally across packages, and restrictions on active workflows hindered experimentation and adoption.
Solution
Northlane partnered with n8n to design a scalable, value-based pricing model that enabled growth across all customer segments. The new structure shifted the value metric to the number of workflow executions, creating a closer link between value and revenue. A new self-serve Business tier was introduced to bridge the SMB-to-Enterprise gap, complemented by consistent feature and volume tiering to improve transparency. Active workflow limits were removed on Cloud offerings, minimizing barriers to adoption and enabling customers to experiment freely with new use cases.
Results
- Enterprise Growth: Number of Enterprise deals above €50k increased 3x, from 3–5 per quarter to 17+
- Bookings: 100% increase quarter-over-quarter
- SMB Market Penetration: Launch of self-service SMB package grew SMB deals 25x
- Sales Performance: Win rates in MM & ENT segments increased from 30% to 50%; sales cycle reduced from 90 to 60 days; 100% of sales team confirmed improved ability to sell
- Customer Success: Account usage increased between cohorts, serving as a lagging indicator of NRR improvement
Key Success Factors
The success of the pricing transformation was driven by several critical factors:
- Customer-centric research ensured the model reflected true value perception and usage patterns
- Cross-functional collaboration secured alignment across sales, marketing, customer success, and product teams
- Data-driven financial modeling provided clear visibility into revenue impact scenarios before implementation
- Iterative implementation allowed for learning and adjustment during rollout
- Comprehensive sales enablement empowered teams to communicate the new value proposition effectively
Lessons Learned
The n8n pricing transformation reinforced key principles for SaaS pricing strategy:
- Value alignment is crucial — pricing metrics must correlate closely with customer value delivery
- Clear segmentation enables growth across multiple market tiers
- Removing adoption barriers drives organic expansion
- Sales team buy-in is essential for successful rollout and adoption
The n8n transformation demonstrates how a strategically designed pricing model can unlock significant growth across enterprise expansion, market penetration, and sales efficiency — all while enhancing customer experience and alignment with delivered value.
