Pricing and quotation guide
Automation platform migration cost
Migrating between automation platforms costs the rebuild of every automation you keep, plus testing, cut-over and a period of paying for both platforms. The total depends on how many automations there are, how many can be retired or merged, how complex each is, how carefully parallel testing is done and how many webhooks and connections must be changed. Against this sit the expected savings or benefits: lower usage costs at your volumes, better handling of complex logic or more control over hosting. Estimating both honestly is the core of the decision.
This guide covers cost drivers, typical scopes, pricing approaches, overlap costs and payback. It gives no prices, because they depend on your automations and the platforms' current plans; LetGetGrow sets out the cost for your project in a custom quotation.
Illustrative diagram
What drives migration cost
- Number of automations
- Each kept automation is rebuilt and tested.
- Retirements
- Retiring unused automations reduces work.
- Complexity
- Branching and custom logic take longer to rebuild.
- Parallel testing
- Safe comparison adds time but prevents duplicates.
- Cut-over tasks
- Webhook and connection changes need coordination.
Costs paid to third parties (separate from our fees)
- Both platforms' subscriptions during overlap
- Hosting if moving to self-hosted n8n
- Connected apps' plans
Ask for the expected overlap period between old and new platforms to be stated in the quote.
Migrations compared
| Migration | Typical scope | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Small | A handful of simple automations | Lower |
| Moderate | Dozens, some complex, several webhooks | Moderate |
| Large | Many teams, complex logic, self-hosting setup | Higher |
How migrations are priced
Assessment first
Suits you when
- Unsure whether to move
Watch out for
- Inventory and estimates you keep
Per automation
Suits you when
- Scope clear
Watch out for
- Complex ones priced separately
Phased
Suits you when
- Many automations
Watch out for
- Overlap period per phase
Estimating payback
Compare current monthly usage costs with estimated costs on the new platform, using each platform's counting rules and your real volumes. Add hosting and management time if self-hosting. Divide the migration cost by the monthly saving to see how long payback takes. If the main benefit is capability rather than cost, weigh that separately.
Retire before you rebuild
Inventories often find automations nobody uses or several doing the same job. Retiring and merging them before rebuilding is the cheapest saving in any migration.
Example: deciding not to migrate
Illustrative example — not a client case study
Situation: A consultancy considers moving from Zapier to n8n to save on task costs.
- An assessment estimates migration cost and self-hosting effort.
- It also shows that optimising existing Zaps would cut task use substantially.
- The consultancy optimises instead and revisits migration if volumes grow.
What this shows: The assessment avoided an unnecessary migration. This example is illustrative.
Overlap costs
During migration you pay for both platforms. Phasing helps: move groups of automations and reduce the old plan as usage falls, where the platform allows.
Comparing quotes
Check the inventory, retirement decisions, rebuild scope, usage estimates, parallel testing approach, webhook changes, cut-over plan, overlap period and support after migration.
Keeping the cost down
Retire and merge first, migrate in phases, start with the automations driving most usage cost and train your team to rebuild simple ones. Keep the overlap period short by planning cut-over dates in advance.
Moving to self-hosting
Moving to self-hosted n8n removes platform plan fees but adds server costs and management time; n8n's documentation says self-hosting needs technical expertise. Include this in payback.
Proof of concept
Rebuilding one representative automation first, and measuring its usage on the new platform, costs a little but tests the payback estimate with real numbers before the full migration is paid for.
Complex automations
Automations with many branches, loops, code steps or integrations take longest to rebuild and test. Ask for them to be priced individually rather than at an average rate, since they often account for most of the cost.
Parallel testing
Running new automations in a safe test mode and comparing results with the old ones takes time, but it is how duplicates and missed actions are avoided during cut-over.
Webhook and connection changes
Every app sending webhooks to the old platform needs its URL changed, and every connection must be recreated on the new one. Each change is quick, but coordinating many across teams and apps takes time and should be planned.
Training
Training your team on the new platform adds a little to the cost and avoids dependence on the provider for routine monitoring and changes.
Judging the value
Count lower usage costs, capabilities gained, such as handling complex logic or hosting control, and time saved by consolidating tools. Weigh them against the one-off migration cost, the overlap period and any added maintenance, over at least a year.
Questions about automation platform migration cost
What affects migration cost?
Number and complexity of automations, testing and cut-over.
How do we estimate payback?
Current versus new usage costs from real volumes, against migration cost.
Do we pay for both platforms?
During the overlap; phasing reduces it.
What is the cheapest saving?
Retiring unused automations before rebuilding.
Will moving to self-hosted n8n pay off?
It avoids plan fees but adds server and management costs.
Should we optimise instead?
Compare both; optimisation may be enough.
Sources referenced
Platform features, guidance and rules change. We check the current versions before committing to an approach. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- n8n: Choose how to use n8n (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-10-30
Request a Custom Quote
Ask about Automation platform migration cost
Thank you — your enquiry has been sent.
We have received your message and will reply by email. If you need to add anything, email info@letgetgrow.com.