n8n
Direct answer
n8n is the workflow tool you can host yourself with no licence fee, or run on n8n Cloud. Cloud Starter was listed at €20 a month billed annually. The Monday digest uses it. Beginners who only need a form-to-sheet zap should look at Zapier first. Hosting n8n is a server, updates, and backups.
A Monday admin email you may later want to run on your own server, if you are comfortable in a workflow canvas.
Watch out. Self-hosting is a second job: updates, backups, and credentials. Cloud Starter was listed at €20 a month billed annually.
n8n prices by execution: a workflow that finishes counts, however many steps it has. The Cloud Starter plan was listed at €20 a month when billed annually. Execution allowances sit on the pricing page and change, so read them before you depend on the number.
The Community Edition is free to self-host. You still pay for a server and for the time to keep it patched. Do not start there if you have never run a server.
Playbooks using n8n
- Weekly admin digestn8n2–3 hours the first timeabout £0 licence if self-hosted, or about £17 for Cloud Starter/mo
A Monday admin digest with n8n
Use n8n to email you one Monday morning note: unread mail that needs a reply, the week's calendar, and invoices you have marked overdue. It is a reminder, not a manager. Start on n8n Cloud if you do not want to host a server. Not live-tested yet.
Comparisons
Questions
Is self-hosting free?
The Community Edition has no licence fee. The server, the domain, the backups, and your time are not free. Cloud is the path if you will not do that work.
Is it a good first automation?
Only if you are comfortable on a canvas. The beginner comparison says to take Zapier when the job is two steps and you want to be guided.
What does the digest cost?
The playbook converts the Cloud Starter euro price with the site's planning rate and tells you to re-read the pricing page. Self-hosting is the £0 licence alternative.