January 5, 2026
Login Wars: SSO Tax Revolt
n8n-Oidc
DIY single sign-on hack dodges $400 fee; cheers and warnings
TLDR: n8n-oidc lets self-hosted n8n users add single sign-on without the $400-per-month enterprise plan. The community is split between cheering the money-saving workaround and warning about AI-written copy and legal blowback from n8n’s brand, while memes about “unlocking the brakes” keep the thread lively.
Big mood: a self-hosted crowd just found a way around the dreaded SSO Tax. Developer Cameron Eagans dropped n8n-oidc, a tiny add-on that lets people sign in to their own n8n servers using OpenID Connect (think “log in with your existing account”), without paying the $400/month enterprise gate. The author popped in with “AMA,” and early comments were pure hype—neoecos vowed to try it immediately.
Then the drama: user nubg loved the tool but roasted the write-up for “robotic polish,” asking for AI disclosure. Cue a style vs substance fight: is saving cash the hero, or should devs be honest about using AI? Meanwhile, aeon_ai threw lawyer shade, warning the n8n company could push back on the project name and add “friction.” Translation: expect trademark emails.
There were laughs too. smitty1e clarified that n8n is pronounced “en-eight-en,” which instantly became a mini-meme, and folks riffed on the SSO Tax “unlock the brakes” analogy. Tech details stayed light: it’s a drop-in script that adds a big Sign in with SSO button, sends you to your identity provider, and brings you back logged in. For regular users, it’s simple: less paywall, more login. Popcorn ready: this login hack hits prime time today.
Key Points
- •n8n-oidc enables OpenID Connect SSO for self-hosted n8n without requiring an enterprise license.
- •The article cites n8n’s SSO feature as requiring a Startup license at $400 per month (billed annually).
- •n8n-oidc uses n8n’s external hooks to add OIDC at runtime, avoiding patches, forks, or license violations.
- •Implementation includes hooks.js with routes (/auth/oidc/login and /auth/oidc/callback) and a frontend SSO button, configured via environment variables.
- •The project is MIT-licensed and available on GitHub, intended for users who do not need enterprise support or regulated-scale operations.