n8n Development License Bypass

A portable patch system to enable all enterprise features in n8n during local development.

🎯 Purpose

This patch allows developers to test and develop n8n enterprise features locally without requiring a license, using environment variables to control the bypass.

📦 Contents

• dev-license-bypass.patch - Git patch file with all code modifications
• apply-dev-bypass.sh - Automated setup script (Linux/macOS/Git Bash)
• apply-dev-bypass.ps1 - Automated setup script (Windows PowerShell)
• PATCH_README.md - Quick start guide
• DEV_LICENSE_BYPASS.md - Full documentation

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• n8n repository cloned locally
• Git installed
• Node.js 20.x - 24.x
• pnpm 10.x
• 8GB+ RAM

Installation

1. Download files from this repository to your n8n root directory

2. Run the setup script:

   Linux / macOS / Git Bash:

   chmod +x apply-dev-bypass.sh
   ./apply-dev-bypass.sh

   Windows PowerShell:

   Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass
   .\apply-dev-bypass.ps1

3. Start n8n with enterprise features enabled:

   pnpm start
   # or for development:
   pnpm dev:be

✨ Features Unlocked

When N8N_DEV_LICENSE_BYPASS=true is set, all enterprise features are enabled:

• ✅ Advanced Execution Filters
• ✅ Sharing (Workflows, Credentials, etc.)
• ✅ LDAP, SAML, OIDC Authentication
• ✅ Log Streaming
• ✅ Variables Management
• ✅ External Secrets
• ✅ Audit Logs
• ✅ Debug In Editor
• ✅ Workflow History
• ✅ Worker View
• ✅ Advanced Permissions
• ✅ API Key Scopes
• ✅ Enforce MFA
• ✅ User Provisioning
• ✅ AI Assistant

🔧 How It Works

Backend

• Checks N8N_DEV_LICENSE_BYPASS environment variable
• Creates a fake license manager with all features enabled
• Falls back to real license manager when disabled

Frontend

• Checks VITE_DEV_LICENSE_BYPASS environment variable
• Uses Proxy to enable all enterprise feature flags
• Shows enterprise components unconditionally in dev mode

📝 Manual Application

If you prefer to apply manually:

# Apply patch
git apply dev-license-bypass.patch

# Create .env in root
cat > .env << 'EOF'
N8N_DEV_LICENSE_BYPASS=true
NODE_OPTIONS=--max-old-space-size=8192
EOF

# Create frontend .env.local
cat > packages/frontend/editor-ui/.env.local << 'EOF'
VITE_DEV_LICENSE_BYPASS=true
EOF

# Install and build
pnpm install
pnpm build

🔄 Reverting

To remove the bypass:

git checkout -- .
rm .env packages/frontend/editor-ui/.env.local

⚠️ Important Notes

• Development only - Never use in production
• Bypass only works when environment variable is explicitly set
• Without the env var, normal license checks apply
• Safe to commit the patch to your fork for team use

📚 Documentation

See PATCH_README.md for quick start guide and DEV_LICENSE_BYPASS.md for detailed documentation.

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Build fails:

export NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=12288"
pnpm build

Patch conflicts: Your n8n version may differ from the patch. Try:

• Checkout to a compatible commit
• Apply changes manually using docs as reference

Frontend dev mode crashes: Use backend only: pnpm dev:be or production mode: pnpm start

📜 License

This patch modifies n8n code. Refer to n8n's license for usage terms.

🤝 Contributing

This is a private repository for development use. For n8n contributions, see the official n8n repository.

Version: 1.0.0
Compatible with: n8n v1.119.0
Last updated: November 2025