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Self-host n8n

updated Jul 2026prices checked · Jul 2026Install verified on Ubuntu 26.04 · Sep 2026 · how we test
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A fair-code workflow automation tool — connect APIs and build automations visually, self-hosted so your data and credentials never leave your server.

Key facts

CategoryWorkflow automation
LicenseSustainable Use License
StackTypeScript, Node.js
Min RAM1024 MB
Official imageyes
Measured idle RAM396 MB
Difficulty
Sourcegithub.com/n8n-io/n8n (opens in new tab)
Websiten8n.io (opens in new tab)
Our recommendation

Pick n8n when you want a visual workflow builder with a Code node and hundreds of integrations, and you have read the licence: it is fair-code under the Sustainable Use License — free for internal business, personal and non-commercial use, but you may not host it and charge people for access or white-label it, and files with `.ee.` in the name need an Enterprise licence. One container (`n8nio/n8n`, TypeScript on Node.js) with SQLite in `/home/node/.n8n` is a complete install; PostgreSQL is an environment-variable switch. Upstream publishes no RAM figure, ships a new minor most weeks, and says self-hosting is for expert users. If the licence terms are a blocker, Huginn is the other workflow-automation entry in the catalog.

Follow the n8n deploy guide →

What you need

  • Any VPS with at least 1024 MB of RAM
  • A domain you control — most self-hosted setups need HTTPS in front of them
  • About an afternoon — budget time for troubleshooting
Where to host itaffiliate disclosure
Hetzner Cloudrun it on
From $23.59/mo · 2 vCPU / 4 GB / 80 GB · EU + US
Get Hetzner Cloud (opens in new tab)
Kamaterafree trial
From $4/mo · 1 vCPU / 1 GB / 20 GB · US + EU + Asia
Start free on Kamatera → (opens in new tab)
DigitalOceanalso works on
From $6/mo · 1 vCPU / 1 GB / 25 GB · US + EU + Asia
Deploy on DigitalOcean → (opens in new tab)

Paid link — we earn a commission if you shop through it.

Install

Run these commands on your server:

# n8n — single container (set a real encryption key in production)
docker run -d --name n8n \
  -p 5678:5678 -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n \
  docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n
# open http://SERVER_IP:5678
deploy guideHow to Deploy n8n on a VPSdeploy guideBuilding AI Workflows with n8nvps picksBest VPS for n8nbenchmarked quarterly · re-priced monthly

What you take on

n8n's hosting docs are frank that self-hosting is expert territory; these are the parts that bite:

non-negotiableSet N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY yourself and keep it: otherwise n8n generates a random key on first launch, stores it in ~/.n8n, and uses it to encrypt every credential in the database. Lose the volume without the key and the credentials are gone; in queue mode every worker needs the same key. Our snippet's n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n volume is what holds it — upstream says keep that mount even when you move to PostgreSQL.
non-negotiableBehind a reverse proxy set N8N_WEBHOOK_URL (it replaces WEBHOOK_URL, deprecated from 2.35.0) and N8N_PROXY_HOPS=1, and pass X-Forwarded-For, X-Forwarded-Host and X-Forwarded-Proto; otherwise webhook URLs are built from N8N_PROTOCOL, N8N_HOST and N8N_PORT and point at port 5678. N8N_SECURE_COOKIE defaults to true, meaning session cookies are only sent over HTTPS — put TLS in front rather than turning it off.
non-negotiableTask runners are the only isolation between Code-node scripts and n8n's database, encryption key and credentials. They are on by default since 2.0 (N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED is deprecated), but the default internal mode runs as the same user as n8n and is deprecated from 3.0; production means N8N_RUNNERS_MODE=external with the separate n8nio/runners sidecar at the same version. 2.0 also blocked environment-variable access from the Code node, disabled the ExecuteCommand and LocalFileTrigger nodes, and dropped MySQL/MariaDB as a backend.
non-negotiableA new minor ships most weeks (stable 2.39.8 as of September 2026); upstream says update at least monthly and read the release notes, and the 2.0 breaking-changes page says to pin your n8n version rather than pull latest. 3.0, scheduled for October 2026, will drop npm installs entirely (Docker only), rename ~/.n8n/binaryData to ~/.n8n/storage, cut the Code-node task timeout default from 300 s to 60 s, and turn unverified community packages off. Supported PostgreSQL is the two newest majors plus one (16–18 as of July 2026); Aurora is experimental.
non-negotiableThe 1 GB floor is our estimate; n8n publishes no RAM requirement. Its memory page says usage scales with JSON and binary size, node count and manual executions (which copy data for the UI), that the fix is more memory or smaller batches and sub-workflows, and that JavaScript heap out of memory calls for --max-old-space-size via NODE_OPTIONS.

An alternative to

Zapier →

Head-to-head

Workflow automationSep 2026
n8n
vs
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The two Zapier-shaped visual builders in this hub — an MIT core that is still pre-1.0 vs. the mature, source-available incumbent.

Read the verdict →
Workflow automationSep 2026
n8n
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Node-RED

Two browser flow editors on Node.js that do different jobs — event and device plumbing under Apache-2.0 vs. SaaS-to-SaaS automation under a source-available license.

Read the verdict →
Workflow automationSep 2026
n8n
vs
Windmill

A code-first developer platform with an AGPL core and a seat cap vs. a no-code integration tool with no seat cap and a source-available license.

Read the verdict →

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