n8n Self-Hosted Guide — Run Your Own Automation Platform on a VPS

n8n is one of the most powerful open-source workflow automation platforms, allowing you to build integrations, API orchestrations, background jobs, data pipelines, AI workflows, business automations and more — without paying per task like Zapier or Make.

Self-hosting n8n means:
✔ Full data control
✔ Unlimited execution
✔ Lower long-term cost
✔ Enterprise-grade extensibility

In this guide, you’ll learn how to deploy and run n8n self-hosted on a VPS, configure environment variables, enable SSL, and build your first workflow.

💡 Tip: If you don’t have a VPS yet, choose something stable with good network performance. Many developers like using LightNode VPS because it’s affordable, fast, and works great for automation workloads.

Requirements

• A VPS (Ubuntu 20.04+ recommended)
• SSH access
• Docker installed (recommended method)
• Domain (optional but recommended)
• Basic Linux knowledge

1. Connect to Your VPS

ssh root@your-server-ip

Update system:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

2. Install Docker & Docker Compose

apt install docker.io docker-compose -y
systemctl enable docker
systemctl start docker

Verify:

docker --version

3. Deploy n8n (Docker)

Create directory:

mkdir /opt/n8n
cd /opt/n8n

Create docker-compose.yml

version: "3"

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=yourpassword
      - N8N_HOST=your-domain.com
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=https
    volumes:
      - ./data:/home/node/.n8n

Run:

docker-compose up -d

Check status:

docker ps

Now access:

http://SERVER-IP:5678

4. Setup Reverse Proxy + SSL (NGINX + Let’s Encrypt)

Install nginx:

apt install nginx -y

Install certbot:

apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y

Create nginx config:

nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n

Paste:

server {
    server_name your-domain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:5678;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection upgrade;
    }
}

Enable:

ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
nginx -t
systemctl reload nginx

Add SSL:

certbot --nginx -d your-domain.com

Done 🚀
Now access:

https://your-domain.com

5. Persistent Storage

Your workflows must survive container restarts.
We already mounted:

./data:/home/node/.n8n

To backup:

tar -czvf n8n-backup.tar.gz /opt/n8n/data

6. Enable Authentication

Already configured via ENV:

N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=yourpassword

This protects your instance.

7. Create Your First Workflow

Open n8n → Click New Workflow

Example: Webhook → Send HTTP Request

1. Add Webhook Node
   Trigger URL will appear
   Choose POST

2. Add HTTP Request Node
   Set URL to API endpoint
   Example:

https://api.example.com/data

3. Connect nodes
4. Activate workflow

Now send a POST:

curl -X POST https://your-domain.com/webhook/test \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"status":"ok"}'

Workflow runs 🎉

8. System Maintenance

Restart n8n:

docker-compose restart

Update n8n:

docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d

Check logs:

docker logs -f container-id

9. Performance Recommendations

• Minimum 2GB RAM for smooth workflows

• Enable swap if low RAM

• Use dedicated CPU if possible

• Monitor Docker memory usage

• Avoid extremely large workflows in single instance

• For scale → load balancer + Redis + DB cluster

Common Issues & Fixes

Port 5678 refused

Open firewall:

ufw allow 5678

❌SSL fails

Ensure A-record correct
Domain propagated

❌ n8n crashes

Restart:

docker-compose restart

Check logs:

docker logs -f n8n

Why Self-Host n8n?

Compared to Zapier / Make / IFTTT:

• No per-task billing

• Private data processing

• Developer-level power

• Customizability

• Scalable on VPS infrastructure

If automation becomes long-term production infrastructure, self-hosted n8n on VPS is the best value model.

FAQ

Is self-hosting n8n better than cloud?

If you care about:

• cost

• privacy

• flexibility
  then yes.

How much VPS power do I need?

Minimum:

• 1 vCPU

• 2GB RAM

• SSD storage

More workflows → more resources.

Can I use MySQL/PostgreSQL instead of SQLite?

Yes. Production setups commonly use PostgreSQL.

Does n8n support AI workflows?

Yes. Supports OpenAI, Gemini, Claude, DeepSeek and custom API models.

Is Docker required?

No. You can install Node.js and run manually — but Docker is recommended.

Can multiple users use one n8n instance?

Yes, via credentials and environment isolation.

Recommended Note: If you plan to self-host n8n for long-term automation workloads, a stable and affordable VPS like LightNode VPS is a great option thanks to its reliable performance and global data center coverage.