Links checked 2026-10-14
Self-hosting n8n
The self-hosted route instead of Zapier.
Running one container is quick. Running it so that it stays up, keeps its execution history under control and does not take the site down with it is the actual work.
What it is
A visual workflow automation platform you can run yourself: a canvas of nodes, triggers, branching and code steps, with a broad catalogue of integrations and its own AI steps. The repository describes it as fair-code rather than open source, and the licence is the first thing to read before you plan around it.
What you actually need
This is the reader's own hardware and configuration, not a price. We describe what a job needs; we do not put a figure on what self-hosting costs, because that depends on the provider, the term and the disk you choose.
- The server
- A container or a Node runtime on a VPS. Workflows execute on that same machine, so a busy schedule and a busy website on one box is a decision to make deliberately.
- How it installs
- The published Docker image is the documented path; the project also covers npm installs and a one-line setup, and treats the deployment shape as a choice rather than a default.
- Data store
- The documentation puts choosing n8n's database in the configuration section, and documents a queue mode where one main instance receives triggers and separate worker instances run the executions. That is the shape a growing install moves to.
- What grows
- Execution history accumulates in the database. Long-running workflows with large payloads fill a disk quietly.
Before it is safe to expose
- An encryption key, backed up somewhere other than the server: stored credentials become unreadable without it
- Public URLs for webhooks, which means a DNS name and TLS
- A decision about who can reach the editor, because the editor can run code
The trade-offs, specifically for n8n
- n8n is fair-code, not OSI open source. Its Sustainable Use License permits use for your own internal business purposes or personal and non-commercial use, allows redistribution only free of charge and for non-commercial purposes, and requires a separate commercial agreement for anything outside that.
- Some capabilities live in the enterprise build and are not part of the free self-hosted install.
- Workflows run on the same machine you are paying for: a runaway loop or a heavy schedule competes with whatever else lives there.
- Webhook endpoints, credentials and worker topology are yours to secure. The project documents several deployment shapes precisely because one container is not right for every load.
And the six things you own from now on
These are true of every tool in this section, including n8n. They are also the reason to decide against self-hosting, which is a legitimate decision.
- You own the updates. Security releases have to be applied by you, on your schedule, and a project that stops publishing releases becomes your problem to notice.
- You own the backups, and a backup is not a backup until you have restored from it once.
- You own the uptime. There is no status page to watch and no support line to call when it stops answering.
- You own the security patches, the TLS certificate, the reverse proxy and the firewall in front of it.
- You are the on-call rota. The failure mode nobody plans for is being the only person who knows how the thing was set up.
- The hardware has a running cost and a lifetime. Disks fail, and the replacement is on you.
What you give up
- The hosted product's managed scaling and support
- The unrestricted right to resell or embed the software without signing something
What you gain
- Workflows keep running whether or not a subscription is renewed
- Credentials and payloads stay on your own infrastructure
Elsewhere in the index
The box it runs on
A container or a Node runtime on a VPS. Workflows execute on that same machine, so a busy schedule and a busy website on one box is a decision to make deliberately. That machine is the purchase this page is really about, and it is the one number we will not invent for you: the right size depends on the provider, the term and the disk, so check it on the provider's own page.
Hostinger
Hostinger's VPS product is the closest fit to a self-hosted application: its own page advertises root access, Docker and NVMe storage, with data centres in several regions.
See Hostinger's plansRead Hostinger's published pricing ↗DigitalOcean
Virtual machines billed as you use them, with separate volumes, snapshots and object storage for the parts you want to keep outside the server.
See DigitalOcean's plansRead DigitalOcean's published pricing ↗Hetzner
Cloud instances and dedicated servers with rates published per instance size, so the cost of a bigger box is visible before you move.
See Hetzner's plansRead Hetzner's published pricing ↗What to check before you buy
- A virtual machine you have root on, not a website plan with a control panel bolted on top.
- Snapshots or automated backups, and where those backups are stored.
- Block storage or object storage for the data that will outgrow the server's own disk.
- What the monthly rate renews at, rather than the first-term rate on the signup page.
- Where the data centre is, if the data has a jurisdiction attached to it.
The “See plans” links go through our own /go/ redirect and some are affiliate links, which pay us if you sign up. The descriptions and trade-offs on this page are written from the project's own documentation and are unaffected. The plain pricing link under each provider is not an affiliate link. See our disclosure.
Frequently asked questions about self-hosting n8n
Answers restate the notes on this page or point at the project's own documentation. Self-hosting moves work to you rather than removing it, and these answers say so.
What is n8n?
A visual workflow automation platform you can run yourself: a canvas of nodes, triggers, branching and code steps, with a broad catalogue of integrations and its own AI steps. We cover it as a replacement for Zapier.
What do you need to run n8n yourself?
The published Docker image is the documented path; the project also covers npm installs and a one-line setup, and treats the deployment shape as a choice rather than a default. The requirements table on this page lists the server, the data store, what grows and what else to arrange first. Setup steps are at n8n's self-hosting documentation.
How hard is n8n to run yourself?
We rate it Moderate. Running one container is quick. Running it so that it stays up, keeps its execution history under control and does not take the site down with it is the actual work.
What are the trade-offs of self-hosting n8n?
Our notes list these costs. n8n is fair-code, not OSI open source. Its Sustainable Use License permits use for your own internal business purposes or personal and non-commercial use, allows redistribution only free of charge and for non-commercial purposes, and requires a separate commercial agreement for anything outside that. Some capabilities live in the enterprise build and are not part of the free self-hosted install.
What do you give up by running n8n yourself?
You take on what Zapier used to do for you. The hosted product's managed scaling and support. The unrestricted right to resell or embed the software without signing something. Self-hosting moves that work to you rather than removing it.
What do you gain by running n8n yourself?
Our notes list these. Workflows keep running whether or not a subscription is renewed. Credentials and payloads stay on your own infrastructure.