Reducing the need for manual labour, especially for repeated tasks, has been around for a while. This spawned workflow automation tools, among which n8n is likely the most flexible. However, to take full advantage of it, you need n8n hosting, and there, we find two routes: in-house or self-hosting n8n.
In-house n8n hosting is pricey for many and limits the number of active workflows. Self-hosting n8n is a better option with more flexibility and control. Today’s article will explore the latter and explain how to self-host n8n. We’ll also provide additional tips and n8n hosting services to help you start quickly.
How to Self-Host n8n: Three Essential Steps
Let’s immediately cut to the chase. Contrary to what many people believe, self-hosting n8n is usuallyn’t very complicated. However, it’s slightly less convenient than n8n’s cloud servers. Luckily, you can make the setup far simpler by opting for the right VPS hosting provider.
Step 1: Pick the Right VPS Host (Our Recommendation: Hostinger)
The first and most crucial step is picking the right VPS provider.
We recommend VPS hosting because it’s much faster and more reliable than shared hosting, where n8n rarely works well. The best option in 2025 is Hostinger. It’s among the few services with a one-click n8n setup, removing the need for a confusing manual installation.
Hostinger offers four VPS hosting plans, but one stands out as the best: KVM 2 at $6.99.
This plan offers 8 GB of RAM, two CPU cores, and 100 GB of NVMe storage. With 8 TB bandwidth and multiple worldwide data centres, you can self-host n8n with the best performance, uptime, and speed, regardless of location. Click above to get started.
Pick the desired Hostinger VPS deal and press ‘Choose Plan‘.
Now, it’s time to customise your cart. We recommend choosing the 24-month length, although you can opt for annual or monthly plans at higher prices. Don’t forget to select the server location and pick the server with the lowest latency. For us, it was the German server.
Now comes the essential self-hosting n8n part: installing n8n!
Scroll down and locate the ‘Select Operating System‘ part. Under the ‘Application‘ menu, you’ll find n8n. Click on it and select ‘Confirm‘ from the pop-up window. Finally, click on ‘Continue‘ and register a new account. You can use your email or do this via Google.
Before clicking ‘Continue‘, you can also add this Hostinger coupon code for an added 10% off.
Once registered, you’ll have to add a new root password. The password is mandatory to log in to your VPS, so make one and press ‘Continue‘. After that, Hostinger will take about ten minutes to create your VPS and transfer you to the dashboard.
Step 2: Get a Domain Name
While you can immediately access your n8n application, you should first get a domain name. Hostinger will ask you to get one. In a recent guide, we explained how to get a free domain name from Hostinger and warned you that only web hosting (managed WordPress hosting) plans are subject to it.
You have to get one if you self-host n8n on a VPS.
Click ‘Get a Domain’, and Hostinger will let you choose the domain extension and determine a custom domain name. The first year of your domain is discounted, so the price for the .com extension is typically about $4.99 for an entire year, rendering the investment minor.
If the domain name is available, purchase it, and you’re ready to activate n8n.
Step 3: Activate n8n
You’re a step away from learning how to self-host n8n. We’d venture to say you’re 98% there.
However, you need to activate n8n before adding your first automation and working your magic. n8n provides a free license, which unlocks all premium features forever. To get it:
- Go to the Hostinger dashboard.
- Press ‘Overview‘.
- Select ‘Manage App‘ next to n8n.
- It’ll open in a new window, where you must register for an account.
© Hostinger.com - Once this is done, click ‘Get Started‘.
- Provide an email address and click ‘Send me a free license key‘.
- Go to your email and find the n8n license key.
- Return to n8n, visit Settings, and click ‘Usage and Plan‘.
- Select ‘Enter Activation Key‘ and paste the key from your email.
- Click ‘Activate‘ and you’re set.
n8n should work correctly, allowing you to set up automation workflows and enjoy its premium features. We tested it on Hostinger’s KVM 2 plan, compiled a few relatively complex workflows, and everything worked smoothly. This is why it’s often our recommended hosting option for many purposes.
Self-Hosting vs Managed n8n Hosting Differences
n8n offers the flexibility of managed and self-managed hosting.
We explored n8n self-hosting, and you’ve learned it’s not as complicated as many would think. However, this also depends on the hosting provider and its n8n setup. Hostinger’s n8n template is helpful because of a one-click installation. Not all providers offer this feature.
This begs the question of whether a third-party hosting service is worth considering.
We’d say yes, mainly because of the financial aspect. n8n’s cloud servers start at about $24 monthly for the Starter plan, and the Pro plan is over $55. Both plans restrict workflow executions and active workflows. However, when you know how to self-host n8n, you can remove them.
Hosting n8n on Hostinger removes these limits, and you can perform as many executions or have as many active workflows as you want. Additionally, self-hosting opens up more flexibility and customisation options, giving you greater control over this application.
Conversely, you don’t have the ‘managed’ part, so you must manually perform updates and server maintenance tasks. Managed n8n hosting eliminates this burden by including automated updates and backups, more effortless scalability, and fully managed server security.
Experienced users will undoubtedly enjoy the freedom and cost-effectiveness of self-hosting n8n. Given n8n’s ‘audience’, we’re confident that higher customisation degrees and more control will be useful, mainly if a considerably lower price follows it.
On that note, Hostinger is only $6.99 or lower, while n8n’s hosting starts at over $20 monthly.
Tips & Tricks for Self-Hosting n8n
You can skip this part if you’ve given up the idea of self-hosting n8n.
If not, and you’re willing to squeeze the most juice out of it, here are crafty tips and tricks to do it right:
- Security. Perform regular security checks to ensure your n8n works fine. We recommend adding HTTPS for stronger encryption, implementing authentication, and assigning user permissions if needed. A good idea is to implement a firewall that blocks unauthenticated connections.
- Updates. Don’t forget to update your n8n application regularly. You can do this with a click by selecting the app from the dashboard and checking for updates. If they’re available, don’t hesitate to get them. They’re vital for security and features.
- Backups. Be sure to back up your files and configurations frequently. Losing any of those could result in an unrecoverable disaster. Experts advise storing backups in different locations to ensure they’re accessible if one storage fails.
- Server resources. Monitor server resources to ensure you don’t go overboard and compromise your automation workflows. Hostinger allows you to scale up and get more resources if you run out of RAM, CPU power, storage, or bandwidth.
Can I Host n8n for Free?
No, you can’t, and it’s generally not a good idea.
n8n typically doesn’t work well on shared hosting, yet most free web hosting providers offer this type of hosting. The reason you won’t find free VPS is simple: it’s expensive to maintain.
If you know a thing or two about hosting, and we’re sure you do, VPS is way more powerful. It provides more computing power, faster speeds, and superior stability. By extension, it relies on mightier hardware that costs money and can’t be provided free of charge.
If we consider n8n’s hardware requirements, which can be beefy depending on the complexity of your automation workflows, it’s impossible to find a hosting company that’ll provide them for free. To be honest, it sounds a bit ungrateful to ask for this proposition.
Hostinger’s incredibly affordable VPS plans are among the cheapest around. At just a few quids monthly, you can self-host n8n with its ever-lasting free license and automate all repeated tasks. In our experience, that’s a minimal price to pay for such immense benefits.
Best VPS for Self-Hosting n8n
If you don’t think Hostinger is right, feel free to explore other options.
We analysed the best n8n hosting services in-depth in another article. This time, we’ll briefly explain the three VPS hosting providers suitable for self-hosting n8n.
1. InMotion Hosting
InMotion Hosting’s scalability and speed make it a great Hostinger alternative for n8n self-hosting.
Granted, it’s not better performance-wise, but it’s a stellar option for one-click n8n installations. It offers five top-tier VPS plans, but our top pick is the VPS 4 vCPU one with 8 GB of RAM, four CPU cores, and 160 GB of NVMe storage. You also get 5 TB of bandwidth.
InMotion Hosting includes a comprehensive control panel, but you can also use cPanel if it suits you better. The provider offers DDoS protection and proactive monitoring, helping you keep threats at bay. This n8n self-hosting solution leverages primarily Linux VPS hosting.
This ensures excellent customisation to tailor the experience to your needs. InMotion Hosting offers weekly backups by default, although it’s possible to purchase daily backups, which we highly recommend. Its most expensive plan includes full support for Docker.
Docker allows swift app deployment and eases the n8n setup. If you’re stuck, InMotion Hosting provides 24/7 support to help you get up and running. Finally, you can test it risk-free for 90 days, thanks to a 90-day money-back guarantee for all plans above six months.
2. Bluehost
Bluehost offers modern hardware powered by AMD EPYC processors and mighty NVMe storage. Its VPS plans start at $46.99 monthly, but our favourite self-hosting n8n option is Enhanced NVMe 8, which costs $65.99 monthly and has 8 GB of DDR5 RAM and four vCPU cores.
Bluehost includes 200 GB of NVMe storage and unmetered bandwidth, ensuring range-topping performance. A notable advantage is Bluehost’s cPanel, which eases hosting management. Additionally, it offers excellent security thanks to server-level DDoS protection.
The provider’s 99.9% uptime guarantee never fails, and with unlimited website hosting, you can be sure your VPS is always stable. Bluehost doesn’t offer a free domain in its VPS plans, so you must purchase one. Sadly, it’s pricier than Hostinger, even in the initial period.
On the brighter side, our experience has shown that its customer service is among the better. It works 24/7 and gladly helps with the n8n self-hosting setup. Besides, Bluehost is a full root access VPS host, which provides maximum freedom of customisation and resource management.
Find out more about Bluehost in our review.
3. Hosting.com
Hosting.com may not sound familiar, but A2 Hosting does. The latter recently became the former but only altered its name. The quality for which A2 Hosting was known is the same, and this is reflected in its fast VPS plans for n8n self-hosting. The VPS S plan is our favourite.
At $6.99 monthly, you can enjoy a gold standard of 8 GB RAM, four CPU cores, and 160 GB of storage. This is an unmanaged offer, so you’re in charge of maintenance and security updates. The good news is that you can set up n8n with a single click with its installer.
Plus, you can use cPanel if you like it more than TurboHub, Hosting.com’s internal panel. Speaking of internal things, the provider relies on bespoke LiteSpeed servers with LiteSpeed caching and its ‘Turbo’ technology to deliver a 99.9% uptime guarantee and fast load speeds.
Hosting.com is flexible and offers more resources and fully managed VPS plans if you’re too lazy to do everything yourself. It’s inferior to Hostinger and costs more for the same computing power. However, it’s a nice option if you don’t like Hostinger for whatever reason.
Conclusion
That was all for today’s guide on self-hosting n8n in 2025.
While n8n’s cloud-based servers are exceptional, they cost plenty of money. A more cost-efficient solution is to get an affordable VPS from Hostinger, one-click-install n8n, and add new automation workflows in minutes.
Also, consider all the pros and cons of this type of n8n hosting. If you don’t mind managing updates and security patches, the money-saving route will be beneficial. However, even as a beginner, self-hosting n8n is a breeze with Hostinger’s helpful and insightful 24/7 support.
