Self-Host n8n on
Hostinger VPS
Run unlimited automations with no per-task fees — n8n self-hosted on a €5/mo VPS. The open-source alternative to Zapier and Make, with full SSL, webhooks, and persistent workflows.
Why self-hosting saves you €100+/month
Zapier and Make charge per task execution. At any meaningful automation volume, the fees compound fast. n8n self-hosted has a one-time infrastructure cost of €5–8/mo — and runs unlimited automations. The math is obvious.
From VPS to n8n running in 30 minutes
n8n needs minimum 1 GB RAM, but 2 GB is recommended for stability with multiple workflows. Hostinger's KVM 1 plan (€3–5/mo) works perfectly. Choose an EU data centre — Lithuania or Netherlands — for GDPR compliance.
Get Hostinger VPS →Connect to your VPS via SSH and install Docker. We'll run n8n as a Docker container — the most reliable and update-friendly method.
# Connect to your VPS
$ ssh root@your-server-ip
# Update system packages
$ apt update && apt upgrade -y
# Install Docker
$ curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
# Verify Docker is running
$ docker --version
Docker version 25.x.x, build xxxxxxxRun n8n with a Docker volume so your workflows survive container restarts and updates. Set a basic auth password to protect your instance from the public internet.
# Create a data directory for persistent storage
$ mkdir -p /opt/n8n-data
# Run n8n with persistence + basic auth
$ docker run -d \
--name n8n \
--restart unless-stopped \
-p 5678:5678 \
-e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true \
-e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin \
-e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=your-strong-password \
-e WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.yourdomain.com/ \
-v /opt/n8n-data:/home/node/.n8n \
n8nio/n8n
# Check it's running
$ docker ps | grep n8nyour-strong-password with a real password. Never run n8n without auth on a public IP — it exposes your automation logic and credentials.For webhooks to work (required for most integrations), you need HTTPS. Add an A record pointing your domain to your VPS IP, then install Nginx as a reverse proxy and Certbot for a free SSL certificate.
# Install Nginx and Certbot
$ apt install nginx certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
# Create Nginx config for n8n
$ nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n
# Paste this config (replace n8n.yourdomain.com):
server {
listen 80;
server_name n8n.yourdomain.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:5678;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
}
}
# Enable config and get SSL cert
$ ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
$ nginx -t && systemctl reload nginx
$ certbot --nginx -d n8n.yourdomain.com
✓ SSL certificate successfully installedOpen your n8n instance in the browser. Log in with your basic auth credentials. Click "New Workflow". The canvas-based editor lets you drag-and-drop nodes and connect them with lines — start with a simple trigger → action workflow.
# This workflow runs every time a Shopify order is placed
1. Shopify Trigger ← listens for "order.created" event
↓
2. Set node ← extract: order ID, customer, total
↓
3. Slack node ← post to #orders channel
Message: "New order #{{order_id}} — {{customer}} — €{{total}}"
# Takes about 3 minutes to build
# Runs automatically 24/7 while your VPS is onn8n releases updates frequently. Set up a weekly auto-update so you always have the latest security patches and features without manual intervention.
# Create update script
$ nano /opt/update-n8n.sh
# Paste:
#!/bin/bash
docker pull n8nio/n8n
docker stop n8n && docker rm n8n
docker run -d \
--name n8n --restart unless-stopped \
-p 5678:5678 \
-e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true \
-e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin \
-e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=your-password \
-e WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.yourdomain.com/ \
-v /opt/n8n-data:/home/node/.n8n \
n8nio/n8n
$ chmod +x /opt/update-n8n.sh
# Schedule weekly update (Sunday 3am)
$ crontab -e
0 3 * * 0 /opt/update-n8n.sh >> /var/log/n8n-update.log 2>&1What to automate first
Stop paying per task.
Own your automation.
VPS from €5/mo. n8n is free and open-source.
