TopolearnSelf-hosting gives you control over data and cost, but you become responsible for keeping n8n safe and running.
Self-hosting means running n8n on a computer you control, usually a cloud server. The recommended way is Docker: a tool that runs software in a container, a sealed package containing the program and everything it needs, so it runs the same everywhere. Docker Compose describes several containers (n8n, a database) in one file.
Key pieces:
- Image: the official package is
n8nio/n8n. Pin an exact version tag (for example2.43.8) rather than "latest", so updates happen when you choose. In 2.x the release channels are calledstableandbeta. - Volume: a storage folder that survives container restarts. Mount one at
/home/node/.n8n. It holds the encryption key that protects all credentials. Lose it, and saved credentials can't be decrypted. - Database: n8n uses SQLite (a single-file database) by default. For production use PostgreSQL via
DB_TYPE=postgresdband theDB_POSTGRESDB_*settings. MySQL is no longer supported for n8n's own data in 2.x. - Settings are environment variables (named values given to the container), such as
GENERIC_TIMEZONEandTZfor schedules, andWEBHOOK_URLso webhook URLs show your public address. - HTTPS: put n8n behind a reverse proxy (a front server such as Caddy, Traefik or nginx that handles certificates), so logins and webhooks are encrypted.
Updating: pull the new image, then recreate the container. Read the release notes first, back up the database and the .n8n folder, and test on a copy for major versions.
You are now the operator: backups, updates, monitoring and security are your job.
Example
docker volume create n8n_data
docker run -it --rm --name n8n -p 5678:5678 \
-e GENERIC_TIMEZONE="Europe/Berlin" -e TZ="Europe/Berlin" \
-v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n \
n8nio/n8n
# then open http://localhost:5678Remember
- Run n8n with Docker (Compose for production) and a persistent .n8n volume
- Back up the encryption key and the database
- Use PostgreSQL, pin versions, and serve over HTTPS
Watch out for
- Running without a volume, so every restart wipes workflows and the encryption key.