n8n Hosting: Self-Host on a VPS or Pay for n8n Cloud?

Per-task automation fees grow with every workflow you add. n8n avoids them: the self-hosted Community Edition is free and runs unlimited executions. The real decision is where to run it, and what that costs you each month.

Here are the options side by side, with prices and the licence rules to check before you host it for clients.

Your options

Option	Monthly cost	Executions	Effort	Source
Self-host on a VPS (Community Edition)	About $6–15 for the server	Unlimited	You install and update it	n8n docs
Hostinger VPS with n8n template	$6.49 intro (KVM 1, renews $11.99)	Unlimited	n8n comes preinstalled	Hostinger
n8n Cloud Starter	€20, billed annually	2,500	None	n8n pricing
n8n Cloud Pro	€50, billed annually	10,000	None	n8n pricing

n8n lists cloud prices in euros, billed annually; monthly-billed prices aren’t shown on its page.

How much server you need

n8n’s docs give illustrative needs of 320 MB to 2 GB of memory and 512 MB to 4 GB of storage, and note that n8n “isn’t CPU intensive”, so memory matters more than CPU (n8n docs). In practice:

Server	Price	Good for
DigitalOcean 1 GB	$6/mo	Testing, a few light workflows
DigitalOcean 2 GB	$12/mo	Small business automations
Hostinger KVM 1 (4 GB)	$6.49/mo intro, $11.99 renewal	Most solo users and small agencies
Hostinger KVM 2 (8 GB)	$8.99/mo intro, $14.99 renewal	Heavier AI workflows

Prices from DigitalOcean and Hostinger, checked 17 October 2026. Hostinger’s intro prices need a long term paid upfront.

Self-host n8n with Docker

The quick test, from n8n’s docs:

docker volume create n8n_data
docker run -it --rm \
 --name n8n \
 -p 5678:5678 \
 -e GENERIC_TIMEZONE="<YOUR_TIMEZONE>" \
 -e TZ="<YOUR_TIMEZONE>" \
 -e N8N_ENFORCE_SETTINGS_FILE_PERMISSIONS=true \
 -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n \
 n8nio/n8n

Then open http://localhost:5678. For a real server, n8n recommends Docker Compose with a reverse proxy for HTTPS, and PostgreSQL rather than the default SQLite once you have many workflows (n8n docs). If you’d rather skip this, Hostinger’s “Ubuntu 24.04 with n8n” template installs it for you; its support covers the server and keeping n8n running, not your workflows.

What the free Community Edition leaves out

Self-hosted n8n is free but lacks some team features: shared workflows and credentials, projects, environments, external secrets, log streaming, SSO and Git version control (n8n docs). Folders, debug in editor and custom execution data unlock free when you register your instance. Solo builders rarely miss the rest.

The licence, if you serve clients

n8n uses the Sustainable Use License: “You may use or modify the software only for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial or personal use” (LICENSE.md). Running workflows for your own business is fine. Offering n8n itself as a paid service to others is not; agencies that build automations for clients should read the licence or talk to n8n first.

Which to choose

• Just testing, or tight budget: self-host on a $6 server.
• Running a small business on it: a 4 GB VPS, or Hostinger’s template if you don’t want to install it yourself.
• No interest in maintaining servers: n8n Cloud.

Pair it with an agent: see OpenClaw hosting, which runs happily on the same box, or give your workflows web access with Firecrawl.