Your credentials survive redeployment
n8n encrypts every saved credential with one key. Upstream keeps that key in the data volume: lose the volume, lose the credentials. We pin it as a platform secret and inject the same key on every redeploy.
n8n 2.40.7 Automation
Free credit available Limited time
n8n self hosted. Managed, so you never touch the server.
Run n8n 2.40.7 in one click on a dedicated server we provision, secure and run. The webhook URL and the encryption key are set before first boot, so webhooks answer from the first run and credentials survive every redeploy. No execution meter.
Automate everything, except the server upkeep.
n8none-click template ready
- WEBHOOK_URLset before first boot
- N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URLset before first boot
- encryption keypinned secret
- HTTPSauto-renewed
- firewalldefault deny
European 4 GB server$0.02/hr
Trigger
What is n8n self hosted?
What it is
n8n is an open-source workflow automation tool for APIs, databases, webhooks and AI models. Here it deploys as a one-click template onto a dedicated server we run, on SQLite or its own Postgres.
Where to start. Open the console with n8n selected
Who it is for
Teams who want unlimited executions and their API keys on their own server, without building Docker, a reverse proxy and TLS.
When to use it
When hosted automation pricing scales with your execution count or your workflows touch data that cannot sit on a shared cloud.
Execute Workflow
What runs on your n8n server
Webhooks work on the first deploy
Self hosted n8n needs N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL and WEBHOOK_URL pointed at your public HTTPS address. Otherwise webhooks resolve to localhost. We wire both at deploy time.
unsethttp://localhost:5678/webhook/…
wiredhttps://n8n.yourdomain.com/webhook/…
Hardened by default
- Nodes cannot read server environment variables
- Bare Git repositories are disabled
- Settings-file permissions are enforced
- Proxy hops are configured
The stack, end to end
Dashed = the Postgres variant, picked at deploy time.
Callers
Webhooks, APIs, your browser
Edge
TLS and routing
Your project server
Container 1
n8n
Container 2
Task runner
Platform secret
Persisted encryption key
Volume
SQLite (default)
Postgres variant
A dedicated PostgreSQL instance, same server
| Component | Version | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| n8n | 2.40.7 | Editor, workflow engine, webhook endpoints |
| Task runner | n8nio/runners:2.40.7 | Isolated code execution, JS and native Python, max 5 concurrent |
| Database | SQLite or a dedicated PostgreSQL instance | Workflows, credentials, execution history |
| TLS and routing | Managed by Selfhost.dev | Public HTTPS URL, auto-renewed certificates |
| Encryption key | Persisted platform secret | Credentials stay readable across every redeploy |
Your workflows go here. Deploy the stack
Edit Fields
n8n self hosted requirements
Self hosted n8n needs a 4 GB server, a database, a reverse proxy and a TLS certificate. The template ships all four, so the only n8n hosting requirement you choose is the server size.
- Minimum server
- 4 GB RAM
- Per-execution fee
- None
- Code execution
- 5 at once
- MCP tools
- 216
- HTTPS
- Automatic, wildcard subdomain or your own domain
- Webhooks
- Pre-wired, no manual URL configuration
- Regions
- Six locations across Europe, North America and Asia. Which are open depends on the machine you pick
- Backups
- Optional. Daily, whole-VM, last 7 kept, +20% of the server price. One image is every container, database and volume together
Specifications current as of September 2026.
Server size: 4 GB, enough for n8n. Deploy on a 4 GB server
Run
How to self host n8n in 4 steps
No Docker file, no reverse proxy, no certificate to renew.
-
Create a project
Name it and pick a server. 4 GB is enough for n8n, in any of six regions. No cloud account to connect.
-
Add the n8n template
Add serviceTemplaten8n
Take SQLite. For heavy execution volume, take the Postgres variant. About four minutes later we email the URL and credentials.
-
Claim the owner account right after deploying
n8n starts with no admin. Whoever opens your n8n address first becomes the owner, so open it yourself as soon as the deploy finishes.
-
Point your domain
Keep the wildcard subdomain or add your own domain with a TXT record. HTTPS provisions and renews automatically.
Deploy n8nStep 1 starts in the console.
Launch n8n Switch
SQLite or Postgres for n8n?
SQLite is the default and suits most teams; Postgres handles heavy execution volume and long histories.
SQLite default
- Best for
- Scheduled jobs, moderate webhook traffic
- Concurrent writes
- Fine at typical loads
- Server impact
- Minimal
Postgres variant heavy volume
- Best for
- Heavy execution volume, large history
- Concurrent writes
- Better
- Server impact
- Same server, budget more RAM
Postgres alone does not protect your credentials. Stock n8n keeps its encryption key in the data volume whichever database you choose, which is why we pin the key as a secret on both variants.
Output
What you pay to run n8n here
$15.18
/mo at 730 hours
European 4 GB server, $0.02/hr - No per-execution fee
- No per-workflow fee
- No per-user fee
- No per-gigabyte fee
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| European 4 GB project server | $0.02/hr, $15.18/mo at 730 hours |
| n8n template, task runner, SQLite | $0 |
| HTTPS and custom domain | $0 |
| Bandwidth | $0. Traffic is included |
| Daily server backups | Optional, +20% of server price |
Monthly figures assume 730 hours at our lowest rate, in our European regions. Other regions run their own machine types and rates, priced live in the calculator.
n8n Cloud bills per execution. A project server bills per hour, whatever your workflows do.
Merge
Managed n8n hosting: what we run and what you run
We manage the infrastructure. You own what happens inside n8n. This is managed hosting, not managed automation.
We run
- Server provisioning and capacity
- Reverse proxy, TLS, renewals
- Firewall and network rules
- Editor and webhook URL config
- The encryption key
- Optional daily backups
- Metrics, logs and a health check every 60 seconds
You run
- Your workflows
- Your credentials and API keys
- Your n8n users and roles
- Data retention inside n8n
- Your n8n version and when to move to a newer one
Wait
Upgrading self hosted n8n
We pin n8n to an exact image, currently n8n 2.40.7, so restarts and redeploys bring back the same software. Newer builds apply only to new deployments.
To move to a newer n8n:
Export your workflows and your credentials (in decrypted form) with n8n's own CLI over SSH.
Deploy the n8n template again. New deployments get our newest tested build.
Import both into the new instance, check a workflow runs, then move your domain across.
Sticky notes
n8n self hosted limitations
- No queue mode. There are no Redis or worker containers, so n8n runs in its standard mode.
- No email until you add a mail provider. Invitations and password resets do not send until SMTP is configured.
- Security updates inside n8n are yours. We never change your version, so applying a patch is your call.
None of these a dealbreaker? The template deploys in about four minutes.
Launch n8n Send Email
Sizing n8n before you deploy?
Tell us your execution volume and we will send back the server size, the monthly cost and the two settings that change it most. One email, no newsletter.
Q&A
Frequently asked questions
Can I self host n8n on Selfhost.dev?
Yes. The n8n template deploys in one click onto a dedicated server we provision and run. The webhook URL, HTTPS and a pinned encryption key are set before first boot, behind a default deny firewall and a 60-second health check.
How is n8n billed on Selfhost.dev?
By the hour the server runs, from prepaid credits, with no charge for the template. A European 4 GB server is $0.02/hr, about $15 a month left running. Nothing is metered per execution, workflow, user or gigabyte. n8n Cloud bills by execution instead; our n8n pricing breakdown puts the two side by side. The welcome credit covers your first hours. See pricing.
Will my n8n credentials survive a redeploy?
Yes. Stock n8n keeps the key that encrypts every saved credential in its data volume, whether you run SQLite or Postgres. We pin that key as a platform secret on both variants, so every redeploy brings it back and your API keys and OAuth tokens keep working.
Can my team share workflows on self hosted n8n?
Teammates can join as members, but in the free Community edition each workflow and credential is visible only to its creator and the owner. Sharing, projects and SSO belong to n8n's paid Business and Enterprise plans. Invitation emails also need a mail provider configured first.
Does the n8n template run in queue mode?
No. The template runs n8n in standard mode, with a task runner that executes up to five pieces of code at once. Queue mode needs Redis and worker containers, which the template does not include. For heavier volume, the Postgres variant handles concurrent writes better than SQLite.
Can I deploy n8n with AI?
Yes. 216 MCP tools cover creating the project, deploying the n8n template and managing domains, so an assistant in Claude, Cursor or any MCP client can launch and manage n8n from your editor. The same tools cover every other one-click app. Explore the MCP server.
Self host n8n. We will run the server.
- One-click n8n template
- Custom domain + SSL, handled
- Project server rates only, nothing per app
About Selfhost.dev
Selfhost.dev is a managed self hosting platform for developers and small teams. Open-source apps and databases on dedicated servers you control, billed by the hour with no subscription tiers.
Best for: n8n, Twenty CRM, Supabase and managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, ClickHouse, OpenSearch and Kafka.