Self-hosting overview
Self-hosting means running n8n on your own server instead of using n8n Cloud. The Community Edition has no fixed monthly execution limit, but the number of workflows your server can handle depends on its CPU, memory and storage. Your n8n database and settings stay on your server; workflows still exchange data with the services you connect.
Self-hosting can cost less at higher usage, but you are responsible for updates, backups and security. Your main costs are the VPS and backup storage. The guides in this section walk you through the setup step by step.
Guides
Section titled “Guides”- Self-host n8n with Docker, PostgreSQL and WireGuard — n8n with a PostgreSQL database, reachable through a private WireGuard VPN. The n8n editor is not exposed to the public internet; the server still needs an open VPN port. About 45 minutes.
What to do next
Section titled “What to do next”- Set up off-server backups and practise restoring them
- Update n8n safely after reviewing the release notes
- If your workflows need incoming requests from public services, expose only the webhook endpoint while keeping the editor private
Not sure self-hosting is for you?
Section titled “Not sure self-hosting is for you?”If you don’t want to manage a server, n8n Cloud or another managed automation service may be a better fit. See Cheaper Zapier alternatives in 2026 for a comparison of Make, self-hosted n8n, n8n Cloud and Pabbly Connect.