Why I Chose to Self-Host n8n

As someone who loves building efficient workflows and automating repetitive tasks, I’ve been a fan of n8n for a while. Rather than running it on a cloud VPS, I decided to host it on my own powerful home PC — the same machine I set up as an Ubuntu Server. It has 64GB RAM and a NVIDIA RTX 2060 SUPER GPU, which is way more than enough for hosting an automation platform.

Why Docker?

Docker makes deployment incredibly easy, especially for tools like n8n. It handles dependencies, networking, and upgrades cleanly. I also love how Docker isolates services so I can add more containers in the future without breaking anything.

Installing n8n with Docker

Here's how I installed n8n on my Ubuntu 24.04 home server using Docker:

Step 1: Install Docker & Docker Compose

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose -y
sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
    

Step 2: Create a Docker Compose File

I created a folder called n8n and inside it, a file named docker-compose.yml:

version: "3"

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=yourpassword
    volumes:
      - ./n8n-data:/home/node/.n8n
    restart: always
    

Step 3: Start the Container

docker-compose up -d
    

After this, I accessed n8n through my browser at http://[your-server-ip]:5678 and logged in using the basic auth credentials.

Result: Self-Hosted Workflow Automation

Now I can build and run automations directly on my home server, completely free and under my control. Whether it’s scraping data, sending scheduled emails, or automating AI workflows, n8n is now a permanent tool in my personal tech stack.

Why I Love This Setup

• No subscription fees – fully local
• Blazing fast execution thanks to my PC's specs
• Secure and private – everything stays in my home network
• Easy to scale – Docker makes it a breeze

I highly recommend this setup to anyone with an unused desktop or gaming PC. It’s a powerful, flexible, and cost-efficient way to take control of your own automation platform.