Self-host n8n on a Hostinger VPS (Docker, HTTPS, backups)

Why self-host n8n

n8n is a workflow automation tool, in the same space as Zapier and Make. You connect apps, add logic, and let it run. The hosted version charges by workflow executions; self-hosted, you pay for the server and run as many executions as it can handle.

n8n is distributed under its Sustainable Use License, which allows self-hosting for your own and your company's internal use. If you plan to resell n8n as a service, read the licence first.

Which plan you need

n8n itself is light, but workflows that process files, call AI models or loop over large lists use memory quickly.

Option A — The one-click n8n template

Hostinger offers n8n as a VPS OS template. Choose it when you create the server (or reinstall an existing one from the VPS settings) and you get n8n running in Docker without touching the command line.

It's the fastest route and fine for most people. Choose Option B if you want to see every moving part, run n8n next to other apps, or control exactly which version you're on.

Option B — Docker Compose with automatic HTTPS

Start from a plain Ubuntu 24.04 server that you've already secured, with an A record for a subdomain such as `n8n.example.com` pointing at it. Caddy handles HTTPS: it requests and renews the Let's Encrypt certificate on its own.

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sudo sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER   # log out and back in after this

mkdir -p ~/n8n && cd ~/n8n
openssl rand -hex 32   # copy this; it becomes N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY

DOMAIN=n8n.example.com
N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=paste-the-random-string-here
GENERIC_TIMEZONE=Asia/Karachi

services:
  n8n:
    image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - N8N_HOST=${DOMAIN}
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=https
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - WEBHOOK_URL=https://${DOMAIN}/
      - N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=${N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY}
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=${GENERIC_TIMEZONE}
      - TZ=${GENERIC_TIMEZONE}
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n

  caddy:
    image: caddy:2
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
    environment:
      - DOMAIN=${DOMAIN}
    volumes:
      - ./Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile:ro
      - caddy_data:/data

volumes:
  n8n_data:
  caddy_data:

{$DOMAIN} {
    reverse_proxy n8n:5678
}

docker compose up -d
docker compose logs -f

First login and the encryption key

Open `https://n8n.example.com` and create the owner account. Do it straight away: until an owner exists, whoever reaches the URL first can claim the instance.

n8n encrypts every saved credential with `N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY`. Keep a copy somewhere safe, outside the server. If you lose it, restored backups can't decrypt your API keys and passwords, and every credential has to be re-entered.

Updating n8n

n8n releases often. Read the release notes for breaking changes, take a backup, then pull and restart. Pin a specific version tag instead of `latest` if you'd rather update deliberately.

cd ~/n8n
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d
docker image prune -f

Backups

Everything n8n stores (workflows, credentials, execution history in SQLite) lives in the `n8n_data` volume. Archive it on a schedule and copy the file off the server.

docker run --rm \
  -v n8n_n8n_data:/data:ro \
  -v "$PWD":/backup \
  alpine tar czf /backup/n8n-$(date +%F).tar.gz -C /data .

docker compose exec n8n n8n export:workflow --all --output=/home/node/.n8n/workflows.json

• Point a subdomain at your VPS →
• Lock the server down first →