Self-hosted n8n for workflow automation
A workflow automation tool with hundreds of integrations, running on a server where you decide how many workflows run and how often.
About n8n
n8n is a workflow automation platform built around a visual editor of connected nodes. Each node is a trigger or an action: a webhook, a schedule, a new row in a spreadsheet, a message in Slack, a call to an API. When the ready-made integrations are not enough, you drop in a node with your own JavaScript or Python code.
The project is developed by a company in Berlin and published under a fair-code licence: the source is open and you may run it yourself for your own business, with some restrictions on reselling it as a service. Recent versions add nodes for AI agents that call language models and tools in the middle of a workflow.
Teams self-host n8n mainly because of cost and data. Hosted automation services usually charge per task or execution, while your own instance is limited only by the server, and the credentials for your internal systems never leave it.
What people use it for
Glue between business apps
Copy new orders into a spreadsheet, create a CRM contact and notify the sales chat, all from one trigger.
Webhooks for your own product
Receive events from a payment provider or a form and process them without writing a separate backend service.
AI steps inside a process
Classify incoming emails with a language model and route each one to the right person or queue.
After you order
When the server starts for the first time, n8n is installed on it and published on port 5678, which is opened in the firewall: go to http://your-server-address:5678/. There is no preset login: the first person to open that address creates the owner account, so open it as soon as the server is ready. After that you add credentials for the services you want to connect and build your first workflow.
How it works
- Choose n8n on the server order page and pick a plan with enough memory.
- The app is installed on the server on its first start, usually within a few minutes.
- Open the server in your panel: the address and the sign-in details are there.