Get n8n: cloud or self-hosted

n8n comes in two flavours: n8n Cloud, which n8n hosts for you, and self-hosted n8n, which you run on your own server. Both run the same product. This article helps you pick one and get it running, so you can start building workflows today.

The short answer

• Pick n8n Cloud if you want to start right now, have no one to look after a server, or simply prefer that updates, backups and uptime are someone else’s job.
• Pick self-hosting if you need full control over where your data lives, want to install custom or community nodes freely, or have someone technical who can maintain a server.

You can always move later. Workflows are JSON files, so you can export them from one instance and import them into another.

Cloud versus self-hosted

	n8n Cloud	Self-hosted
Setup	Sign up and start	Install and configure a server
Updates and backups	Handled by n8n	Your responsibility
Cost	Paid plans after a free trial	Free Community edition, paid plans for team features
Control	Limited to what n8n offers	Full control over configuration and data location
Webhooks and MCP	Public URL out of the box	You need a domain and HTTPS

Plans and limits change regularly, so check the n8n pricing page for current tiers, execution limits and prices. In short: Cloud plans differ in limits and team features, and self-hosted n8n has a free Community edition plus paid Business and Enterprise plans for features such as SSO, projects and environments.

Tip: On a self-hosted Community edition you can unlock a few extra features for free by registering your email. Look for Usage and plan in the settings.

Option 1: n8n Cloud

1. Go to n8n.io and start a free trial.
2. Choose a name for your instance. It becomes part of your address, for example yourcompany.app.n8n.cloud.
3. In your n8n Cloud dashboard, select Manage and set the Timezone, so schedules run at your local time.
4. Open your instance and build your first workflow.

Option 2: Self-host with Docker

Docker is the method n8n recommends for self-hosting. You need a machine with Docker installed: your own computer for testing, or a small cloud server (VPS) for real use.

Quick start with the one-line installer

n8n now offers an installer that checks Docker, writes the configuration files and starts n8n for you:

curl -fsSL https://get.n8n.io | sh

It creates an n8n folder with a compose.yml and a .env file, and stores your data in a Docker volume. Read the official install guide before you run it on a server.

Plain Docker with a persistent volume

If you prefer to see every setting, run n8n with a single docker run command. The volume is the important part: it keeps your workflows, credentials and encryption key when the container is replaced.

docker volume create n8n_data

docker run -d \
  --name n8n \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 5678:5678 \
  -e GENERIC_TIMEZONE="Europe/Amsterdam" \
  -e TZ="Europe/Amsterdam" \
  -e N8N_ENFORCE_SETTINGS_FILE_PERMISSIONS=true \
  -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n \
  n8nio/n8n

Open http://localhost:5678 and create the owner account.

Warning: Without the -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n line, everything you build disappears when the container is removed. Never skip the volume.

Before you go live

A test install on your laptop is fine as it is. For production, also:

1. Put n8n on its own subdomain, such as n8n.yourcompany.com, behind a reverse proxy with HTTPS.
2. Set the WEBHOOK_URL environment variable to that public address, so webhook URLs are correct.
3. Use PostgreSQL instead of the built-in SQLite database once several people or busy workflows depend on it.
4. Set up backups and an update routine. See Update and back up a self-hosted n8n.

Option 3: npm (for local testing)

If you already use Node.js, you can try n8n without Docker:

npx n8n

Or install it globally with npm install n8n -g and start it with n8n start.

Note: n8n has deprecated npm installs from version 3.0 and now distributes new installs through Docker. Use npm only for a quick local test, not for a server you depend on.

Which one do we recommend?

For most small teams, n8n Cloud is the fastest way to get value. Self-host when data location, custom nodes or cost at high volume really matter, and when someone owns maintenance. If you would rather have a self-hosted instance set up and maintained for you, book a strategic call: https://calendly.com/marrallisa/30min

Next steps

• n8n basics: nodes, triggers and executions
• Build your first workflow
• Update and back up a self-hosted n8n