Self-Host n8n in 3 Simple Steps: Your Personal Automation Server

n8n is an easy-to-use, powerful workflow automation tool that lets you connect your favorite apps and services without writing complicated code. Whether you want to automate tasks like syncing data, posting content, or triggering complex workflows, n8n puts a friendly drag-and-drop interface and a private, self-hosted server at your fingertips.

This guide will walk you through 3 simple steps to install and run n8n on your own Ubuntu machine using Docker. No deep technical skills required!

Why Self-Host n8n?

• Full control & privacy: You run your own automation server.

• Connect 100+ apps: Automate everything from Gmail to AI tools.

• Visual workflows: Build automations easily with drag-and-drop.

• Flexible & expandable: Add your own custom logic as you grow.

🚀 3-Step Setup to Self-Host n8n on Ubuntu

Step 1: Install Docker & Docker Compose

Open your terminal and run these commands one by one. They install Docker, the platform that runs n8n containers, and its compose tool for easy management.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y ca-certificates curl wget

sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
$(. /etc/os-release && echo "${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-$VERSION_CODENAME}") stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Step 2: Download n8n Configuration Files

Now, fetch the official n8n Docker setup files. These files tell Docker how to run n8n with PostgreSQL for stable data storage.

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/n8n-io/n8n-hosting/refs/heads/main/docker-compose/withPostgres/docker-compose.yml
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/n8n-io/n8n-hosting/refs/heads/main/docker-compose/withPostgres/init-data.sh
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/n8n-io/n8n-hosting/refs/heads/main/docker-compose/withPostgres/.env

Optional: Open the .env file to customize your setup:

nano .env

Inside, you can set your username, password, email, and timezone. When done, save and exit.

Step 3: Start Your n8n Server

Launch n8n using Docker Compose:

docker compose up

Watch the output — if there are no errors, press Ctrl+C to stop.

Now start n8n in the background so it keeps running:

docker compose up -d

You can now open n8n by navigating to:

http://localhost:5678

🎁 Bonus: Ready-to-Use n8n Workflow Templates

Want to jump-start your automation projects? Check out this awesome curated list of community-built n8n workflow templates — from email automation and AI chatbots to social media posting and more!

👉 Awesome n8n Templates Repository

Explore, customize, and supercharge your productivity with pre-built workflows that you can import and tweak instantly.

Final Tips

• If you get errors about missing commands like wget, install them with sudo apt install wget.

• If port 5678 is unavailable, check your firewall or running apps.

• To stop n8n anytime, run: docker compose down.

• For more detailed docs and troubleshooting: n8n Docker Docs.

You’re now the proud owner of a self-hosted automation powerhouse. Happy automating with n8n!