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Intermediate12 min readUpdated Mar 13, 2026

How to self-host n8n on a VPS using Docker

Quick Answer

Self-host n8n on a VPS using Docker Compose with Postgres for production reliability. Set up in 30-60 minutes on Ubuntu by installing Docker, configuring .env and docker-compose.yml, then adding a reverse proxy for HTTPS. Test webhooks to confirm readiness.

Prerequisites

  1. Ubuntu 22.04+ VPS with 2-4GB RAM and 1-2 vCPUs
  2. Domain name pointed to VPS IP
  3. SSH access as root or sudo user
  4. Basic Linux and Docker knowledge
1

Connect to VPS and Update System

SSH into your VPS as root: ssh root@your-vps-ip-address. Update packages with apt update && apt upgrade -y. For security, create a non-root user: adduser n8nuser, usermod -aG sudo n8nuser, then su - n8nuser.
Tip
Use key-based SSH authentication instead of passwords for better security.
2

Install Docker and Docker Compose

Install Docker: sudo apt install docker.io -y, start and enable it with sudo systemctl start docker and sudo systemctl enable docker, add user to docker group: sudo usermod -aG docker $USER. Install Compose plugin: sudo apt install docker-compose-plugin -y. Log out and SSH back in to apply group changes.
Tip
Verify with docker --version and docker compose version.
3

Create Project Directory

Create and enter the n8n directory: mkdir ~/n8n && cd ~/n8n. This will hold your configuration files.
4

Create .env Configuration File

Use nano or vim to create .env. Add these settings (generate encryption key with openssl rand -base64 32): 
N8N_HOST=n8n.yourdomain.com
N8N_PORT=5678
WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.yourdomain.com/
N8N_PROTOCOL=https
GENERIC_TIMEZONE=UTC
TZ=UTC
N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-32-char-random-key-here
DB_TYPE=postgresdb
DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n
DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=postgres
DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432
DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n
DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=your-secure-db-password
DB_POSTGRESDB_SCHEMA=public
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=your-secure-auth-password
Replace placeholders with your values.
Tip
Keep the .env file secure and back it up; it contains sensitive keys and passwords.
5

Create docker-compose.yml

Create docker-compose.yml with this production stack: 
version: '3.8'
services:
  postgres:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    container_name: n8n-postgres
    restart: always
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=${DB_POSTGRESDB_USER}
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD}
      - POSTGRES_DB=${DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE}
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    networks:
      - n8n-network
    healthcheck:
      test: ['CMD-SHELL', 'pg_isready -U ${DB_POSTGRESDB_USER} -d ${DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE}']
      interval: 5s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n:latest
    container_name: n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
      - '5678:5678'
    environment:
      - DB_TYPE=postgresdb
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=${DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE}
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=${DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST}
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=${DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT}
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=${DB_POSTGRESDB_USER}
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=${DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD}
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_SCHEMA=${DB_POSTGRESDB_SCHEMA}
      - N8N_HOST=${N8N_HOST}
      - N8N_PORT=${N8N_PORT}
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=${N8N_PROTOCOL}
      - WEBHOOK_URL=${WEBHOOK_URL}
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=${GENERIC_TIMEZONE}
      - N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=${N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY}
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=${N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE}
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=${N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER}
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=${N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD}
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
    depends_on:
      postgres:
        condition: service_healthy
    networks:
      - n8n-network
volumes:
  postgres_data:
  n8n_data:
networks:
  n8n-network:
Tip
This includes healthchecks and volumes for persistence.
6

Start the n8n Stack

Run docker compose up -d to start in detached mode. Check logs with docker compose logs -f and status with docker ps. Access temporarily at http://your-vps-ip:5678 to set up owner account.
Tip
Use docker compose down to stop safely.
7

Set Up Reverse Proxy for HTTPS

Install Nginx: sudo apt install nginx -y. Configure a site for your domain, enable HTTPS with Certbot: sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y, then sudo certbot --nginx -d n8n.yourdomain.com. Proxy traffic from port 443 to n8n's 5678.
Tip
Example Nginx config: server block with proxy_pass http://localhost:5678;.
8

Verify Installation and Webhooks

Access https://n8n.yourdomain.com. Create a test workflow with a Webhook node, switch to Production URL, and test with Postman. Ensure URL starts with your domain, not localhost.
Tip
Check firewall: sudo ufw allow 80,443 and sudo ufw enable.
9

Update and Maintain

To update: docker compose pull then docker compose up -d. Backup volumes regularly: docker volume ls and use provider snapshots.

Troubleshooting

Port conflicts or Docker not starting
Check running services with sudo netstat -tuln | grep 5678, kill conflicts, ensure Docker service is active: sudo systemctl status docker.
Volume permission errors
Fix ownership: sudo chown -R $USER:$USER ~/n8n, or run Docker as root temporarily.
Webhook URLs show localhost
Set WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.yourdomain.com/ in .env and restart: docker compose down && docker compose up -d.
Postgres connection fails
Verify env vars match, check health: docker compose logs postgres, ensure depends_on with healthcheck.
Can't access after HTTPS setup
Check Nginx config syntax: sudo nginx -t, reload: sudo systemctl reload nginx, verify Certbot and firewall.

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