How to install n8n Community Edition on VPS

n8n is a powerful automation tool that lets you connect various services and build automated workflows without writing code. It supports over 300 integrations and makes it easy to create data processing pipelines, send notifications, integrate with APIs, and much more.

If you want full control over your n8n setup, the best option is to self-host it on your own server. This guide walks you through installing n8n on a VPS using Docker.

Requirements

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A VPS running Linux (e.g. Ubuntu 22.04)
• A user with sudo privileges
• At least 1 GB of RAM (2 GB recommended)

We'll install Docker and Docker Compose in the next section.

Step 1. Install Docker and Docker Compose

Connect to your server via SSH and run the following commands:

# 1. Update the package index
sudo apt update

# 2. Install required dependencies
sudo apt install -y apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common

# 3. Add the Docker GPG key
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o
/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

# 4. Add the Docker repository
echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu
$(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

# 5. Update the package index again
sudo apt update

# 6. Install Docker Engine
sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io

# 7. Install Docker Compose V2 (as a plugin)
sudo apt install -y docker-compose-plugin

Verify that everything is installed correctly:

docker --version
docker compose version

To run Docker commands without sudo, add your user to the Docker group:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Step 2. Launch n8n — Choose Your Method

There are two ways to run n8n. Pick one — you don't need to run both.

Option A. Manual launch with docker run (quick start / testing)

Use this if you want to get n8n up and running quickly without extra configuration.

Create a volume to store n8n data:

docker volume create n8n_data

Start n8n:

docker run -it --rm --name n8n -p 5678:5678 -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n
```

n8n will be available at:
```
http://<YOUR_VPS_IP>:5678

Option B. Launch with Docker Compose (recommended)

This method is better suited for long-term use: n8n will automatically restart after server reboots, and all configuration lives in a single file.

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the following content:

services:
  n8n:
    image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=Europe/London
      - N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n

volumes:
  n8n_data:

Press Ctrl + O, then Enter (to save) and Ctrl + X (to exit).

Start n8n:

docker compose up -d
```

n8n will be available at:
```
http://<YOUR_VPS_IP>:5678

To stop n8n:

docker compose down

Step 3. [Optional] Connect PostgreSQL

By default, n8n stores data in a built-in SQLite database. This is fine for testing, but not suitable for production: SQLite struggles under high load and doesn't support concurrent access.

For reliable and scalable operation, we recommend using PostgreSQL.

Start PostgreSQL in Docker:

docker run --name postgres \
  -e POSTGRES_USER=n8n_user \
  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=supersecret \
  -e POSTGRES_DB=n8n \
  -p 5432:5432 \
  -d postgres

Where:

• n8n_user — database username (choose your own)
• supersecret — user password (use a strong one)
• n8n — database name

Then connect PostgreSQL to n8n by adding the environment variables. If you're using Docker Compose, add them to the environment section:

environment:
  - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=Europe/London
  - N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false
  - DB_TYPE=postgresdb
  - DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n
  - DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=localhost
  - DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432
  - DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n_user
  - DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=supersecret

If you're using the manual launch (docker run), pass the same variables using -e flags:

docker run -it --rm \
  --name n8n \
  -p 5678:5678 \
  -e DB_TYPE=postgresdb \
  -e DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n \
  -e DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=localhost \
  -e DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432 \
  -e DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n_user \
  -e DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=supersecret \
  -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n \
  docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n

Updating n8n

Applies only when using Docker Compose (Option B):

# 1. Pull the latest images
docker compose pull

# 2. Stop the current containers
docker compose down

# 3. Start again
docker compose up -d

Tunnel Mode (for testing)

Tunnel mode temporarily exposes your server to the internet via a secure tunnel — useful when you want to test incoming webhooks (e.g. from Telegram or Stripe) but don't yet have a domain or HTTPS set up.

Example: you're building an automation that responds to incoming Telegram messages. Telegram can't reach your server without a public address. In this case, run n8n in tunnel mode, get a temporary HTTPS URL, and use it in your Telegram settings.

docker run -it --rm \
  --name n8n \
  -p 5678:5678 \
  -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n \
  docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n \
  start --tunnel

Conclusion

You now know how to install and run n8n on a VPS using Docker — quickly, flexibly, and with minimal effort. You can use built-in triggers, connect Telegram, Google Sheets, Slack, and hundreds of other services to build powerful automations without writing a single line of code.