# How to Install n8n on a VPS (Docker + Free HTTPS)

**n8n** is a workflow automation tool, like Zapier or Make, that you can run on your own server. Self-hosting it means **no limit on workflow executions**: you pay for the server, not per run, and your API keys and data stay on a machine you control.

This guide sets up n8n the clean way: in **Docker**, behind **Caddy**, a small web server that gets a free HTTPS certificate automatically and renews it on its own. It takes about 15 minutes.

## What you need

- A Linux VPS with **Ubuntu 24.04** (Debian 12 works the same). 2 GB RAM is enough to try n8n; for real business workflows choose 4 GB or more (see [how much RAM and CPU your VPS needs](https://volyte.com/blog/how-much-ram-cpu-vps)).
- A **subdomain** for n8n, for example `n8n.example.com`, with an **A record** pointing to your server's IP. Not sure how? Follow [how to point your domain to your VPS](https://volyte.com/blog/point-domain-to-vps) first. The subdomain must already point to the server, or the certificate can't be issued.
- A secured server. If it's brand new, do the [8 first security steps](https://volyte.com/blog/secure-linux-vps) before anything else.

In the commands below, replace `n8n.example.com` with your own subdomain.

## 1\. Install Docker

Docker's official install script adds Docker and the Compose plugin in one go:

```bash
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sudo sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
```

Log out and log back in so the second line takes effect, then check it works:

```bash
docker --version
docker compose version
```

## 2\. Check the subdomain points to the server

```bash
dig +short n8n.example.com
```

It should print your server's IP. If it prints nothing or an old IP, wait a few minutes for DNS to update before going on.

## 3\. Open ports 80 and 443

Caddy needs both: port 80 to prove you own the domain, and port 443 for HTTPS.

```bash
sudo ufw allow 80,443/tcp
sudo ufw status
```

Note that we will **not** open n8n's own port, 5678. n8n is only reachable through Caddy, over HTTPS.

## 4\. Create the n8n folder and settings

```bash
mkdir ~/n8n && cd ~/n8n
nano docker-compose.yml
```

Paste this in, change the two lines with `n8n.example.com`, and set your time zone if you are not in India:

```yaml
services:
  n8n:
    image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - N8N_HOST=n8n.example.com
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=https
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.example.com/
      - N8N_PROXY_HOPS=1
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=Asia/Kolkata
      - TZ=Asia/Kolkata
      - NODE_ENV=production
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n

  caddy:
    image: caddy:2
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
    volumes:
      - ./Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile:ro
      - caddy_data:/data
      - caddy_config:/config

volumes:
  n8n_data:
  caddy_data:
  caddy_config:
```

Save with **Ctrl+O**, Enter, then **Ctrl+X**. Now create the Caddy settings, which are just three lines:

```bash
nano Caddyfile
```

```plaintext
n8n.example.com {
    reverse_proxy n8n:5678
}
```

What the important settings do:

- `WEBHOOK_URL`: the address other apps use to call your workflows. Without it, n8n shows webhook links with `localhost:5678`, which nothing outside can reach.
- `N8N_PROXY_HOPS=1`: tells n8n it sits behind one proxy (Caddy), so it sees the visitor's real IP.
- `n8n_data`: a Docker volume that keeps your workflows, credentials and encryption key safe when the container is updated or recreated.

## 5\. Start n8n

```bash
docker compose up -d
docker compose logs -f caddy
```

Within a minute you should see a line saying the certificate was *obtained successfully*. Press **Ctrl+C** to leave the log. Both containers should show as running:

```bash
docker compose ps
```

Because of `restart: unless-stopped`, n8n starts again on its own after a reboot.

## 6\. Create your owner account

Open `https://n8n.example.com` in your browser. You'll see the padlock and n8n's setup screen. Create the **owner account** straight away, because until you do, anyone who finds the address could claim it. Use a strong password, and turn on two-factor authentication under **Settings → Personal**.

Test it with a simple workflow: add a **Schedule Trigger** and a **Gmail** or **Telegram** node, run it once, and you're automating.

## 7\. Update n8n

n8n releases new versions often. Take a **snapshot** of your VPS first, then:

```bash
cd ~/n8n
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d
docker image prune -f
```

Your workflows stay in the `n8n_data` volume, so nothing is lost. Before a big version jump, read n8n's release notes for breaking changes. If anything misbehaves, you can roll back to the snapshot in minutes.

## 8\. Back up your workflows

Turn on automatic backups for the server. For an extra copy of n8n's data you can download anywhere, run:

```bash
docker run --rm -v n8n_n8n_data:/data -v ~/backups:/backup alpine tar czf /backup/n8n-$(date +%F).tar.gz -C /data .
```

The volume name is the folder name plus `_n8n_data`; check yours with `docker volume ls`. This archive includes n8n's **encryption key**, and without it saved credentials can't be read on a new server, so keep the file somewhere safe and private.

## Common problems

| Problem | Usual fix |
| --- | --- |
| No certificate, browser shows an error | The subdomain doesn't point to the server yet, or port 80 is closed. Check `dig`, `ufw status` and `docker compose logs caddy`. |
| Webhook URLs show `localhost:5678` | `WEBHOOK_URL` is missing or misspelled. Fix it and run `docker compose up -d`. |
| Times in workflows are off by 5½ hours | Set `GENERIC_TIMEZONE` and `TZ` to `Asia/Kolkata`. |
| n8n becomes slow or restarts | The server is out of memory; check with `free -h`. Heavy workflows and AI agents need 4–8 GB RAM. |

---

*Originally published on the* [*Volyte blog*](https://volyte.com/blog/install-n8n-on-vps)*. Prefer it ready-made? Our* [*n8n VPS*](https://volyte.com/n8n-vps) *comes with n8n, the subdomain and SSL already set up.*