Our verdict: Hostinger is the best VPS for n8n for most people. n8n comes preinstalled, and the entry plan has 4 GB of RAM for $6.49 a month. Pick DigitalOcean to pay monthly with no commitment, Hetzner for the lowest long-term price, and n8n Cloud if you don't want a server at all.
Self-hosted n8n is free and has no cap on workflow runs, so the server is your only bill. The catch is that you run it: updates, backups and security are yours. Here are three servers worth using, and the point where paying n8n to host it makes more sense.
Hostinger VPS
DigitalOcean
Hetzner Cloud
n8n Cloud
What it costs to run n8n
The three servers run the free Community Edition, which n8n says has "almost the complete feature set". n8n Cloud costs more and counts your runs, but someone else keeps it online.
How much server n8n needs
| Server size | Good for | Our take |
|---|---|---|
| 1 vCPU, 2 GB | A few scheduled workflows and webhooks | Works, with little headroom |
| 2 vCPU, 4 GB | Daily use, AI steps, larger data | The best default |
| 4 vCPU, 8 GB and up | Queue mode with Postgres and Redis | Only when one server is busy all day |
Sizes are our guidance. n8n's setup guides say a basic shared CPU plan is enough for most usage, and ask for at least 4 GB and 2 vCPU if you add the n8n Assistant.
The 4 options at a glance
Hostinger VPS- n8n installed in one click
- 4 GB RAM on the entry plan
- A queue mode template when you grow
The catch: that price means paying 24 months upfront.
DigitalOcean- n8n publishes its own setup guide
- Billed by the second, cancel anytime
- An n8n 1-Click app in the Marketplace
The catch: about twice Hostinger's price per GB.
Hetzner Cloud- n8n publishes its own setup guide
- No intro price that jumps later
- 20 TB of traffic on EU servers
The catch: its cheap plans keep going out of stock.
n8n Cloud- Nothing to install, update or secure
- 2,500 workflow runs a month
- What n8n recommends for non-experts
The catch: runs are capped; 10,000 costs $50.
Prices and plans
Prices checked November 14, 2026, on each company's own pricing page. Hetzner lists euros excluding VAT; Hostinger's are sale prices on a 24-month term.
| Provider | Entry plan | Next step up | Billing | Workflow runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger VPS | $6.49/mo intro (1 vCPU, 4 GB), renews $11.99 | $8.79 intro (2 vCPU, 8 GB), renews $14.99 | 24 months upfront, $155.76 | Unlimited |
| DigitalOcean | $12/mo (1 vCPU, 2 GB) | $24/mo (2 vCPU, 4 GB) | Per second, capped monthly | Unlimited |
| Hetzner Cloud | From €5.49/mo excl. VAT | Cost-Optimized from €5.99, not available | Hourly, capped monthly | Unlimited |
| n8n Cloud | $20/mo billed yearly | Pro $50/mo billed yearly | Yearly or monthly | 2,500, then 10,000 on Pro |
What each one gives you
| Feature | Hostinger | DigitalOcean | Hetzner | n8n Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n8n installed for you | ✓ | 1-Click app | ✗ | ✓ |
| Official n8n setup guide | – | ✓ | ✓ | Not needed |
| Unlimited workflow runs | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pay monthly, cancel anytime | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Same price after the first term | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4 GB of RAM for under $10 | ✓ | ✗ | When in stock | Not sold by RAM |
| No server to manage | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
– means n8n's documentation doesn't include a guide for that provider.
Hostinger VPS: best for most people
Hostinger sells a VPS with n8n already on it. You pick the "Ubuntu 24.04 with n8n" template and the server boots with n8n running, so you skip the Docker and reverse proxy steps. A second template sets up queue mode for heavier loads.
The entry plan has 1 vCPU and 4 GB for $6.49 a month. That price needs 24 months paid upfront, $155.76 in total, and it renews at $11.99. An AI web terminal handles server tasks from plain-language requests.
DigitalOcean: best with no commitment
DigitalOcean is the pick if you want to try self-hosting without a two-year bill. A 2 GB Droplet is $12 a month and a 4 GB one is $24, billed by the second, so a weekend test costs cents.
n8n publishes a setup guide for it that uses Docker Compose and Caddy, and the Marketplace has an n8n 1-Click app. That app is maintained by a third party, automaze.me, not by n8n.
.n8n data folder. Lose it and your saved credentials can't be read, so include that folder in every backup, even if your workflows live in Postgres.Hetzner Cloud: lowest long-term price
Hetzner has no intro pricing, so what you pay in month one is what you pay in year three. Plans start from €5.49 a month excluding VAT, and n8n publishes a Hetzner setup guide that says its small CPX type is enough for most usage.
Stock is the problem. On November 14, Hetzner's site showed its Cost-Optimized line as not available and marked several small Regular Performance plans as unavailable too. Check before you plan around it.
n8n Cloud: best with no server
n8n says plainly that it "recommends self-hosting for expert users" and points everyone else to n8n Cloud. Starter is $20 a month billed yearly for 2,500 workflow runs, and Pro is $50 for 10,000.
It's the right call if a broken workflow would cost you more than the $14 a month you'd save. Our n8n vs Make vs Zapier comparison covers how its pricing stacks up.
What about Railway, Render and other app platforms?
App platforms run n8n's Docker image without you touching a server, and bill for what it uses. They sit between a VPS and n8n Cloud on effort and price. See Railway vs Render vs Fly.io for how they compare, and our best VPS for AI agents guide if the server will run more than n8n.
Which one should you use?
The verdict
Hostinger is the best VPS for n8n for most people in 2026: n8n is preinstalled and 4 GB costs $6.49 a month, as long as you're fine paying for two years. Choose DigitalOcean to stay month to month, Hetzner for a flat long-term price, and n8n Cloud when uptime matters more than the saving.
FAQ
What is the best VPS for n8n?
Hostinger for most people. Its VPS comes with n8n preinstalled from a one-click template, and the entry plan has 1 vCPU and 4 GB of RAM for $6.49 a month on a 24-month term. DigitalOcean is the better choice if you want to pay monthly.
How much RAM does n8n need?
n8n doesn't publish a fixed minimum. Its setup guides say a basic shared CPU plan is enough for most usage, and ask for at least 4 GB of RAM and 2 vCPU if you add the n8n Assistant. We'd treat 2 GB as the floor and 4 GB as the default.
Is self-hosted n8n free?
Yes. The Community Edition runs without a license key and includes almost the complete feature set, with queue mode. It leaves out single sign-on, environments, Git version control and workflow sharing. You still pay for the server.
Is it cheaper to self-host n8n than to use n8n Cloud?
In money, yes. A VPS costs from about $6 to $12 a month with no limit on workflow runs, against $20 a month for 2,500 runs on n8n Cloud. You pay the difference in time, because updates, backups and security become your job.
Do I need Docker to self-host n8n?
It's the route n8n documents. Its DigitalOcean and Hetzner guides both install n8n with Docker Compose, with Caddy in front to handle HTTPS. Hostinger's n8n template sets this up for you.