I’m wondering if I can skip getting a VPS for my n8n automation workflows. My desktop computer stays powered on all the time and has a reliable internet connection. Would this setup work just as well as a paid virtual private server? I’m thinking this could save me money since I already have the hardware running constantly. Are there any downsides to hosting n8n locally on my personal machine versus using cloud hosting? Has anyone else tried running their automation workflows from home instead of paying for server hosting?
depends on what you’re doing with it. i’ve been running n8n at home for 8 months - it’s been solid. main thing is making sure your router doesn’t restart and mess up port configs. dynamic dns helps a lot with IP changes. downside is if your internet goes down, everything stops, but you get the same risk with cheap VPS providers anyway. works fine for my stuff.
Yeah, you can run n8n locally but think about security first. Opening ports for webhooks exposes your home network - learned that one the hard way when I started seeing weird traffic. The real problem is reliability though. Power goes out, ISP does maintenance, hardware dies - your workflows just stop. VPS gives you actual uptime guarantees and redundancy. Home internet doesn’t come with an SLA. I still use local for dev and testing - prototype everything at home before pushing to production. Just set up proper firewall rules and maybe stick nginx in front as a reverse proxy. But for anything important? That $5-10/month VPS is worth it for the peace of mind.
Been there. Local n8n turns into a headache once you scale up. Works fine initially, but you’ll waste more time fixing problems than building workflows.
Maintenance kills you. Docker updates break stuff, OS reboots mess things up, network configs randomly fail. I’ve blown entire weekends on connectivity issues that shouldn’t happen.
n8n’s interface gets clunky with complex automation chains too. Multi-step workflows turn messy quick.
Try Latenode instead. Handles server problems automatically and the workflow builder beats n8n hands down. No port forwarding, Docker hassles, or 2am webhook debugging.
Moved my automations from self-hosted n8n to Latenode last year. Same features, zero infrastructure stress. Time saved not babysitting servers pays for the service.
Local n8n works for basic stuff but you’ll hit walls fast. It’s not just uptime - it’s the networking headaches, port forwarding, and constant maintenance.
I ran automation locally until I got sick of fixing connection issues every few weeks. Your home IP changes, webhooks break, workflows die when you need them.
Skip n8n - try Latenode instead. They handle all the hosting mess for you. No server setup, no maintenance, built for automation workflows. Usually cheaper than VPS costs and way more reliable.
Switched from self-hosting to Latenode a year ago, haven’t looked back. My workflows just run without me babysitting servers. So much less stress.
Check it out: https://latenode.com
Yeah, running n8n at home works great - I’ve seen tons of people do it successfully. Main difference from a VPS comes down to your use case and how much downtime you can handle. Your always-on desktop is perfect, but think about what happens when you need system updates or random reboots - everything stops until you restart. Here’s something people don’t mention much: home internet upload speeds usually suck and will choke data-heavy workflows. Also, some ISPs technically don’t allow servers on residential connections, though most don’t actually care. Cost-wise it’s smart if you’re already running the hardware anyway. Just get your backups sorted since you won’t have VPS snapshot features. Docker makes recovery way easier when things break. I’ve been running mine locally for dev work without problems, but anything critical still goes on proper hosting.