Free cloud options for hosting n8n automation tool?

Hi everyone! I’m looking for advice on the best way to set up n8n without spending any money. I need it for automating some tasks around the office.

Has anyone found a good free cloud service that works well with n8n? I’m not super tech-savvy, so something user-friendly would be great. I’ve heard about a few options, but I’m not sure which one to pick.

What are your experiences? Any tips on getting started or things to watch out for? Thanks in advance for your help!

I’ve been using Railway for hosting n8n and it’s been a game-changer for me. The free tier gives you $5 credit monthly, which is plenty for running n8n for small-scale automation tasks. What I love about it is how simple it is to set up - you can deploy using a GitHub template with minimal fuss.

The best part? Once you’ve deployed, you get a URL to access your n8n instance right away. No complicated server setups or technical headaches. It’s perfect if you’re not super tech-savvy but still want to get your automations up and running quickly.

Just keep an eye on your usage to stay within the free tier limits. And remember to secure your instance properly - that’s crucial regardless of where you host it. Overall, Railway has been reliable and user-friendly in my experience, making it a solid choice for getting started with n8n without spending a dime.

I’ve had success using Oracle Cloud’s Always Free Tier for hosting n8n. It’s a bit more involved to set up compared to some other options, but it gives you a full VM to work with. This means you have more control and resources at your disposal.

The key is to create a compute instance, install Docker, and then configure n8n. It’s not as plug-and-play as some alternatives, but if you’re comfortable following tutorials, it’s definitely doable. The best part is that the resources are sufficient for running multiple automation tasks without hitting limits too quickly.

Just be prepared to spend some time on the initial setup and security configuration. It’s crucial to properly secure your instance, especially when it’s exposed to the internet. Overall, it’s been a reliable solution for me, and the fact that it’s truly free (not just a trial) is a major plus.

hey, have u tried Render? its pretty cool for n8n. i set it up last month, super easy. just make a web service, put in the right commands and boom! ur good to go. plus, u get https for free. might be worth checking out if ur not too techy. just keep an eye on usage limits.