I’m trying to figure out where to deploy my n8n workflow automation tool along with PostgreSQL. There are so many options out there and I’m getting confused about which one to pick.
I’ve been looking at different approaches like getting a virtual private server from providers such as DigitalOcean or Vultr. Some people also mention using Docker containers or even going with a full Kubernetes cluster setup.
What has been your experience with different hosting methods? I’m particularly interested in hearing about the pros and cons you’ve encountered. Things like monthly costs, how easy it is to handle backups, dealing with software updates, and overall maintenance overhead.
Any recommendations or warnings about specific platforms would be really helpful. Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!
i’ve had good luck with railway for n8n. their postgres addons are simple and it costs roughly $10-15/month. way easier than handling a full server setup, trust me, digitalocean was too much hassle for me.
Been running n8n on a Hetzner VPS for 8 months - rock solid. CPX21 handles PostgreSQL and my workflows no problem, costs about €8/month which crushes other options. Setup needed some Docker work upfront but now it just runs itself. Their snapshots make backups easy and the EU data centers are fast enough. Just make sure you give PostgreSQL enough memory if you’re doing heavy workflows - learned that one the hard way when my instance crapped out on big datasets.
Went through this same decision 6 months ago - chose self-managed on Linode. Their $20/month dedicated instance gives you full control over n8n and PostgreSQL, which I needed for custom database performance tweaks. What sealed it was their automated backup service. Set it once and you’re done, unlike managed solutions where backup costs pile up fast. Steeper learning curve than managed options, but zero vendor lock-in. Pro tip: get at least 4GB RAM if you’re running complex workflows. PostgreSQL eats memory when n8n processes large batches.