n8n on Hostinger: Self-Host Your Automation Platform ($5/mo)

n8n (pronounced "nodemation") is an open-source workflow automation platform. Think Zapier, but self-hosted, free, and with no execution limits. It connects 400+ services with a visual drag-and-drop editor and supports custom JavaScript/Python code nodes for anything the built-in integrations don't cover.

Key advantages over Zapier/Make: unlimited executions, self-hosted (your data stays private), custom code nodes, AI integration nodes, and a growing community of shared workflow templates.

Full Docker Compose setup with PostgreSQL for production reliability:

mkdir -p ~/n8n && cd ~/n8n

cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
services:
  postgres:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: n8n
      POSTGRES_USER: n8n
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: your-db-password
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    restart: unless-stopped

  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n:latest
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - DB_TYPE=postgresdb
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=postgres
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=your-db-password
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=your-n8n-password
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=America/New_York
      - N8N_HOST=n8n.yourdomain.com
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=https
      - WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.yourdomain.com/
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
    depends_on:
      - postgres
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  postgres_data:
  n8n_data:
EOF

docker compose up -d

Monthly costs for equivalent automation capability:

• n8n on Hostinger VPS: $4.99/mo — unlimited executions, unlimited workflows
• n8n Cloud Starter: $20/mo — 2,500 executions, 5 active workflows
• n8n Cloud Pro: $50/mo — 10,000 executions, unlimited workflows
• Zapier Starter: $20/mo — 750 tasks/month, multi-step zaps
• Zapier Professional: $50/mo — 2,000 tasks/month
• Make Pro: $16/mo — 10,000 operations/month

Self-hosting saves $15-45/mo compared to cloud alternatives. Over a year, that's $180-540 saved while getting unlimited executions and full data control.

n8n has built-in AI nodes that work with your existing API keys:

• AI Agent node: Create conversational agents with tools and memory
• Chat Model nodes: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Ollama support
• Text Classifier: Categorize inputs using AI
• Summarizer: Condense documents and emails
• Sentiment Analysis: Analyze text sentiment

Example workflow: Email arrives → AI summarizes it → If urgent, send Telegram notification → If customer inquiry, draft AI response → Send to approval queue.