What Cloud Provider Should You Use for Self-Hosted n8n?

n8n is one of the hottest automation tools available right now. It's open source, powerful, and AI native. Once you're ready to self-host it, the next step is choosing the right cloud provider.

Here are five options and how they compare when hosting your own n8n instance.

1. Sliplane

Sliplane is built for people who want to self-host tools like n8n without server management.

Price: starts at 9 euros per month for 2GB RAM, 2vCPU and 40GB SSD
Pros:

• one click n8n deployment
• automatic backups included
• free domain and HTTPS
• zero server setup required
• no separate billing for Postgres
• predictable flat pricing

A complete setup in minutes without dealing with configuration, updates, or infrastructure headaches.

2. Hetzner

Hetzner offers cheap and fast VPS instances, especially popular in Europe.

Price: around 5 euros per month
Pros: low cost, good performance, full control
Cons: everything must be done manually including server setup, backups, SSL, monitoring, and security updates

Great if you enjoy setting up infrastructure yourself. If you're interested, we have a detailed guide on how to set up n8n on Hetzner.

3. Render

Render provides a managed platform with easy deploys and built-in HTTPS.

Price: 25 dollars per month for the web service plus at least 19 dollars more for Postgres
Pros: quick deployments, managed services, clean interface
Cons: costs add up quickly if you need both the app and database

More plug-and-play than raw VPS but comes with a steep price tag.

4. Railway

Railway focuses on a modern developer experience with a visual canvas and integrations.

Price: usage based, varies depending on traffic and storage
Pros: intuitive UI, streamlined deployment flow
Cons: hard to predict cost over time

Best suited for those who value UI and ease of use over fixed pricing.

5. DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean is another VPS provider with global locations and a more polished interface.

Price: around 6 dollars per month
Pros: easy-to-use dashboard, better documentation, managed database options
Cons: similar DIY requirements as Hetzner

Offers a better experience than Hetzner but at a slightly higher price. If you're interested, we have a guide on how to set up n8n on Ubuntu Server.

Conclusion

Each provider has tradeoffs. If you prefer full control and don't mind doing the work, Hetzner and DigitalOcean are good choices. If you want more convenience and are fine with a higher price, Render and Railway are options.

For those who want a fully working n8n instance with backups, Postgres, and HTTPS included at a fair price and no server management, Sliplane makes things very easy.

Cheers,

Jonas, Co-Founder at Sliplane