Sizing n8n
A single-user n8n instance with a handful of active workflows is happy on 4 GB of RAM, which is why the Standard plan at $8.90/month is the sensible starting point: 3 vCPU and 90 GB of NVMe hold n8n, its PostgreSQL database and Redis on one box. Workflows that fan out to hundreds of parallel executions, or that shuttle large binary payloads, are the signal to move up to a plan with more memory rather than more cores.
Because this is full KVM, Docker and docker-compose run natively — the standard n8n deployment is a compose file, and nothing about the platform gets in its way.
Why self-host rather than use n8n Cloud
Every automation platform sees the data flowing through it: the API keys you connect, the customer records a workflow touches, the contents of every webhook. Self-hosting n8n means those never leave a server you rent directly, and on NimbusVPS that server carries no identity linking it back to you and keeps 0-day access logs.
The practical cost of self-hosting is that you run your own backups and updates. Off-site snapshots stored in a second jurisdiction are available as an add-on, and a new version of n8n is a single container pull.
Frequently asked questions
How much RAM does self-hosted n8n need?
For a personal or small-team instance, 4 GB is comfortable and is what the Standard plan ($8.90/month) provides, alongside PostgreSQL and Redis on the same box. Memory is the resource n8n consumes first under parallel executions, so scale RAM before cores if workflows start queuing.
Can I run n8n with Docker on a VPS?
Yes. NimbusVPS is full KVM with your own kernel, so Docker and docker-compose run natively — the official n8n compose stack deploys unchanged. This is not a shared-kernel container platform where Docker-in-container is restricted.
Is self-hosting n8n cheaper than n8n Cloud?
Usually, and it becomes decisively cheaper as execution volume grows, because a VPS is a flat $8.90 per month regardless of how many workflow executions you run, while hosted plans meter executions. You trade that for running your own updates and backups.
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