Self-host n8n in the cloud with your AI agent

Run your own n8n in the cloud without touching a server. Paste one paragraph and your AI agent sets up n8n with a database on aidrop.it and hands you a link.

You can run your own n8n, the workflow automation tool, in the cloud at a web address of its own. Claude Code, Codex or Cursor sets it up from one paragraph you paste: it installs n8n, connects it to a database so nothing is lost, and hands you a link. Plan on about 30 minutes, mostly waiting for the build.

Self-hosting means you run n8n’s free community edition yourself instead of paying for n8n Cloud. Under n8n’s Sustainable Use License that is free for your own business and personal automations.

What you will have at the end

The n8n editor at its own web address, open from any browser.
Your workflows, run history and saved logins kept in a database, so they survive restarts and updates.
Webhook links that other apps, such as a form or a payment tool, can call to start a workflow.
The setup saved in a repository, so your agent can update n8n later.

Words you will meet

Workflow — a chain of steps in n8n, like “when a form is filled in, add a row to a sheet and post in Slack”.
Webhook — a web address n8n gives a workflow. When another app visits it, the workflow starts.
Database — where n8n keeps everything. aidrop.it runs one next to n8n for you.
Encryption key — a long password n8n uses to lock the logins you save for other apps. Lose it and those logins cannot be opened again.
Secret — a private value saved in your aidrop.it project and handed to n8n when it runs. It never goes into the code.

What you need

An aidrop.it account with your agent connected. The Quickstart shows how.
A plan with a database: Trial, or Pro and above. Starter has none, and n8n without a database forgets everything at every restart.
Enough memory. n8n asks for 320 MB to 2 GB, depending on your workflows. Trial’s smallest size is fine for trying n8n. For daily use, pick the 1 GB size, which starts at Pro. Prices are on aidrop.it.
A long random password from your password manager, for the encryption key. Keep it there: it is the only copy you will have.

Say this to your agent

Set up self-hosted n8n for me on aidrop.it. Use my existing
aidrop.it Project, or create one called "n8n" if I have none.

- Use the official n8n Docker image, pinned to the current
  stable version. It already runs as the "node" user; keep it.
  Read aidrop.it's runtime rules first and follow them.
- Storage: PostgreSQL, never SQLite. Reuse the Project's
  PostgreSQL with a new database, or ask me before creating one.
- n8n cannot read one connection URL. Add a small start script
  that splits DATABASE_URL into n8n's database settings, makes
  n8n listen on 0.0.0.0 on the platform's PORT, then starts it.
- The disk is wiped on every restart: point n8n's user folder
  and HOME at /tmp and keep binary data in the database.
- n8n must read N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY from a Project secret, or
  saved credentials break after a restart. Tell me the secret
  name, I save the value myself. Wait until I confirm.
- Health check: /healthz. Use the 1 GB size if my plan has it.
- After the first build, set n8n's public editor and webhook
  URL to the Service address (https, one proxy in front) and
  build again. SMTP email cannot leave aidrop.it; leave it off.

Build it, check it runs, fix anything that fails. Then give me
the address and tell me to create the owner account at once.

What your agent does

Picks your project and checks for a database. It asks you before creating one.
Tells you the name to save your encryption key under, and waits.
Writes a short setup: the official n8n plus a start-up step that tells n8n where its database is.
Saves it to a repository on aidrop.it and builds it there.
Checks that n8n’s “I’m alive” page answers. If not, it reads the error, fixes it and builds again.
Tells n8n its public address, so the webhook links it shows are right, and gives you the link.

Check that it works

The link opens n8n and asks you to set up the owner account.
A small workflow that fetches any web page runs without errors.
A Webhook step shows a link that starts with your n8n address, not “localhost”.
Ask your agent to restart n8n. Your workflow and saved logins are still there.

When something goes wrong

What you see	What to tell your agent
Workflows vanish after a restart	“n8n is not using PostgreSQL. Fix its database settings and build again.”
Saved logins stop working after a restart	“The encryption key is missing or changed. Read it from the Project secret.”
Webhook links show “localhost”	“Set n8n’s public editor and webhook URL to the Service address.”
A schedule runs at the wrong hour	“Set n8n’s time zone to mine,” and name your city.
“Connection lost” or out-of-memory errors	“Move n8n to the next size up.” Also split big jobs into smaller batches.
An email or mailbox step never connects	Old-style email ports are blocked here. Send mail through a web service such as Resend or Postmark.
Community nodes are gone after a restart	“Have n8n reinstall my community nodes at every start.”

aidrop.it keeps no copies of your data, so ask your agent to take a copy of the database now and then (how). And a scheduled run due during a restart is skipped, unless your agent turns on n8n’s durable scheduler.

FAQ

Is self-hosted n8n free?

The community edition costs nothing for your own business and personal automations, under n8n’s Sustainable Use License. You pay only for the server it runs on. n8n Cloud, run by n8n itself, is a paid subscription. A few features, such as single sign-on, need a paid n8n license key.

Can I build n8n automations for my clients?

Yes, with limits. n8n’s license FAQ allows building and running automations for clients on your own instance, and charging for that work, as long as clients cannot create or edit workflows themselves. Letting clients build their own workflows needs a commercial agreement with n8n.

How do I host n8n without managing a server?

Pay for n8n Cloud, or let your AI agent do the install on a platform made for it. On aidrop.it the agent writes the setup, builds it and checks it runs, and the database sits next to n8n in the same project. The setup stays in your own repository, so you can move it elsewhere later.