You may have heard n8n floating around the tech forums, or mentioned in the work group chat, but do you know what it actually is? If you do, great! You can stop reading. But if not, we explain everything n8n right here – starting with the very basics.
n8n – an overview
n8n is an fair-code workflow automation tool that enables you to connect your applications and data in a single, fully customisable environment – with little to no code. It acts as the ‘digital glue’ connecting hundreds of apps, services, and APIs.
And it’s perfect for VPS customers. With our n8n VPS hosting, you self-host the n8n platform on your own dedicated virtual server in the UK. This gives you unlimited workflows and executions while giving you access to community-built nodes.
n8n self-hosting makes sure you have complete control over your data security and infrastructure, letting you scale as your requirements grow.
Not only this, but a VPS is the ideal place to host your n8n workflows and automations, as local machines timeout or need to “always be on”, but a VPS keeps it running 24/7.
How much does it cost?
n8n is completely free for personal automations!
But n8n isn’t just free software, it’s smart economics.
Unlike SaaS tools that punish you for growing by charging per task, self-hosting n8n on our VPS means you pay one flat monthly fee. Run 10 workflows or 10,000 – your bill won’t budge. And, thanks to n8n’s fair-code license, the Community Edition is completely free for your internal business needs. You get the full feature set, just without the enterprise price tag.
How can it benefit your business?
If you have a VPS, n8n is the perfect addition to your workflow. So, how can you use it to make business effortless? And what benefit does this have on your daily operations?
- Cut the costs – You only pay for the VPS, so you can say goodbye to the high recurring costs and per-task fees charged by SaaS competitors like Zapier.
- Keep your data close – All your sensitive data and workflow processing stays on your private VPS, giving you maximum security and compliance.
- Built for modern automation – Get a ready-to-use app that turns your VPS into a flexible, reliable powerhouse for all your projects.
n8n is the powerful solution to your project or business needs. Here’s just a few more things it can do for you:
- Write your own JavaScript or Python right inside the workflow
- Handle complex logic like loops, branching, and merging with ease – visually map about intricate processes without losing track of where your data is going
- Connect to external AI tools (like OpenAI or Anthropic) or plug in your own datasets to build custom bots and n8n AI agents
- Get a clear view of your data at every step – pause, inspect and tweak your workflows in real-time
How to set up n8n on our VPS
Getting started is straightforward, as n8n comes preinstalled with Fasthosts "Ubuntu 24.04 + n8n" VPS image.
Whether you need a standard setup or a more complex configuration for high-volume processing, our VPS platform gives you the root access required to configure n8n exactly how you need it.
To guide you through accessing n8n on a Fasthosts VPS, check out this step-by-step guide.
Quick note: as n8n is a self-hosted application, our support covers the VPS environment itself rather than the internal configuration of your n8n workflows or custom code, or any n8n AI logic.
For application-specific questions, we recommend the extensive n8n community documentation and forums, while our own Knowledge Base covers the essentials of managing your server.
If you’d like to export an existing workflow over to us, great news – you can do exactly that! Move workflows from platforms like Render, DigitalOcean, or n8n cloud and migrate them to your self-hosted n8n on our VPS. If you need help with this, we have a guide on how to migrate your VPS right here.
Your workflow, your rules
Ready to take control of your business with n8n? If you have any questions about our VPS or any of our other products or services, please get in touch. Our team is available 24/7 over the phone (0333 0142 700) or via live chat.
