n8n AWS Self‑Hosting Guide

https://daisuke.masuda.tokyo/article-2025-10-28-0923

Transcript

1. n8n AWS Self-Hosting Guide Architecture, Cost, and Options Practical Guide: Deploying on EC2, ECS Fargate, EKS, Lightsail Audience: Engineers, DevOps, Technical Leaders Goal: Choose optimal AWS pattern, estimate costs, plan implementation October 2025 | Technical Guide
2. What is n8n? Open-source workflow automation platform  Open-source workflow automation - Zapier-like, developer-oriented tool  Runs as a Node.js app - supports queue/worker mode for scale  Storage options: SQLite (simple setup) or PostgreSQL (production)  Requirements: persistent storage for data/config, reverse proxy/SSL, backups  Typical exposure: HTTPS on subdomain with webhook endpoints
3. Why Self-Host n8n? Understanding the advantages and challenges of self-hosting your automation platform Pros  Data control - Keep all data within your private network/VPC and meet compliance requirements  Customization - Use community nodes, custom configurations, and no per- execution limits $ Cost efficiency - Potentially lower costs at scale compared to SaaS pricing Cons  Operational responsibility - You manage security, patching, monitoring, and backups  Complexity - HA, scaling, and upgrades become your responsibility  Risk - Misconfiguration could lead to data loss or downtime
4. AWS Pattern 1: EC2 VM + Docker Compose Simple yet flexible solution Overview  Single EC2 instance runs n8n ( Docker / Compose ) + reverse proxy ( Nginx / Caddy / Traefik )  Storage: EBS volume; optional RDS Postgres Architecture Route53 (DNS) → EC2 (Reverse proxy → n8n:5678) → EBS; optional RDS When it fits  Small teams, POC, low traffic, tight budget  Pros Simple, lowest cost, full control  Cons Manual ops, single-point-of-failure unless you add more infra
5. AWS Pattern 2: ECS Fargate Serverless containers for n8n workflows without infrastructure management Overview  Run n8n as a Fargate service; persist data on EFS ; expose via ALB $ Optionally use Fargate Spot to cut costs (up to 70% savings) Architecture  Route53 → ALB → ECS Service (n8n) → EFS ; optional RDS Postgres When it fits  Managed compute without servers, multi-env consistency via IaC Pros/Cons  No EC2 to manage, easy blue/green, integrates with IAM/CloudWatch  ALB adds base cost (~$18/mo); sticky sessions or single task often needed for webhooks
6. AWS Pattern 3: EKS (Kubernetes) Enterprise-grade Kubernetes platform for n8n at scale Overview  n8n + Postgres on AWS with Kubernetes (EKS) for scaling and resilience  Use gp3 storage for PVCs; Ingress/ALB for HTTPS Architecture Route53  ALB/Ingress  n8n Deployment  PVC (gp3) When it fits  Multiple instances, high scale, complex reliability needs Pros/Cons + Best for horizontal scaling and multi-tenant workloads − Highest complexity and base control-plane cost ($72/month)
7. AWS Pattern 4: Lightsail Simple VPS Fixed pricing Quick deployment Overview  Fixed-price VPS with simple networking; install n8n via Docker/Compose or a panel Architecture  DNS → Lightsail instance (reverse proxy → n8n) → local disk; optional Lightsail DB or RDS When it fits  Solo developers, hobby projects, quick start with predictable billing Pros/Cons  Pros: Easiest setup, flat pricing, simple management  Cons: Limited scaling/HA options; fewer AWS integrations than EC2/ECS/EKS
8. Pattern Comparison  Comparing capabilities across AWS deployment patterns Choose the right approach based on your specific requirements and constraints Criteria EC2 ECS Fargate EKS Lightsail Complexity  Low  Medium  High  Low Scaling Manual (ASG) Service autoscaling Cluster autoscaling Vertical only High Availability With multi-AZ design Multiple tasks + ALB Replicas/rollouts Limited Persistence EBS/RDS EFS/RDS PVC/RDS (gp3) Local disk/RDS SSL/Ingress Nginx/Caddy/ALB ALB + ACM Ingress + ALB + ACM Built-in or reverse proxy CI/CD User-defined ECS/CodeDeploy  GitOps/ArgoCD User-defined
9. Cost Comparison (USD) $ Monthly estimated costs for each AWS deployment pattern Prices vary by region, usage patterns, and specific configuration choices Component EC2 ECS Fargate EKS Lightsail Compute  $12–15  $3–10 (Spot) $15–25 (On- demand)  $72 (Control plane) + worker nodes  $5–12 Storage EBS: $1–3 EFS: $1–3 gp3 PVC: $1–5 Included Networking Elastic IP: $0* ALB: $18+ (optional) ALB: $18+ ALB: $18+ NLB: $16+ (optional) Included (Data transfer quota) Database RDS: $15+ (optional) RDS: $15+ (optional) RDS: $15+ (optional) Lightsail DB: $15+ or RDS (optional)  Total (Monthly) $ $13–20 (without ALB) $30–40 (with ALB) $ $22–35 (Spot) $35–50 (On- demand) $ $100–200+ (even for small clusters) $ $5–12 base $20–30 with DB * Elastic IP is free when attached to a running instance. ALB/NLB costs are significant base expenses. Prices based on us-east-1 region. Free tier eligibility may reduce initial costs. Use AWS Pricing Calculator for precise estimates.
10. Recommended Patterns by Use Case Select the right deployment pattern for your specific requirements  Dev/POC: Lightsail or EC2 (Docker Compose, Let's Encrypt) - Fastest path to a working instance with minimal setup  Solo/SMB production (low–mid traffic): ECS Fargate + EFS + ALB + ACM; 1 task (sticky) or queue/worker mode for better reliability  Regulated or multi-region: EKS + RDS Postgres + Ingress/ALB + automated backups - Best for compliance requirements and geographic distribution  Cost-optimized multi-env: ECS Fargate Spot (save ~70%); share one ALB across target groups when feasible to reduce fixed costs  Data durability: Prefer Postgres (RDS) over SQLite for production; always back up volumes (EBS/EFS/RDS) with appropriate retention policies
11. Non-AWS Options Alternative hosting options for n8n  VPS + Docker Compose: Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Vultr, OVH; $5-$20/mo typical  Managed containers/PaaS: Northflank, Railway, Render; simple deploys, add- ons for Postgres/SSL  GCP Cloud Run + Postgres: autoscaling, pay-per-use  On-prem/Kubernetes: K3s/K8s clusters when infra already exists  Common checklist: reverse proxy + SSL, persistent volume, external Postgres, automated backups, monitoring
12. Implementation Tips and Next Steps  Best practices for successful n8n deployments  Security: Enforce HTTPS; restrict admin URL/IP; rotate credentials; implement IAM least privilege principle  Webhooks: Use sticky sessions with single instance or queue/worker mode; set proper webhook base URL  Backups: Configure EBS/EFS snapshot policies; enable RDS automated backups + PITR; regularly test restore procedures  Observability: Set up CloudWatch metrics/logs; create alarms for 5xx errors and CPU/memory thresholds; implement health checks  IaC: Use Terraform/CloudFormation; create environment-specific variables; develop modules for ECS/EKS  Next Steps: Choose a pattern for your use case, run a small pilot, then productionize with SSL, backups, and monitoring