Can You Run n8n on Docker?

Can you run n8n on Docker?

Quick Answer: Yes. n8n provides an official Docker image (n8nio/n8n) that can be run with a single command, supports persistent volumes for workflow data, and works with Docker Compose for production setups including PostgreSQL. Self-hosted n8n on Docker is free under the Sustainable Use License and is the recommended deployment path.

Running n8n on Docker

Docker is the recommended deployment method for self-hosted n8n. The official image is maintained by the n8n team and updated with each release.

Quick Start — Single Container

Run n8n with one command, storing data in a named volume:

docker run -it --rm \
  --name n8n \
  -p 5678:5678 \
  -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n \
  n8nio/n8n

Access the editor at http://localhost:5678.

Production Setup — Docker Compose

For production, use Docker Compose with PostgreSQL for data storage:

services:
  postgres:
    image: postgres:15
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: n8n
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
      POSTGRES_DB: n8n
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      DB_TYPE: postgresdb
      DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST: postgres
      DB_POSTGRESDB_USER: n8n
      DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD: ${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
      N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY: ${N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY}
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
    depends_on:
      - postgres

Recommended Environment Variables

N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY: Encrypts credentials at rest
N8N_HOST: External hostname (for webhooks)
WEBHOOK_URL: Full URL for webhooks (important behind reverse proxy)
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE: Enables basic auth for the editor

Reverse Proxy

For public deployments, place n8n behind Caddy, Nginx, or Traefik for TLS termination. This is required for webhooks from external services.

Backup

Back up the PostgreSQL database nightly
Export workflows with the n8n CLI: n8n export:workflow --all --output=/backups
Store encryption key securely (loss = inability to decrypt credentials)

Scaling Considerations

Default single-instance runs webhook and worker processes together
For high throughput, enable "queue mode" with Redis and separate worker containers
Worker containers use the same image with --worker flag

Resource Requirements

Minimum: 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM
Recommended for production: 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM
Disk: 10 GB for database and logs

Running n8n on Docker

Quick Start — Single Container

Production Setup — Docker Compose

Recommended Environment Variables

Reverse Proxy

Backup

Scaling Considerations

Resource Requirements

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