Introduction
In an era where digital transformation drives every aspect of business and technology, automation is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Whether it’s integrating apps, processing data, or orchestrating multi-step workflows, workflow automation tools simplify complex processes and save precious time.
n8n (pronounced “n-eight-n”) is an open-source workflow automation tool gaining rapid popularity. Unlike many commercial alternatives, n8n provides a transparent, customizable platform with over 200 integrations and a user-friendly visual interface. It allows developers and technical users to build complex workflows with little to no coding, and crucially, gives you complete control over your data and infrastructure.
Deploying n8n on Amazon Web Services (AWS) leverages AWS’s scalable infrastructure and rich ecosystem. Running n8n yourself on AWS means you can tailor the environment to your specific needs, integrate it tightly with other AWS services, and optimize costs compared to third-party SaaS solutions.
This guide walks you through deploying n8n on AWS using an EC2 instance with Docker — a practical and widely used approach balancing ease of setup, maintainability, and flexibility. Whether you’re an individual developer, DevOps engineer, or part of a larger team, this tutorial will empower you to deploy a secure, reliable n8n instance on AWS.
Prerequisites
Before jumping into deployment, setting up the right environment and having certain skills and tools in place is essential.
AWS Account and Permissions
You need a valid AWS account with permissions to:
- Launch and manage EC2 instances
- Create security groups and manage firewall rules
- Manage SSH key pairs for secure access
If you are new to AWS, you can sign up for a free tier account that offers limited resources free for 12 months. This can be ideal for testing.
Basic AWS Knowledge
Understanding some core AWS concepts helps:
- EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) — Virtual servers in the cloud.
- Security Groups — Virtual firewalls controlling inbound and outbound traffic to EC2 instances.
- Key Pairs — Cryptographic key pairs used for SSH authentication.
Command-Line Interface (CLI) Familiarity
Most setup tasks require working with Linux shell commands over SSH, including:
- Installing and configuring software
- Managing Docker containers
- Editing configuration files
Basic Linux and Docker commands familiarity will smooth the process.
Recommended Tools
- SSH Client: Tools like OpenSSH on macOS/Linux, or PuTTY on Windows.
- Docker & Docker Compose (optional but highly recommended): Docker containers simplify app deployment and management.
- AWS CLI (optional): For automating AWS resource management.
Choosing a Deployment Strategy
n8n can be deployed on AWS using multiple strategies, each suitable for different use cases and expertise levels.
1. Bare-metal install on EC2
This involves installing n8n directly on the EC2’s operating system (Ubuntu or Amazon Linux). You manage dependencies and updates manually.
- Pros: Full control, minimal layers.
- Cons: Harder to maintain, no container isolation, difficult scaling.
2. Docker-based install on EC2 (Focus of This Guide)
Deploy n8n inside a Docker container running on EC2.
- Pros: Easy installation and upgrade, environment isolation, portability.
- Cons: Slight learning curve if unfamiliar with Docker.
3. AWS ECS or Fargate
AWS’s managed container orchestration (ECS) or serverless containers (Fargate) allow automatic scaling, load balancing, and management.
- Pros: Great for production and scale, no server management.
- Cons: More complex to configure, cost considerations.
4. Use n8n.cloud (Official Hosted Service)
You can use the official n8n cloud hosting, which requires no infrastructure management.
- Pros: Quick start, maintenance-free.
- Cons: Less control, recurring cost, data sovereignty concerns.
This guide focuses on option 2 — Docker-based deployment on EC2 — combining simplicity with flexibility, ideal for users who want hands-on control but minimal complexity.
Launching Your EC2 Instance
Step 1: Choose an Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Pick a base OS image for your EC2 instance:
- Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or 22.04 LTS — Popular with strong community support.
- Amazon Linux 2 — AWS’s own optimized OS, lightweight and secure.
Ubuntu is often preferred for ease of use and broad compatibility.
Step 2: Select Instance Type
Depending on workload:
- t2.micro — 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, free tier eligible. Good for light or experimental use.
- t3.medium — 2 vCPUs, 4GB RAM, better performance for production workflows.
Choose based on expected load and budget.
Step 3: Configure Storage
Allocate an 8–20 GB SSD (EBS) volume, enough for OS, n8n app, and data.
Step 4: Set Up Networking and Security Groups
Security is crucial here.
Create a security group with these inbound rules:
| Protocol | Port | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| TCP | 22 | SSH access |
| TCP | 5678 | n8n web interface (HTTP) |
| TCP | 443 | HTTPS (optional) |
Outbound traffic is typically open by default.
Step 5: Create or Select a Key Pair
Generate an SSH key pair or use an existing one. Download the private key (.pem) securely for SSH access.
Step 6: Launch and Connect
Start your instance and connect:
ssh -i path/to/your-key.pem ubuntu@your-ec2-public-ip
If you have firewall or networking issues, double-check security group settings and instance status.
Setting Up n8n Using Docker
Once logged in, install Docker and Docker Compose to containerize n8n.
1. Update System and Install Docker
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y docker.io
Start and enable Docker service:
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker
2. Install Docker Compose
sudo apt install -y docker-compose
Check versions:
docker --version
docker-compose --version
3. Create Docker Compose Configuration
Create a file called docker-compose.yml:
version: "3"
services:
n8n:
image: n8nio/n8n
ports:
- "5678:5678"
environment:
- N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
- N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=yourpassword
- N8N_HOST=your-domain.com
- N8N_PORT=5678
- WEBHOOK_URL=https://your-domain.com/
volumes:
- ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n
restart: unless-stopped
Notes:
- Replace
yourpasswordwith a strong password. - Replace
your-domain.comwith your real domain or public IP (for HTTPS and webhook use). - Mounting
~/.n8npersists workflows and credentials across container restarts. - Restart policy ensures n8n starts automatically on server reboot or crashes.
4. Start the Container
Run:
docker-compose up -d
Verify the container is running:
docker ps
5. Access n8n
Visit http://your-ec2-public-ip:5678 in your browser. Log in with the credentials you set.
(Optional) Add SSL with Nginx + Let’s Encrypt
For security and trust, it’s best practice to serve n8n over HTTPS.
Step 1: Install Nginx
sudo apt install -y nginx
Step 2: Configure Reverse Proxy
Create /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n:
server {
listen 80;
server_name your-domain.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:5678;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
}
}
Enable site:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
Step 3: Obtain SSL with Certbot
Install Certbot and Nginx plugin:
sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx
Run:
sudo certbot --nginx -d your-domain.com
Follow prompts to install SSL certificate.
Step 4: Update n8n Environment Variables
Set WEBHOOK_URL and N8N_HOST to use HTTPS domain in your docker-compose.yml, then restart the container:
docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d
Step 5: Renew SSL Automatically
Certbot configures a systemd timer or cron job automatically. Check status:
sudo systemctl status certbot.timer
Securing Your Instance
Harden Access
- Restrict SSH access to known IPs in security groups.
- Change SSH default port from 22 to something else (e.g., 2222) in
/etc/ssh/sshd_config. - Use SSH key authentication only (disable password login).
Use UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall)
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 5678
sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'
sudo ufw enable
Fail2Ban to Prevent Brute Force
Install and configure fail2ban:
sudo apt install -y fail2ban
sudo systemctl enable fail2ban
sudo systemctl start fail2ban
You can create jail configurations to monitor SSH and Nginx logs for repeated failed attempts.
Protect n8n
- Use n8n’s Basic Authentication (already enabled in this setup).
- Optionally integrate OAuth for enterprise environments.
- Regularly update Docker images and your EC2 OS for security patches.
Persistent Storage & Backups
Persistence with Docker Volumes
By mapping ~/.n8n on the host, your workflows, credentials, and settings are saved outside the container. This means data survives container restarts or recreations.
Attaching Additional EBS Volumes
For heavy workloads or large data volumes, add and mount EBS storage to your EC2 instance:
- Create an EBS volume in AWS console.
- Attach it to your EC2 instance.
- SSH into the instance, format, and mount the volume (e.g.,
/mnt/n8n-data). - Update your Docker Compose to mount
/mnt/n8n-data/.n8n.
Automated Backups
Backing up workflow data protects against accidental loss:
- Use AWS S3 for durable off-site backups.
- Schedule daily sync with
aws s3 synccommand via cron jobs. - For relational data (if using external DB), snapshot and backup with RDS features.
Example cron job (crontab -e):
0 3 * * * aws s3 sync ~/.n8n s3://your-s3-bucket/n8n-backups --delete
Monitoring and Maintenance
Maintaining uptime and diagnosing issues is crucial.
Monitoring Logs
View real-time logs with:
docker logs -f n8n
For deeper analysis, export logs to CloudWatch or use log aggregation tools like ELK stack.
Metrics and Alerts
- Integrate Prometheus exporters and visualize with Grafana.
- Set up AWS CloudWatch alarms to monitor instance CPU, memory, and disk usage.
- Configure alerts on container health and failures.
Auto-Restart & Health Checks
Ensure Docker container restarts automatically with restart: unless-stopped in compose file.
For Kubernetes or ECS deployments, use health probes and auto-restart policies.
Software Updates
- Regularly update the
n8nio/n8nDocker image to get bug fixes and new features. - Keep EC2 OS updated with security patches (
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade).
Scaling Up (Optional)
If your automation needs grow, consider advanced scaling:
Horizontal Scaling with ECS or Kubernetes
- Move n8n containers into AWS ECS or EKS (Kubernetes) clusters for automatic scaling.
- Use AWS Fargate to run containers serverlessly.
Load Balancing
Use an Application Load Balancer (ALB) to distribute traffic across multiple instances for high availability.
Database Externalization
By default, n8n uses SQLite which is not ideal for scale. Move to an external DB like Amazon RDS PostgreSQL for better performance and reliability.
Update n8n environment variables accordingly:
- DB_TYPE=postgresdb
- DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=your-rds-endpoint
- DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432
- DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n
- DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=username
- DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=password
CI/CD Integration
Automate deployment and updates with pipelines using:
- GitHub Actions
- AWS CodePipeline
Push new workflows or configuration changes seamlessly.
Conclusion
Running n8n on AWS opens a world of automation possibilities. By deploying n8n on an EC2 instance with Docker, you benefit from:
- Full control over your environment and workflows
- Cost-efficient and scalable infrastructure
- Strong security through AWS best practices
- Flexibility to grow and scale with your business needs
This guide showed how to get started step-by-step, from launching an EC2 instance to securing your deployment and adding SSL. You now have a reliable, production-ready n8n automation platform that you can customize endlessly.
For more advanced configurations, explore AWS managed container services, external databases, and CI/CD pipelines.
Start automating today—visit the n8n documentation and the vibrant community forums to discover tips, share workflows, and grow your automation expertise.