Setting Up n8n on AWS EC2 with Docker: A Step-by-Step Guide

So you want to run your own n8n instance? Smart move. Whether you're tired of paying for Zapier or just want full control over your automation workflows, hosting n8n on AWS EC2 is a solid choice. Let me walk you through it.

Why n8n on EC2?

Before we dive in, here's why this setup rocks:

Full control - Your data, your rules
Cost-effective - EC2 free tier gets you started for free
Scalable - Upgrade your instance as you grow
Docker makes it easy - No dependency hell

What You'll Need

An AWS account (obviously)
Basic terminal skills
About 20 minutes
A cup of coffee ☕

Step 1: Launch Your EC2 Instance

Head over to the AWS Console and launch a new EC2 instance. Here's what I recommend:

Instance Type: t2.micro (free tier eligible) or t2.small if you're running heavy workflows

AMI: Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS

Storage: 20GB should be plenty to start

Security Group: This is important! Open these ports:

Port 22 (SSH)
Port 5678 (n8n default port)
Port 443 (HTTPS - you'll thank me later)

# Your security group inbound rules should look like this:
SSH      TCP  22    0.0.0.0/0
Custom   TCP  5678  0.0.0.0/0
HTTPS    TCP  443   0.0.0.0/0

Step 2: Connect to Your Instance

Once your instance is running, SSH into it:

ssh -i your-key.pem ubuntu@your-ec2-public-ip

First things first, update everything:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 3: Install Docker

Docker makes this whole process painless. Here's the quick install:

# Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh
 
# Add your user to the docker group (so you don't need sudo)
sudo usermod -aG docker ubuntu
 
# Log out and back in for this to take effect
exit

SSH back in and verify Docker is working:

docker --version

Step 4: Install Docker Compose

We'll use Docker Compose to manage our n8n container:

sudo apt install docker-compose -y

Step 5: Create Your n8n Setup

Create a directory for n8n:

mkdir ~/n8n-docker
cd ~/n8n-docker

Now create a docker-compose.yml file:

nano docker-compose.yml

Paste this configuration:

version: '3.8'
 
services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=your-secure-password-here
      - N8N_HOST=your-ec2-public-ip
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=http
      - WEBHOOK_URL=http://your-ec2-public-ip:5678/
    volumes:
      - ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n

Important: Replace your-secure-password-here and your-ec2-public-ip with your actual values!

Save and exit (Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter).

Step 6: Launch n8n

This is the moment of truth:

docker-compose up -d

Check if it's running:

docker ps

You should see your n8n container running. 🎉

Step 7: Access Your n8n Instance

Open your browser and navigate to:

http://your-ec2-public-ip:5678

You should see the n8n login screen. Use the credentials you set in the docker-compose file.

Once you're in, you'll see the beautiful n8n interface ready for your first workflow!

Bonus: Setting Up HTTPS (Recommended)

Running on HTTP is fine for testing, but you'll want HTTPS for production. Here's the quick version:

Get a domain name and point it to your EC2 instance
Install Nginx as a reverse proxy
Use Let's Encrypt for free SSL certificates

I'll save the detailed HTTPS setup for another post, but trust me - it's worth doing.

Keeping n8n Updated

To update n8n to the latest version:

cd ~/n8n-docker
docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d

Docker will pull the latest image and restart your container. Easy!

Troubleshooting Tips

Can't connect? Check your security group settings in AWS. Port 5678 needs to be open.

Container keeps restarting? Check the logs:

docker logs n8n-docker-n8n-1

Out of memory? Upgrade to a t2.small instance. The t2.micro can struggle with complex workflows.

What's Next?

Now that you have n8n running, you can:

Connect to your favorite APIs
Build automation workflows
Set up webhooks
Create scheduled tasks
Integrate with databases

The possibilities are endless. I've been using n8n to automate everything from social media posts to data backups, and it's been a game-changer.

Wrapping Up

There you have it - your own n8n instance running on AWS EC2 with Docker. No monthly fees, full control, and all the automation power you need.

Questions? Hit me up on Twitter or send me an email. Happy automating! 🚀

Pro tip: Set up automated backups of your ~/.n8n directory. Your future self will thank you.