n8n Self-Hosting on Hetzner: Complete Docker Setup Guide (2026)

I've been self-hosting n8n for 18 months on a Hetzner VPS. Here's my complete production setup—from zero to running workflows in 30 minutes. Why Hetzner + n8n? Hetzner CX22 (€5/month): 2 vCPU 4 GB RAM 40 GB disk Location: Falkenstein (EU, GDPR-friendly) n8n self-hosted: Unlimited workflows No execution limits Full data control All integrations included Compare to n8n.cloud: Starter: €20/month (5,000 executions) Pro: €50/month (100,000 executions) My setup runs 150,000+ executions/month on a €5 VPS. That's €45/month saved. Prerequisites Hetzner account (signup takes 5 minutes) Domain (optional but recommended) SSH key for server access 30 minutes time Step 1: Create the Server Go to Hetzner Cloud Console Create new project "n8n-production" Add SSH key (Settings → Security → SSH Keys) Create server: Location: Falkenstein or Nuremberg Image: Ubuntu 24.04 Type: CX22 (€5/month) Networking: IPv4 + IPv6 SSH Key: Select your key Note the IP address. We'll need it. Step 2: Initial Server Setup