Automation
n8n VPS requirements: what the cheapest server that runs it looks like
n8n itself idles in a few hundred megabytes. What it needs beyond that depends on two choices: whether you run the new Docker Compose stack with the n8n Assistant sandbox, and how much data your workflows push through memory at once. Get those right and n8n is one of the cheapest apps in this directory to host.
Sizing guide
Our recommendations, derived from the sourced figures below. Not measurements.
| Scenario | RAM | vCPU | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal automations, n8n + SQLite, no Assistant sandbox | 1–2 GB | 1 | n8n's own example range tops out at 2 GB and the CPU is rarely the limit. Community idle numbers are in the low hundreds of MB. Go for 2 GB if you handle files, use Code nodes, or run the editor often, since manual runs copy data for the UI. |
| Official Docker Compose stack with n8n Assistant sandbox | 4 GB | 2 | This is the documented minimum for the bundled sandbox (Docker-in-Docker) plus SearXNG. Use it if you followed n8n's current compose guide unchanged. |
| Team / production with Postgres | 2–4 GB | 2 | Add Postgres (small at idle) and enable execution pruning and a concurrency limit. Above that, scale with queue mode workers instead of one ever-bigger box. |
Official requirements
| Item | What the project says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Docker Compose install | At least 4 GB of RAM and 2 vCPUs, because the sandbox that runs AI-generated code (sandbox-runner-1) uses Docker-in-Docker | n8n docs: Install using Docker Compose checked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Sizing example | CPU: minimum 10 CPU cycles, scaling as needed; Database: 512 MB – 4 GB SSD; Memory: 320 MB – 2 GB (example based on n8n Cloud, "for illustrative purposes only") | n8n docs: OEM deployment prerequisites checked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Idle memory | An n8n Cloud instance at idle requires ~100 MB | n8n docs: OEM deployment prerequisites checked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Database | SQLite is the default; use Postgres for a production instance that handles more than a handful of users or round-the-clock workflows | n8n docs: Install using Docker Compose checked Oct 21, 2026 |
| What uses memory | Amount of JSON data, size of binary data, number of nodes, Code/Function nodes, manual executions (copied for the editor), and concurrent workflows | n8n docs: Fix memory issues checked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Binary data | Kept in memory by default, which "can cause crashes when working with large files"; set N8N_DEFAULT_BINARY_DATA_MODE=filesystem | n8n docs: Handle binary data checked Oct 21, 2026 |
What people report in practice
Individual reports, not controlled tests. Versions, hardware and settings differ, so treat these as data points, not guarantees.
-
Container showed ~275 MB in Docker; a full restart brought the host back to ~500 MB after RAM grew 500 MB–1 GB per manual run
n8n 1.77.3, SQLite, Docker on Ubuntu 24.04 (Feb 2025)
n8n forum n8n community: N8N continuously using more RAM · checked Oct 21, 2026
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Queue mode after restart: main 173 MB, worker 106 MB, webhook 98 MB, Postgres 34 MB, Redis 5 MB; RAM did not drop back on its own after activity
n8n 1.68.1, queue mode with Postgres + Redis (Nov 2024)
n8n forum n8n community: High usage of RAM in queue mode / no reset · checked Oct 21, 2026
Our measurements: coming soon
We haven't measured n8n yet, so there are no VPSfit lab numbers on this page. When we do, they'll show the app version, the plan it ran on, the date, and the raw data. Here's what we'll record:
- Idle RAM for n8n + SQLite, n8n + Postgres, and the full official compose stack with the sandbox
- Peak RAM for a scripted workflow set: webhooks, a 10k-row transform, a Code node, and a 50 MB file
- Effect of N8N_CONCURRENCY_PRODUCTION_LIMIT on peak RAM during a webhook burst
- Smallest plan that completes the suite without OOM kills
What drives n8n's RAM use
Data per execution, not workflow count
Ten tiny workflows cost less RAM than one workflow that pulls 10,000 rows or a 200 MB PDF into memory. n8n doesn't cap what a node can fetch, so one careless HTTP or database node can take the whole instance down.
Code nodes and manual runs
The Code node makes a pre- and post-processing copy of its data, and manual executions keep a copy for the editor. Both multiply memory per run.
Concurrency
In regular mode n8n doesn't limit simultaneous production executions by default. A burst of webhooks can run many heavy workflows at once.
The sandbox stack
The current official compose file adds an Assistant sandbox (privileged Docker-in-Docker) and SearXNG. It's what moves the floor from "a small VPS" to 4 GB.
Gotchas on a VPS
- Turn on filesystem binary mode. Set
N8N_DEFAULT_BINARY_DATA_MODE=filesystemso files go to disk instead of RAM (docs). In queue mode usedatabaseinstead; filesystem mode isn't supported there. - Prune execution data. Saved executions grow the database until the disk fills. Save only errors and enable pruning (docs).
- Set a concurrency limit.
N8N_CONCURRENCY_PRODUCTION_LIMITqueues production executions over the limit instead of running them all at once (docs). On a small VPS that is the difference between a slow queue and a crash. - Never expose the sandbox runner. n8n's own security checklist says the privileged
sandbox-runner-1container must never be exposed to the internet; treat it as root on the host. Only n8n's port should be open in your firewall. - Heap errors aren't always a bigger-VPS problem. "JavaScript heap out of memory" can be raised with
NODE_OPTIONS=--max-old-space-size=…(docs), but splitting big jobs into sub-workflows that each return little data usually fixes the cause.
Cheapest plans that fit
n8n (core, no Assistant sandbox): 2 GB RAM or more
Threshold: Top of n8n's documented 320 MB – 2 GB memory example (source). Also check vCPU: at least 1.
| Provider & plan | RAM | vCPU | Disk | Price / month | Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contabo Cloud VPS 4 | 8 GB | 4 shared | 100 GB SSD | €4.40 excl. VAT · ≈ $4.93 |
24-month term (effective monthly rate) | contabo.com checked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Contabo Cloud VPS 6 | 12 GB | 6 shared | 200 GB SSD (or 100 GB NVMe) | €6.00 excl. VAT · ≈ $6.73 |
24-month term (effective monthly rate) | contabo.com checked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Vultr Cloud Compute Regular 2 GB | 2 GB | 1 shared, previous-gen Intel | 55 GB SSD | $10.00 before tax |
Monthly price, hourly billing | vultr.com checked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Hostinger KVM 1 | 4 GB | 1 AMD EPYC | 50 GB NVMe | $11.99 intro $6.49 before tax |
Prepaid intro rate; renews at $11.99/mo | hostinger.com checked Oct 21, 2026 |
n8n (official compose with Assistant sandbox): 4 GB RAM or more
Threshold: Official Docker Compose minimum (4 GB, 2 vCPUs) (source). Also check vCPU: at least 2.
| Provider & plan | RAM | vCPU | Disk | Price / month | Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contabo Cloud VPS 4 | 8 GB | 4 shared | 100 GB SSD | €4.40 excl. VAT · ≈ $4.93 |
24-month term (effective monthly rate) | contabo.com checked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Contabo Cloud VPS 6 | 12 GB | 6 shared | 200 GB SSD (or 100 GB NVMe) | €6.00 excl. VAT · ≈ $6.73 |
24-month term (effective monthly rate) | contabo.com checked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Hostinger KVM 1 | 4 GB | 1 AMD EPYC | 50 GB NVMe | $11.99 intro $6.49 before tax |
Prepaid intro rate; renews at $11.99/mo | hostinger.com checked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Contabo Cloud VPS 8 | 24 GB | 8 shared | 300 GB SSD (or 150 GB NVMe) | €11.20 excl. VAT · ≈ $12.56 |
24-month term (effective monthly rate) | contabo.com checked Oct 21, 2026 |
Prices checked Oct 21, 2026 on each provider's official pricing page. EUR prices converted at the ECB rate of Oct 20, 2026 (1 € = $1.1215) only for ranking. See all plans on the cheapest 4 GB VPS page.