Deploy n8n on AWS Free Tier

I recorded a video, walking you through deploying n8n on AWS using a CloudFormation template.

Here’s the written instructions, commands and scripts that I used.

The stack includes:

✅ n8n (Docker)
✅ External PostgreSQL (Supabase or RDS)
✅ HTTPS via Nginx + Certbot
✅ Persistent credentials
✅ Free-tier compatibility

🧩 What’s Included in the Setup

• ✅ EC2 instance (t2.micro)

• ✅ Dockerized n8n

• ✅ External PostgreSQL (Supabase pooler or RDS)

• ✅ Nginx reverse proxy

• ✅ Certbot-managed HTTPS

• ✅ CloudFormation for one-click provisioning

📥 CloudFormation Template

You can get the full YAML template here: https://github.com/DiliniRajapaksha/BotAndBeyondAI/blob/main/n8n-aws

🔑 Parameters You’ll Be Asked For:

Generate your encryption key with:

openssl rand -hex 32

🧠 After Stack Is Created

🔧 1. Point Your DNS to the EC2 Instance

Add an A record in Cloudflare or your DNS provider:

Type: A
Name: n8n
Value: <Elastic IP from stack output>
Proxy: DNS Only

🔐 2. SSH into EC2

ssh -i your-key.pem ubuntu@<Elastic-IP>

🔐 3. Run Certbot for SSL

sudo certbot --nginx -d sub.yourdomain.com -m [email protected] --agree-tos --non-interactive --redirect

Then restart Nginx

sudo systemctl restart nginx

This issues your HTTPS certificate via Let’s Encrypt.

🧪 4. Test n8n

Visit:

https://n8n.yourdomain.com

You’ll see the n8n login screen.

🧹 Helpful Commands

🐳 Docker

docker-compose up -d
docker-compose logs n8n

🔗 Watch the Full Video Tutorial

Where do you host n8n for personal use?