Quick answer: A small self-hosted n8n instance is comfortable on 4 GB of RAM and 2 vCPUs, the minimum n8n's Docker Compose guide gives for its full stack. A busier instance with PostgreSQL, Code nodes, files and many executions fits 8 GB with 4 vCPUs. On 10 November 2026, 4 GB on monthly billing cost €4.49 ex. VAT at OVHcloud, €4.99 incl. VAT at Space-Node, €9.50 incl. 19% VAT at netcup and €19.99 ex. VAT for Hetzner's CPX22, while IONOS and Hostinger lead with intro and 24-month prices. Billing terms, backups, refunds and support hours differ more than the RAM.
I run Space-Node, one of the hosts compared here. Every competitor figure comes from that host's own page, opened on 10 November 2026, and "Where other hosts win" lists where they beat us.
How much RAM and CPU n8n needs
n8n sets no hard minimum. Its memory guide says n8n "doesn't restrict the amount of data each node can fetch and process", so memory follows the data your workflows load. These are the figures n8n's docs give:
| Source in n8n's docs | RAM | CPU |
|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud Starter, listed "as a guide" | 320 MB | 10 millicore, burstable |
| n8n Cloud Pro, 10k executions | 640 MB | 20 millicore, burstable |
| n8n Cloud Pro, 50k executions | 1,280 MB | 80 millicore, burstable |
| Kubernetes example deployment | 250 MB request, 500 MB limit | left to Kubernetes |
| Docker Compose stack with the Assistant sandbox | at least 4 GB in total | at least 2 vCPUs |
| n8n's single-instance benchmark | 4 GB machine, n8n with PostgreSQL | c5a.large instance |
The Cloud and Kubernetes numbers cover the n8n container alone (AWS deployment guide); the operating system and database come on top. Ubuntu 24.04 needs 1 GB for cloud images and suggests "3 GB or more" (Ubuntu requirements).
The 4 GB in the Compose guide is driven by the sandbox for n8n Assistant, which "uses Docker-in-Docker, which needs more headroom than a typical container".
A small instance: 4 GB, 2 vCPUs
One user or a small team, a few dozen workflows, webhooks and scheduled jobs that call APIs. SQLite is fine here. On paper this fits in 2 GB, but with Ubuntu, Docker, a reverse proxy and a database there's no room left for one large execution. 4 GB gives that room.
CPU matters less than you might expect: n8n's Cloud tiers get 10 to 80 millicores, a small fraction of one core. Two shared vCPUs do until Code nodes or big JSON transforms take over.
A busier instance: 8 GB, 4 vCPUs
Several users, workflows running around the clock, Code nodes, PDFs or images, or AI steps with long prompts. n8n's Compose guide says SQLite is fine for trying things out, "but for a production instance that must handle more than a handful of users or workflows running around the clock use Postgres instead". PostgreSQL needs its own memory, and so do manual runs from the editor, because n8n then "makes a copy of the data for the frontend".
When one instance is not enough, n8n's answer is queue mode: Redis holds the queue and worker processes run the executions. Whatever size you pick, run your heaviest workflow from its trigger and watch docker stats. Our n8n requirements guide works through the sum.
4 GB VPS plans for n8n compared
Prices checked 10 November 2026, in EUR, as each host's own page showed them. Mind the VAT column: three hosts show prices without VAT, two include German VAT and Space-Node includes VAT. Per GB is the listed price divided by the RAM.
| Host and plan | vCPU | RAM | Disk | Price per month | VAT | Term for that price | Per GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space-Node VPS-S Standard | 3 shared, AMD EPYC 7452 | 4 GB | 60 GB NVMe | €4.99 | Included | Monthly | €1.25 |
| Space-Node VPS-S Premium | 2 shared, AMD Ryzen 9 9950X | 4 GB | 40 GB NVMe | €8.40 | Included | Monthly | €2.10 |
| Hetzner CX23 (Cost-Optimized) | 2 | 4 GB | 40 GB NVMe | €5.99, marked "not available" | Excluded | Hourly, monthly cap | €1.50 |
| Hetzner CPX22 (Regular Performance) | 2 AMD | 4 GB | 80 GB NVMe | €19.99 | Excluded | Hourly, monthly cap | €5.00 |
| netcup VPS 500 G12.5 | 2 | 4 GB | 64 GB SSD | €9.50; €8.26 on 12 months, €7.03 on 24 | 19% German VAT included | 1 month | €2.38 |
| OVHcloud VPS-1 | 2 | 4 GB | 40 GB NVMe | €4.49; €3.81 with 12-month commitment | Excluded | No commitment | €1.12 |
| IONOS VPS M+ | 2 | 4 GB | 120 GB NVMe | €4 for 3 months, then €12 | German VAT included | Intro; term not shown | €3.00 after intro |
| Hostinger KVM 1 | 1 | 4 GB | 50 GB NVMe | €5.49 (€131.76 upfront for 24 months), renews at €11.99 | Excluded | 24 months prepaid | €1.37, €3.00 at renewal |
8 GB VPS plans for n8n compared
| Host and plan | vCPU | RAM | Disk | Price per month | VAT | Term for that price | Per GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space-Node VPS-M Standard | 4 shared, AMD EPYC 7452 | 8 GB | 80 GB NVMe | €8.99 | Included | Monthly | €1.12 |
| Space-Node VPS-M Premium | 3 shared, AMD Ryzen 9 9950X | 8 GB | 60 GB NVMe | €16.80 | Included | Monthly | €2.10 |
| Hetzner CX33 (Cost-Optimized) | 4 | 8 GB | 80 GB NVMe | €8.99, marked "not available" | Excluded | Hourly, monthly cap | €1.12 |
| Hetzner CPX32 (Regular Performance) | 4 AMD | 8 GB | 160 GB NVMe | €35.99 | Excluded | Hourly, monthly cap | €4.50 |
| netcup VPS 1000 G12.5 | 4 | 8 GB | 128 GB SSD | €16.68; €14.50 on 12 months, €12.32 on 24 | 19% German VAT included | 1 month | €2.09 |
| OVHcloud VPS-2 | 4 | 8 GB | 75 GB NVMe | €8.49; €7.21 with 12-month commitment | Excluded | No commitment | €1.06 |
| IONOS VPS L+ | 4 | 8 GB | 240 GB NVMe | €7 for 3 months, then €22 | German VAT included | Intro; term not shown | €2.75 after intro |
| Hostinger KVM 2 | 2 | 8 GB | 100 GB NVMe | €7.79 (€186.96 upfront for 24 months), renews at €14.99 | Excluded | 24 months prepaid | €0.97, €1.87 at renewal |
To compare ex. VAT with incl. VAT prices, add your country's rate. At the Dutch 21%, OVHcloud VPS-1 at €4.49 becomes about €5.43, Hetzner CX23 at €5.99 about €7.25 and Hostinger KVM 1 at €5.49 about €6.64.
Backups, refunds, support and n8n templates
| Host | Traffic | Backups | Refund or trial | Support | n8n ready to install |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space-Node | 10 TB on VPS-S and VPS-M | Not included; on request at a price | No trial, no money-back guarantee | Live chat and Discord, roughly 08:00 to 20:00 UTC every day, no phone | No; you install n8n with Docker |
| Hetzner | At least 20 TB in the EU | Not listed on the plan pages | Not listed | Email support around the clock | Not in its one-click app list |
| netcup | Flat rate; throttled to 200 Mbps if the 24-hour average passes 2 TB | Snapshots included | VPS has no satisfaction guarantee | Not listed on the VPS page | Not listed |
| OVHcloud | Unlimited, 500 Mbps on VPS-1, 1 Gbps on VPS-2 | Daily backup included | Not listed | Phone or email | A Debian 12 image with n8n in its order catalogue |
| IONOS | Unlimited, up to 1 Gbit/s | Optional, from 6 cents per GB a month | 30-day money-back | Round the clock by phone, chat or email | n8n installed at order, queue mode on request |
| Hostinger | 4 TB on KVM 1, 8 TB on KVM 2 | Free weekly backups | 30-day money-back | Round the clock | "Ubuntu 24.04 with n8n" template, plus a queue mode template |
Hostinger's n8n page adds that it gives no support for your own workflows, configuration or code. That holds at every host here, Space-Node included.
How we compared
- Date and sources. Every price and feature was read from the host's own page on 10 November 2026. OVHcloud's no-commitment prices (€4.49 and €8.49) come from its public order catalogue; its page shows the 12-month prices.
- Which plans. The plan closest to 4 GB and 8 GB of RAM in each host's main VPS range. Hetzner gets two lines because its Cost-Optimized plans were marked "not available" that day.
- Which price. The shortest term each host shows. Where only a long term or intro deal is shown, we give it with the renewal or regular price.
- Region and VAT. netcup and IONOS show German VAT by default (netcup for its "no preference Europe" location), OVHcloud's Irish site and Hostinger's Dutch and German pages exclude VAT. Your total depends on your country.
- What we left out. Contabo's pages returned a security check or an error to our tools, so we could not verify any Contabo figure; check contabo.com yourself. We ran no benchmarks, because shared vCPUs vary by node and by hour.
Where other hosts win
- Refund window. IONOS and Hostinger both offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Space-Node has no trial and no money-back guarantee.
- Backups included. OVHcloud includes a daily backup and Hostinger free weekly backups. Space-Node VPS plans do not include backups; you arrange them via a ticket or run your own, as in our n8n backup and restore guide.
- Support hours and phone. IONOS answers around the clock by phone, chat or email, Hostinger around the clock, and Hetzner by email around the clock; OVHcloud offers phone. Space-Node answers by live chat and Discord, roughly 08:00 to 20:00 UTC every day, with no phone line.
- n8n preinstalled. Hostinger, IONOS and OVHcloud can set up n8n when you order. Space-Node has no one-click install; you run Docker Compose yourself.
- Lower prices on long terms. OVHcloud VPS-2 costs €7.21 ex. VAT with a 12-month commitment, and Hostinger KVM 2 €7.79 ex. VAT on a 24-month prepaid term.
- More locations. Hetzner has Germany, Finland, the USA and Singapore; netcup Vienna, Nuremberg, Amsterdam, Manassas and Singapore; OVHcloud France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the UK, Canada, Singapore and Australia. Space-Node VPS runs in an EU data center; ask support first if you need a specific country.
- Traffic. Hetzner includes at least 20 TB and OVHcloud and IONOS list unlimited traffic, against 10 TB on Space-Node VPS-S and VPS-M.
- Hourly billing. Hetzner bills by the hour up to a monthly cap, handy for short-lived test servers.
Which host fits you
- You want a low monthly bill without a contract. OVHcloud VPS-1 and VPS-2 are close to Space-Node VPS-S and VPS-M. OVHcloud adds daily backups; Space-Node gives 3 vCores instead of 2 at 4 GB and 60 GB of disk instead of 40, with VAT already in the price.
- You want n8n installed for you and a refund window. Hostinger or IONOS. Check the renewal price: Hostinger KVM 2 renews at €14.99 ex. VAT, and IONOS VPS L+ goes to €22 after three months.
- You want hourly billing, an API and data centers in Germany and Finland. Hetzner, if the Cost-Optimized plans are back in stock. Its Regular Performance plans cost far more per GB of RAM.
- You can commit for two years and want a large disk. netcup VPS 1000 G12.5 at €12.32 a month incl. 19% VAT on a 24-month term, with 128 GB of SSD.
- You want monthly billing, VAT included in the price and a Dutch company behind it. Space-Node VPS-S or VPS-M Standard, with instant delivery after payment. Take Premium on the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X when Code nodes are CPU-heavy. Our VPS page for n8n and AI agents matches plans to jobs.
Still weighing n8n Cloud? See our 12-month cost example. For the database, read SQLite vs PostgreSQL for n8n, and before going live, how to secure a self-hosted n8n.
FAQ
How much RAM does n8n need on a VPS?
n8n sets no fixed minimum, because memory follows the data your workflows load. Its Cloud plans give the n8n container 320 MB to 1,280 MB, and its Compose guide asks for at least 4 GB and 2 vCPUs for the full stack. With the operating system and a database alongside, 4 GB is a comfortable start and 8 GB suits a busy instance.
Can n8n run on a 2 GB VPS?
It can start, since n8n's own Cloud tiers give the container 320 MB to 1,280 MB. Ubuntu needs at least 1 GB, which leaves little room for PostgreSQL or a large execution. If an execution reports that "n8n may have run out of memory", move to 4 GB or process data in smaller chunks.
Do I need PostgreSQL for self-hosted n8n?
Not at the start. SQLite is n8n's default, and n8n calls it fine for trying things out. For more than a handful of users, or workflows that run around the clock, n8n recommends PostgreSQL, and it does not recommend queue mode on SQLite. PostgreSQL adds its own memory use on top of n8n, so leave room for it.
Which is cheaper for n8n: a VPS or n8n Cloud?
It depends on how many executions you run. A VPS has a fixed monthly price, but you run updates, backups and security yourself, and self-hosted n8n can run as the free Community edition, which n8n says you can keep using indefinitely. Our cost example compares both over 12 months with dated n8n Cloud prices.
Is Space-Node the best VPS for n8n?
It depends on what you value. Space-Node VPS-S Standard costs €4.99 a month incl. VAT for 4 GB and 3 shared vCores, billed monthly, but has no money-back guarantee, no included backups and no phone support. For n8n preinstalled, a refund window or support around the clock, Hostinger, IONOS or OVHcloud may suit you better.