Self-Host n8n on Microsoft Azure

How to Self-Host n8n on Azure: Complete Guide with SSL and n8n Update

In this comprehensive guide I’ll walk you through how to self-host n8n on Azure free tier, giving you 12 months of completely free automation power with automatic HTTPS and SSL certificates.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have:

  • A fully functional self hosted n8n instance running 24/7
  • Free hosting for 12 months on Azure
  • Automatic HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates
  • Custom domain setup (e.g., n8n.yourdomain.com)
  • Persistent data storage across updates
  • Professional reverse proxy with Traefik

Cost: $0 for the first 12 months (Microsoft Azure Free Tier)

Prerequisites for Self Hosting n8n on Azure

Before we begin, make sure you have:

  • A domain name (you can get one for ~$3/year from Namecheap, Porkbun, or Cloudflare)
  • Access to your domain’s DNS settings (via your registrar or Cloudflare)
  • A credit/debit card (required for Azure verification, but you won’t be charged)
  • Basic command line knowledge (I’ll explain each command)

Step 1: Sign Up for Azure Free Account

Microsoft Azure offers an incredibly generous free tier that includes:

  • $200 USD in credits for the first 30 days (we won’t be using these)
  • 12 months of free services including a B1s VM
  • 750 hours/month of compute time (enough for 24/7 operation)
  • 15GB outbound bandwidth per month

Create Your Azure Account

  1. Go to https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/pricing/purchase-options/azure-account/
  2. Click “Try Azure for Free”
  3. Enter your details:
    • Country
    • Name
    • Mobile number (for verification)
    • Credit/debit card (for identity verification only)
  4. Complete the verification process
  5. Once verified, you’ll land on portal.azure.com — your Azure dashboard

Important: We’re using the 12-month free tier B1s VM, NOT the $200 credits. This means your setup will be completely free for a full year.

Step 2: Create Your Free Tier Virtual Machine

Now let’s create the VM that will host your n8n instance.

  1. From the Azure portal, click “Virtual machines” in the left sidebar or search for it
  2. Click “Create” → “Azure virtual machine”
azure compute infrastructure vm

Configure Basic Settings

Subscription & Resource Group:

  • Subscription: Select your “Free Trial” subscription
  • Resource Group: Click “Create new” and name it n8n-resources

Instance Details:

  • Virtual machine name: n8n-vm (or any name you prefer)
  • Region: Select closest to you (e.g., UK South, East US)
  • Availability options: “No infrastructure redundancy required”
  • Security type: “Standard”
  • Image: Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS (or latest LTS)

Size – CRITICAL STEP:

  • Click “See all sizes”
  • Search for and select “Standard_B1s”
    • 1 vCPU
    • 1 GiB memory
    • This is the ONLY size included in the 12-month free tier
Azure free service eligible VM B1S

Administrator Account:

  • Authentication type: Select Password
  • Username: Enter Username
  • Password: Enter Secure password

Inbound Port Rules:

  • Select “Allow selected ports”
  • Check “SSH (22), HTTP(80), HTTPS(443)

Configure Disk Settings

Click “Next: Disks”

CRITICAL – Avoid Charges:

  • OS disk type: Change from “Premium SSD” to “Standard SSD (locally-redundant storage)”
    • This is FREE in the 12-month tier
    • Premium SSD will cost you money
  • OS disk size: Leave as default (~30GB)
  • Delete with VM: Leave checked

Configure Networking

Click “Next: Networking”

Virtual Network: Create new (default is fine)

Public IP:

  • SKU: Standard
  • Assignment:Dynamic (this is FREE)
    • Static IP costs $3-4/month
    • Dynamic IP is fine for our use case

NIC network security group: Basic (default)

Important Note: Your dynamic IP stays the same as long as your VM is running. If you stop/deallocate the VM, the IP may change when you restart it.

Review and Create

  1. Click through Management, Monitoring, and Advanced tabs (leave as defaults)
  2. Click “Review + create”
  3. Azure validates your configuration
  4. Verify the cost estimate shows free tier services
  5. Click “Create”

Deployment Complete

Once deployment finishes (1-2 minutes):

  1. Click “Go to resource, Virtual Machines”
  2. Note your VM’s Public IP address (you’ll need this shortly)

Step 3: Set Up DNS Records

To access n8n via a domain name (e.g., n8n.yourdomain.com), you need to create a DNS A record.

Why a Subdomain?

Creating a subdomain for n8n keeps it separate from your main website. Your existing site remains completely unaffected.

Create DNS A Record

The process varies by provider, but the concept is the same:

For GoDaddy:

  1. Log into GoDaddy
  2. Go to Domain Portfolio → Select your domain
  3. Click “DNS”
  4. Click “Add” → Select “A” record
  5. Fill in:
    • Name: n8n (or your preferred subdomain)
    • Points to: Your Azure VM’s public IP address
    • TTL: 1/2 hour (default)
  6. Click “Save”

For Cloudflare:

  1. Log into Cloudflare
  2. Select your domain
  3. Go to DNS → Records
  4. Click “Add record”
  5. Fill in:
    • Type: A
    • Name: n8n
    • IPv4 address: Your Azure VM’s public IP
    • Proxy status: DNS only (turn OFF the orange cloud)
    • TTL: Auto
  6. Click “Save”

IMPORTANT for Cloudflare users: Make sure the proxy is OFF (gray cloud, not orange). The orange proxy can interfere with n8n’s webhooks.

DNS Propagation

DNS changes take time to propagate:

  • Cloudflare/GoDaddy: Usually 10-15 minutes
  • Namecheap/Others: Can take up to 24 hours

Check propagation status:
Visit whatsmydns.net and enter your subdomain (e.g., n8n.yourdomain.com). When you see your Azure IP appearing globally, you’re ready to proceed.

Step 4: Connect to Your VM via SSH

Now let’s connect to your VM to install Docker and n8n.

For Windows Users (PuTTY)

Download PuTTY:

  1. Search “download PuTTY” or go to chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty
  2. Download the 64-bit installer (putty-64bit-installer.msi)
  3. Run the installer

Connect with PuTTY:

  1. Open PuTTY
  2. Enter your VM’s Public IP address in “Host Name”
  3. Port: 22
  4. Connection type: SSH
  5. Accept the security alert (first time only)
  6. Login: (or your username) & Password

Step 5: Install Docker

Docker will run n8n in an isolated container. Let’s install it step by step.

Update System

First, update your system packages:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y

What this does: Fetches the latest package lists and updates all installed software.

Install Prerequisites

sudo apt-get install -y ca-certificates curl nano

What this does: Installs SSL certificates for secure connections, curl for downloading files, and nano (a text editor).

Set Up Docker’s Repository

Create a directory for Docker’s GPG key:

sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings

Download Docker’s GPG key:

sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

Set proper permissions:

sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

Add Docker’s Repository

echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(. /etc/os-release && echo "${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-$VERSION_CODENAME}") stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

What this does: Adds Docker’s official repository to your system so you can install Docker packages.

Install Docker

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

What this does: Installs Docker Engine, CLI tools, container runtime, and Docker Compose.

Verify Installation

sudo docker --version

You should see output like: Docker version 24.0.7, build afdd53b

Perfect! Docker is now installed.

Step 6: Create n8n Configuration

Now let’s set up n8n’s configuration files.

Create Project Directory

mkdir n8n-compose && cd n8n-compose

What this does: Creates a folder called n8n-compose and navigates into it.

Create Environment File

nano .env

This opens the nano text editor. Paste the following configuration:

# ============================================
# n8n CONFIGURATION FILE
# ============================================
# This file contains environment variables for your n8n Docker installation.
# Make sure to update these values to match your specific setup.
#
DOMAIN_NAME=YourDomain.com
SUBDOMAIN=YourSubDomain
GENERIC_TIMEZONE=YourTimeZone(Example:Europe/London)
SSL_EMAIL=YourEmail
#
# ============================================
# NOTES
# ============================================
# After making changes to this file, you'll need to restart your Docker containers
# for the changes to take effect run: "sudo docker compose down && sudo docker compose up -d"

IMPORTANT: Update these values:

  • DOMAIN_NAME: Your actual domain
  • SUBDOMAIN: Your chosen subdomain (e.g., n8n)
  • GENERIC_TIMEZONE: Your timezone (find yours here)
  • SSL_EMAIL: Your real email address

Save the file:

  • Press Ctrl+O (write out)
  • Press Enter (confirm filename)
  • Press Ctrl+X (exit)

Step 7: Create Local Files Directory

This directory allows n8n workflows to read and write files on your server.

mkdir local-files

Verify it was created:

ls -a

You should see .env and local-files in the output.

Why this matters: Files stored here persist across n8n updates, and you can access them in workflows using the /files path.

Step 8: Create Docker Compose File

This is the main configuration file that defines how n8n and Traefik run.

nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the following complete configuration:

services:
  traefik:
    image: "traefik"
    restart: always
    command:
      - "--api=true"
      - "--api.insecure=true"
      - "--providers.docker=true"
      - "--providers.docker.exposedbydefault=false"
      - "--entrypoints.web.address=:80"
      - "--entrypoints.web.http.redirections.entryPoint.to=websecure"
      - "--entrypoints.web.http.redirections.entrypoint.scheme=https"
      - "--entrypoints.websecure.address=:443"
      - "--certificatesresolvers.mytlschallenge.acme.tlschallenge=true"
      - "--certificatesresolvers.mytlschallenge.acme.email=${SSL_EMAIL}"
      - "--certificatesresolvers.mytlschallenge.acme.storage=/letsencrypt/acme.json"
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
    volumes:
      - traefik_data:/letsencrypt
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro

  n8n:
    image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:5678:5678"
    labels:
      - traefik.enable=true
      - traefik.http.routers.n8n.rule=Host(`${SUBDOMAIN}.${DOMAIN_NAME}`)
      - traefik.http.routers.n8n.tls=true
      - traefik.http.routers.n8n.entrypoints=web,websecure
      - traefik.http.routers.n8n.tls.certresolver=mytlschallenge
      - traefik.http.middlewares.n8n.headers.SSLRedirect=true
      - traefik.http.middlewares.n8n.headers.STSSeconds=315360000
      - traefik.http.middlewares.n8n.headers.browserXSSFilter=true
      - traefik.http.middlewares.n8n.headers.contentTypeNosniff=true
      - traefik.http.middlewares.n8n.headers.forceSTSHeader=true
      - traefik.http.middlewares.n8n.headers.SSLHost=${DOMAIN_NAME}
      - traefik.http.middlewares.n8n.headers.STSIncludeSubdomains=true
      - traefik.http.middlewares.n8n.headers.STSPreload=true
      - traefik.http.routers.n8n.middlewares=n8n@docker
    environment:
      - N8N_HOST=${SUBDOMAIN}.${DOMAIN_NAME}
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=https
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - WEBHOOK_URL=https://${SUBDOMAIN}.${DOMAIN_NAME}/
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=${GENERIC_TIMEZONE}
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
      - ./local-files:/files

volumes:
  n8n_data:
  traefik_data:

What this configuration does:

Traefik Service:

  • Automatically obtains and renews SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt
  • Redirects all HTTP traffic to HTTPS
  • Acts as a reverse proxy to route traffic to n8n

n8n Service:

  • Runs the latest n8n version
  • Accessible via your custom domain
  • Includes security headers (HSTS, XSS protection, etc.)
  • Mounts persistent volumes for data storage

Volumes:

  • n8n_data: Stores workflows, credentials, and n8n’s internal database
  • traefik_data: Stores SSL certificates
  • ./local-files: Your file storage accessible at /files in n8n

Save the file:

  • Press Ctrl+O
  • Press Enter
  • Press Ctrl+X

Step 9: Launch n8n

Everything is configured! Let’s start n8n.

sudo docker compose up -d

What this does:

  • The up command starts all services defined in docker-compose.yml
  • The -d flag runs them in detached mode (background)

Docker will:

  1. Download the Traefik image
  2. Download the n8n image
  3. Create the volumes
  4. Start both containers

This takes 1-2 minutes on first run.

Check Status

sudo docker compose ps

You should see both traefik and n8n with status “Up”.

Access n8n

Open your browser and navigate to your n8n URL:

https://n8n.yourdomain.com
setup n8n owner account

First visit: You’ll see the n8n setup wizard. Create your owner account:

  • Email address
  • First name
  • Last name
  • Password

Congratulations! Your n8n instance is now live with automatic HTTPS!

Update n8n Without Losing Workflows or Data

Updating n8n regularly ensures your self-hosted instance remains secure, stable, and compatible with modern integrations. Each update typically includes security patches that protect against vulnerabilities, bug fixes that resolve workflow execution issues, and new nodes or features that expand automation possibilities.

Step-by-Step n8n Update Process

Step 1: Update system packages

Before updating n8n, first update your Ubuntu system:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y

Step 2: Navigate to n8n directory

cd n8n-compose

Step 3: Pull latest images

sudo docker compose pull

This downloads the newest versions of n8n and Traefik without starting them yet.

Step 4: Restart with updates

sudo docker compose down && sudo docker compose up -d

What happens:

  • docker compose down: Stops and removes containers
  • docker compose up -d: Starts new containers with updated images
  • Your data remains safe in Docker volumes

Downtime: Your n8n instance will be offline for 30-60 seconds during the update.

n8n Update Best Practices

Before updating:

  1. Export your workflows as backup (Workflows → Select All → Export)
  2. Perform updates during low-traffic periods

Update frequency:

Essential Docker Commands for n8n Maintenance

Check n8n Status

cd n8n-compose
sudo docker compose ps

View n8n Logs

cd n8n-compose
sudo docker compose logs n8n

Stop n8n

cd n8n-compose
sudo docker compose stop

Start n8n

cd n8n-compose
sudo docker compose start

Restart n8n

cd n8n-compose
sudo docker compose restart

Troubleshooting Self-hosted n8n instance

Can’t Access n8n via Domain

Check DNS propagation:

  • Visit whatsmydns.net
  • Enter your subdomain
  • Verify it shows your Azure VM IP globally

Check if n8n is running:

sudo docker compose ps

Both services should show “Up”

Check logs for errors:

sudo docker compose logs

SSL Certificate Issues

Let’s Encrypt rate limits:

  • You’re limited to 5 certificates per domain per week
  • If you hit the limit, wait 7 days or use a different subdomain

Check Traefik logs:

sudo docker compose logs traefik

If you’re seeing an SSL error after deploying n8n, it likely means the certificate wasn’t successfully issued. This usually happens if DNS wasn’t fully propagated or there was an issue during the initial request. A quick fix is to delete the existing certificate data and re-request a new one:

# Step 1: Stop the running containers
sudo docker compose down
# Step 2: Remove the old certificate file
sudo rm -rf ./letsencrypt/acme.json
# Step 3: Start the containers again to trigger a fresh certificate request
sudo docker compose up -d

VM is Out of Memory

The B1s VM has only 1GB RAM. If you’re running complex workflows:

Check memory usage:

free -h

Solutions:

  1. Optimize your workflows
  2. Reduce concurrent executions in n8n settings
  3. Upgrade to a larger VM size (will cost money)

n8n self-hosting Cost Breakdown

Free for 12 Months

  • VM (B1s): $0 (750 hours/month free)
  • Disk (Standard SSD): $0 (64GB P6 SSD free)
  • Public IP (Dynamic): $0 (included)
  • Bandwidth: $0 (15GB/month free)
  • Network Security Group: $0 (always free)

Total: $0/month for first 12 months

After 12 Months

Once your free tier expires:

  • VM (B1s): ~$7.60/month
  • Disk (30GB Standard SSD): ~$1.15/month
  • Public IP (Dynamic): $0 (free while VM is running)
  • Bandwidth: $0 (first 5GB), then ~$0.087/GB

Estimated total: ~$8.75/month after free tier

Want to keep it free longer?

  • Create a new Azure account with a different email
  • Export your workflows and credentials
  • Set up on the new account (you get another 12 months free)

Start Building Workflows After You Self-Host n8n on Azure

Congratulations! You’ve successfully deployed a production-ready n8n instance on Microsoft Azure that’s completely free for 12 months, with automatic HTTPS via Let’s Encrypt, custom domain access, persistent data storage, and a professional reverse proxy setup that takes just 30 minutes to configure.

This self-hosted n8n deployment on Azure is perfect for learning workflow automation, running personal projects, powering small business workflows, and prototyping automation ideas without monthly subscription costs

While this guide helps you set up the technical infrastructure, designing custom AI-powered automation solutions and scaling workflows across your business requires strategic expertise. If you need help with advanced n8n workflows, AI agent integrations, or enterprise automation strategy, book a free discovery call. We specialize in helping SMEs leverage intelligent automation to work smarter and transform their operations