DEV Community: Elder Fernandes

Stop Paying Zapier: How to Self-Host n8n on Docker for Unlimited Automations

Elder Fernandes — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:56:34 +0000

Originally published on SelfHostStack

Workflow automation is the lifeblood of modern online businesses. Whether you are synchronizing Stripe payments to Discord, parsing lead emails into Airtable, or orchestrating multi-step AI agents with OpenAI and Anthropic APIs, automation saves hundreds of manual hours.

The problem? Zapier's pricing model actively penalizes you for growing.

On Zapier, 50,000 tasks/month costs $299/month ($3,588/year). If you run a data enrichment loop or high-frequency webhook trigger, you will burn through your quota in days.

Here is how you can self-host n8n on Docker for unlimited runs at €3.79/month.

Why n8n Outperforms Zapier for Developers & Power Users

Zero Execution Metering: Run 100 tasks or 1,000,000 tasks. The cost remains exactly the same: your VPS server price.
Native AI Agent Nodes: n8n features first-class LangChain and AI Agent nodes. You can plug in OpenAI, Claude, or local Ollama LLMs, give them tools (search, database query, scrapers), and maintain conversational memory across sessions.
Custom JavaScript and Python Execution: Need complex data transformations? Write native JS or Python directly inside any workflow node.
Local Network Access: Connect directly to internal PostgreSQL databases, Redis queues, and local microservices behind your private VPC firewall without exposing them to the public internet.

The Production Docker Compose Setup for n8n

Here is the exact production-tested docker-compose.yml to spin up n8n with persistent storage:

version: '3.8'

services:
  n8n:
    image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n:latest
    container_name: n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - N8N_HOST=n8n.yourdomain.com
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=https
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.yourdomain.com/
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=UTC
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n

volumes:
  n8n_data:

Step-by-Step 5-Minute Deploy Guide

Step 1: Spin Up a $4/mo VPS

We recommend Hetzner Cloud CX22 (2 vCPUs, 4GB RAM, €3.79/mo) or a DigitalOcean Droplet.

Step 2: Install Docker

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

Step 3: Launch n8n

mkdir -p ~/n8n && cd ~/n8n
nano docker-compose.yml # Paste the snippet above
docker compose up -d

Step 4: Reverse Proxy with SSL (Caddy)

Point your DNS A-record (e.g. n8n.yourdomain.com) to your server IP, then set up Caddy:

sudo apt install -y caddy

Edit /etc/caddy/Caddyfile:

n8n.yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:5678
}

Reload Caddy: sudo systemctl reload caddy.

The Savings Breakdown

Automation Volume	Zapier Cloud	Self-Hosted n8n (Hetzner)	Your Savings
5,000 tasks/mo	$49 / mo	€3.79 / mo (~$4.10)	$538 / year
50,000 tasks/mo	$299 / mo	€3.79 / mo (~$4.10)	$3,190 / year
250,000 tasks/mo	$899 / mo	€7.14 / mo (~$7.70)	$10,695 / year

Conclusion

Automating your business should not come with a massive tax on every transaction. By running n8n on your own infrastructure, you unlock limitless workflows, full control over private data, and deep AI Agent orchestration.

For more open-source software guides and production templates, visit SelfHostStack.

Why We Dumped Firebase for Supabase and PocketBase (And How to Self-Host Them)

Elder Fernandes — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:49:12 +0000

Originally published on SelfHostStack

For years, Firebase was the default backend-as-a-service (BaaS) for web and mobile startups. "Focus on your product, let Google manage the database."

Until you wake up to a surprise invoice because an unindexed Firestore query ran in an infinite useEffect loop.

In this breakdown, we examine why modern developers are fleeing Firebase in favor of Supabase (open-source PostgreSQL powerhouse) and PocketBase (single-binary SQLite speed), complete with Docker Compose templates and production hardware recommendations.

The 3 Inherent Flaws of Firebase

Vendor Lock-In: Firestore's proprietary NoSQL document format makes complex relational queries painful and migrations nearly impossible without writing custom ETL pipelines.
Per-Read/Write Pricing Anxiety: Every document read, write, and delete is metered. A simple dashboard refresh with nested collections can trigger thousands of billable operations.
No Native Vector AI Support: In the era of AI and LLM embeddings, Firestore lacks native vector indexing (like PostgreSQL's pgvector).

Option 1: Supabase — The Full PostgreSQL Powerhouse

If your app requires relational data integrity, complex SQL aggregations, foreign keys, row-level security (RLS), and vector search for AI embeddings, Supabase is the gold standard.

Supabase Highlights:

True PostgreSQL: Full access to standard SQL, extensions (pgvector, postgis, pg_trgm), and standard database dumps.
Instant APIs: Generates REST and GraphQL endpoints automatically based on table schemas.
Realtime WebSockets: Listen to database INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE events in real time.
S3 Object Storage: Built-in file upload buckets for images and documents.

Recommended Production Specs:

Hetzner CX32 (4 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 80GB NVMe) — €7.14/month.
Effortlessly serves thousands of concurrent API requests.

Option 2: PocketBase — The 1-File Wonder for Indie Devs

If Supabase feels too heavy for your lightweight MVP or side project, PocketBase is a revelation.

PocketBase is written in Go and packages an entire BaaS into a single standalone binary (<35MB):

Embedded SQLite with WAL mode (Write-Ahead Logging) handling 10,000+ reads/sec.
Real-time subscriptions over Server-Sent Events (SSE).
Built-in user authentication (OAuth2: Google, GitHub, Apple).
File storage and admin dashboard UI included out of the box.
RAM usage: < 40 MB at idle.

PocketBase Docker Compose:

version: '3.8'
services:
  pocketbase:
    image: ghcr.io/muchobien/pocketbase:latest
    container_name: pocketbase
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8090:8090"
    volumes:
      - ./pb_data:/pb_data
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "wget", "--no-verbose", "--tries=1", "--spider", "http://localhost:8090/api/health"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 3

Run docker compose up -d, navigate to http://your-server-ip:8090/_/, and your backend is live in under 60 seconds.

Cost Comparison: 1 Year Projection

Metric	Firebase Cloud	Self-Hosted Supabase (VPS)	Self-Hosted PocketBase (VPS)
Database Engine	Proprietary Firestore NoSQL	Pure PostgreSQL 15	Embedded SQLite WAL
10M DB Operations	~$18 - $45/mo	$0 (included)	$0 (included)
File Storage (100GB)	$2.60/mo + Egress	€3.81/mo (Hetzner Box)	€3.81/mo (Hetzner Box)
Fixed Server Cost	$0 base + variable	€7.14/mo	€3.79/mo
Total 1-Year Cost	$600 - $2,500+	~€85.68 ($92)	~€45.48 ($49)

Summary

You don't need to surrender your project's database to proprietary cloud silos. With Supabase and PocketBase, you get faster development speed, zero vendor lock-in, and a predictable monthly bill that never spikes.

Discover full deployment tutorials and 20+ other SaaS alternatives at SelfHostStack.

How I Replaced $450/mo in SaaS Subscriptions with a Single $4 Hetzner VPS (And Slept Better)

Elder Fernandes — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:47:11 +0000

Originally published on SelfHostStack

Every modern tech team hits the same inflection point. You start building your side project or startup with "generous free tiers":

Google Analytics 4 for traffic
Zapier for lead notifications
Sentry for crash tracking
1Password / Bitwarden cloud for shared team credentials
Better Uptime for health pings

For the first three months, everything looks free. Then you launch.

Traffic picks up, your users trigger hundreds of webhook events, your frontend throws a minor React render loop that floods Sentry with 50,000 exceptions, and suddenly you get a $480 invoice notification from your credit card.

Here is the exact setup I used to migrate 5 core SaaS tools to a single €3.79/mo Hetzner Cloud VPS (CX22 — 2 vCPUs, 4GB RAM) using Docker Compose, saving over $5,000/year while regaining 100% data privacy.

The SaaS vs. Self-Hosted Reality Check

Proprietary SaaS	Typical Monthly Cost	Self-Hosted Replacement	Resource Usage (RAM)
Google Analytics (GA4)	$0 (data harvesting) / $50k	Umami Analytics	~120 MB
Zapier (Starter Plan)	$29.99 - $120/mo	n8n	~350 MB
Sentry (Team Plan)	$26 - $80/mo	GlitchTip	~280 MB
Better Uptime	$30/mo	Uptime Kuma	~90 MB
1Password Teams (5 seats)	$39.95/mo	Vaultwarden	~30 MB
Total	~$450/month	Hetzner CX22 (€3.79/mo)	~870 MB / 4000 MB

Total RAM utilized: less than 1GB out of 4GB available. The server runs cool at ~2% CPU utilization.

1. Web Analytics: Say Goodbye to Cookie Banners with Umami

Google Analytics 4 is a bloated tracking monster that triggers mandatory GDPR cookie consent banners in Europe and slows down site speed.

Umami is an open-source analytics engine with a script payload under 2KB (10x lighter than GA4). It collects zero personal identifiable information, requires no cookie banners, and when served through your own domain, bypasses 99% of browser ad-blockers.

The Docker Compose Configuration:

version: '3.8'
services:
  umami:
    image: ghcr.io/umami-software/umami:postgresql-latest
    container_name: umami
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      DATABASE_URL: postgresql://umami:securepassword123@db:5432/umami
      DATABASE_TYPE: postgresql
      APP_SECRET: your_random_32_byte_secret_here
    depends_on:
      - db
  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    container_name: umami-db
    restart: always
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: umami
      POSTGRES_USER: umami
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: securepassword123
    volumes:
      - umami-db-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
volumes:
  umami-db-data:

2. Team Passwords & Secrets: Vaultwarden

Centralized password databases make enticing breach targets. Vaultwarden is a lightweight Bitwarden server written in Rust. It consumes less than 30MB of RAM and works seamlessly with official Bitwarden mobile apps, desktop clients, and browser extensions.

version: '3.8'
services:
  vaultwarden:
    image: vaultwarden/server:latest
    container_name: vaultwarden
    restart: always
    environment:
      WEBSOCKET_ENABLED: "true"
      SIGNUPS_ALLOWED: "false" # Lock registration after creating admin
      ADMIN_TOKEN: "your_secure_admin_token"
    volumes:
      - vw-data:/data
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
volumes:
  vw-data:

3. Workflow Automation: Unlimited Runs with n8n

Zapier meters every single task execution. A multi-step workflow that triggers 1,000 times a day will easily run you into hundreds of dollars every billing cycle.

n8n gives you visual drag-and-drop nodes, AI agent connectors, and custom Python/Node.js script nodes with unlimited executions.

version: '3.8'
services:
  n8n:
    image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n:latest
    container_name: n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - N8N_HOST=n8n.yourdomain.com
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=https
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.yourdomain.com/
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
volumes:
  n8n_data:

How to Glue It Together: Caddy Reverse Proxy & Automatic SSL

To expose each service securely under its own subdomain (e.g. analytics.yourdomain.com, vault.yourdomain.com, n8n.yourdomain.com), use Caddy. Caddy automatically provisions and auto-renews free Let's Encrypt TLS certificates.

Sample `Caddyfile`:

analytics.yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:3000
}

vault.yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:8080
}

n8n.yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:5678
}

The Verdict

Self-hosting in 2026 is no longer about managing obscure Linux daemons. With Docker Compose and a reliable $4/mo VPS provider like Hetzner or DigitalOcean, you can run an entire enterprise stack with zero cloud lock-in.

Looking for more copy-paste Docker Compose templates and hardware minimums? Check out the full interactive catalog at SelfHostStack.

DEV Community: Elder Fernandes

Stop Paying Zapier: How to Self-Host n8n on Docker for Unlimited Automations

Why n8n Outperforms Zapier for Developers & Power Users

The Production Docker Compose Setup for n8n

Step-by-Step 5-Minute Deploy Guide

Step 1: Spin Up a $4/mo VPS

Step 2: Install Docker

Step 3: Launch n8n

Step 4: Reverse Proxy with SSL (Caddy)

The Savings Breakdown

Conclusion

Why We Dumped Firebase for Supabase and PocketBase (And How to Self-Host Them)

The 3 Inherent Flaws of Firebase

Option 1: Supabase — The Full PostgreSQL Powerhouse

Supabase Highlights:

Recommended Production Specs:

Option 2: PocketBase — The 1-File Wonder for Indie Devs

PocketBase Docker Compose:

Cost Comparison: 1 Year Projection

Summary

How I Replaced $450/mo in SaaS Subscriptions with a Single $4 Hetzner VPS (And Slept Better)

The SaaS vs. Self-Hosted Reality Check

1. Web Analytics: Say Goodbye to Cookie Banners with Umami

The Docker Compose Configuration:

2. Team Passwords & Secrets: Vaultwarden

3. Workflow Automation: Unlimited Runs with n8n

How to Glue It Together: Caddy Reverse Proxy & Automatic SSL

Sample Caddyfile:

The Verdict

Sample `Caddyfile`: