A Practical Evaluation of Self-Hosted n8n for Secure and Scalable Workflow Automation

A Practical Evaluation of Self-Hosted n8n for Secure and Scalable Workflow Automation

Mr. Saurabh Pawar1, Mr. Shrish Pattewar2, Ms. Mukta G. Shelke 3

1CSE Department, MGM’s College Of Engineering, Nanded.

2 CSE Department, MGM’s College Of Engineering, Nanded.

3 CSE Department, MGM’s College Of Engineering, Nanded.

Abstract - This study explores the implementation and performance of the n8n automation tool in a self-hosted environment. The primary objective is to determine whether deploying n8n locally can offer operational benefits over cloud-based CI/CD platforms. We hypothesize that local deployment of n8n provides enhanced control, improved performance, and cost savings, particularly for teams with strict data security or infrastructure customization requirements. The evaluation was conducted by setting up n8n on a virtual server using Docker, integrating it with essential services, and running test workflows on example projects. Results showed measurable gains in task execution speed and reliability, along with predictable resource usage and minimal external dependencies. These outcomes suggest that self-hosting n8n is a viable strategy for teams aiming to streamline development pipelines while maintaining full ownership of their automation environment. The findings contribute to the growing interest in open-source, self-managed DevOps solutions for modern software teams.

Key Words:  automation, AI workflow, n8n, open source