Deploy and Host n8n on Railway

n8n is a fair-code workflow automation platform that connects 400+ apps and services through a visual, node-based editor. It lets you build automations ranging from simple integrations to complex, AI-powered workflows — with the option to drop into JavaScript or Python code whenever you need full control.

About Hosting n8n

Hosting n8n means running its Node.js server together with a persistent database for workflow definitions, credentials, and execution history. This template deploys the official n8n Docker image on Railway, backed by a PostgreSQL database provisioned alongside it. Encryption keys, database credentials, and the public webhook URL are wired up automatically through Railway environment variables, so webhooks work out of the box. Railway handles TLS, networking, and restarts, and you can scale vertically as your workflow volume grows. Upgrades are as simple as redeploying with a newer image tag.

Common Use Cases

Automating business processes such as lead routing, CRM syncing, invoicing, and notification pipelines
Building AI agents and LLM-powered workflows that combine models with your existing tools and data
Integrating internal APIs, databases, and SaaS services without writing and maintaining custom glue code

Dependencies for n8n Hosting

PostgreSQL database (provisioned automatically by this template)
n8n encryption key (generated and set via environment variables)
Basic auth credentials (must be set to your own values before deploying)

Deployment Dependencies

Implementation Details

The template sets the key environment variables needed for a production deployment:

DB_TYPE=postgresdb
DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=${{Postgres.PGHOST}}
DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=${{Postgres.PGDATABASE}}
N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=
WEBHOOK_URL=https://${{RAILWAY_PUBLIC_DOMAIN}}
N8N_PORT=5678

> ⚠️ Important: Before deploying, set the N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER and N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD variables to your own credentials in the template configuration screen. Do not deploy with placeholder or default values — your n8n instance would be publicly reachable with credentials anyone could guess.

Why Deploy n8n on Railway?

Railway is a singular platform to deploy your infrastructure stack. Railway will host your infrastructure so you don't have to deal with configuration, while allowing you to vertically and horizontally scale it.

By deploying n8n on Railway, you are one step closer to supporting a complete full-stack application with minimal burden. Host your servers, databases, AI agents, and more on Railway.