n8n - Free Setup

This repository is designed to run n8n for free on GitHub Codespaces or other free hosting services.

⚡ Quick Start - Run Locally with Docker

The fastest way to run n8n on your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/ali-m07/n8n.git
cd n8n
docker-compose up -d

That's it! 🎉 n8n will be running on http://localhost:13000

Default credentials:

• Username: admin
• Password: changeme

Useful commands:

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f n8n

# Stop n8n
docker-compose stop

# Start n8n
docker-compose start

# Restart n8n
docker-compose restart

# Stop and remove containers
docker-compose down

Note: n8n will automatically start when Docker Desktop starts (thanks to restart: unless-stopped policy).

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🎯 Which Platform Should You Choose?

⭐ BEST OPTION: n8n Cloud Free Tier (100% Free - No Hosting Needed!)

• Completely free - No credit card, no hosting setup
• 1000 executions/month - Usually enough for LinkedIn posting
• Always running - Perfect for scheduled posts
• All integrations - LinkedIn included
• Easiest setup - Just sign up and use!

Alternative: Oracle Cloud Free Tier (100% Free Forever)

• Always free VPS - No expiration
• Always running - Perfect for scheduled tasks
• Full control - Your own server
• Best for: Users who want self-hosted solution

For Development & Testing → GitHub Codespaces

• 60 free hours/month - Good for testing
• Stops when inactive - Not suitable for scheduled tasks
• Best for: Development, testing workflows

🚀 Method 1: n8n Cloud Free Tier ⭐ (Easiest - Recommended)

This is the easiest and truly free option! No hosting setup needed.

n8n Cloud Setup Steps:

1. Go to n8n.io and sign up (completely free)
2. No credit card required
3. Start creating workflows immediately
4. Connect LinkedIn and schedule your posts
5. Done! ✅

n8n Cloud Free Tier Includes:

• ✅ 1000 workflow executions per month
• ✅ Unlimited workflows
• ✅ All integrations (LinkedIn, etc.)
• ✅ Scheduled workflows
• ✅ Webhooks
• ✅ Always running
• ✅ No hosting needed

Perfect for LinkedIn posting! 1000 executions/month is usually enough for daily/weekly posts.

🚀 Method 2: Oracle Cloud Free Tier (100% Free Forever)

Oracle Cloud offers a free VPS that never expires - perfect for hosting n8n!

Oracle Cloud Setup Steps:

1. Go to cloud.oracle.com and sign up (no credit card needed)
2. Create a free VM:
   • Choose "Always Free" tier
   • Select Ubuntu 22.04
   • Use ARM-based Ampere A1 (4 VMs, 24GB RAM total) - FREE
3. SSH into your VM and install Docker:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install docker.io -y
   sudo systemctl start docker
   sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

4. Run n8n:

   sudo docker run -d \
     --name n8n \
     -p 5678:5678 \
     -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n \
     -e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true \
     -e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin \
     -e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=your-password \
     --restart unless-stopped \
     docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n:latest

5. Access n8n at http://your-vm-public-ip:5678

Oracle Cloud Benefits:

• ✅ Always free (never expires)
• ✅ Always running
• ✅ Full control
• ✅ No credit card required
• ✅ Perfect for scheduled LinkedIn posts

🐳 Method 4: GitHub Codespaces (Use as Personal VM)

Use GitHub Codespaces as your personal VM to run n8n - No server purchase needed!

GitHub Codespaces offers 60 free hours per month - perfect for running n8n workflows without buying a server or using your local machine.

⚠️ Important Notes:

• Free Tier: 60 hours/month (usually enough for development and testing)
• Auto-stop: Codespace stops after 30 minutes of inactivity (but you can keep it running)
• Data Persistence: All your workflows and data are saved in the Codespace
• Best for: Development, testing, and running workflows when you're actively working

🚀 Quick Start:

1. Go to your repository on GitHub: https://github.com/ali-m07/n8n
2. Click the "Code" button (green button)
3. Select the "Codespaces" tab
4. Click "Create codespace on main"
5. Wait for the Codespace to start (takes 1-2 minutes)
6. n8n will automatically start - you'll see a notification about port 5678
7. Click on the port notification or go to "Ports" tab
8. Click "Open in Browser" next to port 5678

✅ What Happens Automatically:

• n8n is installed and started automatically
• Port 5678 is forwarded automatically
• Your workflows are saved in ~/.n8n directory
• Everything persists between sessions

🌐 Accessing n8n:

• Inside Codespace: http://localhost:5678
• Public URL: Codespaces creates a public URL automatically (check the Ports tab)
• No authentication by default (safe in private repositories)

💡 Tips for Using Codespaces as VM:

1. Keep Codespace Running:

   • Codespace stops after 30 minutes of inactivity
   • To keep it running, you can:
     • Use it regularly (any activity keeps it alive)
     • Set up a simple keep-alive script if needed

2. Save Your Work:

   • All workflows are automatically saved in ~/.n8n
   • Commit important workflows to the n8n-workflows repository for backup

3. Multiple Codespaces:

   • You can create multiple Codespaces for different projects
   • Each has its own isolated environment

4. Cost Management:

   • Free: 60 hours/month
   • Monitor usage in GitHub Settings → Billing
   • Codespace stops automatically when you're not using it

🔄 Workflow Management:

1. Create workflows in n8n (running in Codespace)
2. Export workflows to save them:
   • In n8n: Click workflow → "..." → "Download"
   • Save to workflows/ directory
3. Commit to repository:

   git add workflows/your-workflow.json
   git commit -m "Add workflow: your-workflow"
   git push

📊 When to Use Codespaces vs Other Options:

Use Codespaces when:

• ✅ You want a free VM without buying a server
• ✅ You're actively developing/testing workflows
• ✅ You don't need 24/7 uptime
• ✅ You want to avoid using your local machine

Use n8n Cloud or Oracle Cloud when:

• ⚠️ You need 24/7 uptime for scheduled tasks
• ⚠️ You need workflows to run automatically without your presence

🚀 Method 3: Run Locally + Cloudflare Tunnel (Free)

If you can keep your computer running, use Cloudflare Tunnel for free public access.

Local Setup Steps:

1. Install n8n on your computer:

   npm install -g n8n
   n8n start

2. Install Cloudflare Tunnel:
   • Download from cloudflare.com/products/tunnel
   • Or use: cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:5678
3. Get free public URL from Cloudflare
4. Access n8n from anywhere!

Benefits:

• ✅ Completely free
• ✅ No hosting needed
• ⚠️ Requires your computer to be on

📝 Other Options (May Require Payment)

Render / Fly.io / Railway

⚠️ Note: These services may require payment or have limited free tiers. For truly free options, use n8n Cloud or Oracle Cloud.

🔄 Auto-Update System

This repository includes an automatic update system that keeps n8n up to date!

How It Works:

1. GitHub Actions Workflow:

   • Runs daily at 2 AM UTC
   • Checks for new n8n versions
   • Updates version tracking automatically
   • View status in the "Actions" tab

2. Docker Compose Configuration:

   • Uses latest tag with pull_policy: always
   • Automatically pulls newest version when container restarts
   • No manual version updates needed!

Manual Update Methods:

Option 1: Using the update script (Recommended)

./update-n8n.sh

Option 2: Using docker-compose

docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d

Option 3: Restart container (auto-pulls latest)

docker-compose restart

Check Current Version:

docker inspect n8n --format '{{ index .Config.Labels "org.opencontainers.image.version" }}'

⚙️ Configuration

Change Password:

In the docker-compose.yml file, modify the following variables:

• N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER: username
• N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD: password

Disable Authentication:

In docker-compose.yml, change N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true to false.

📝 Important Notes

• Data: All workflows and settings are stored in the n8n_data volume
• Security: In public environments, always enable authentication
• LinkedIn Integration:
  • n8n Cloud: ⭐ Best option (1000 executions/month, always running, free)
  • Oracle Cloud: Great for self-hosted (always free, always running)
  • Local + Tunnel: Good if computer stays on
  • Codespaces: Not recommended (stops when inactive)
• Limitations:
  • n8n Cloud: 1000 executions/month (usually enough)
  • Oracle Cloud: Free tier limits (usually sufficient)
  • Local: Requires computer to be on
  • Codespaces: 60 hours/month, stops when inactive

🔗 Useful Links

• n8n Documentation
• GitHub Codespaces
• n8n Community

📄 License

This repository uses the n8n license. For more details, see LICENSE.md.