How to Use Hostinger VPS With Dokploy to Self-Host n8n

If you want full control of your automations and websites without paying SaaS prices every month, combining Hostinger VPS + Dokploy + n8n is one of the most powerful and beginner-friendly stacks you can use.

In this guide you’ll learn, step by step, how to:

• Choose a Hostinger VPS OS with Panel → Dokploy
• Secure your server with a custom domain and SSL
• Deploy n8n for workflow automation on its own domain
• Optimize the whole setup for speed, security, and SEO

This article is written for beginners, but the end result is a production-ready setup that scales like a pro.

What You’ll Build

By the end you’ll have:

• Dokploy dashboard
• n8n (self-hosted automation)

All running on one Hostinger VPS, isolated in Docker containers through Dokploy’s panel.

Why Use Hostinger VPS With Dokploy for n8n?

1. Power and flexibility of VPS hosting

Compared to shared hosting, a VPS (Virtual Private Server) gives you:

• Dedicated CPU and RAM
• Root access to install anything you want
• Better uptime and performance for automation workloads and high-traffic sites

That’s important for n8n, which can run scheduled workflows, webhooks and AI automations around the clock.

2. Dokploy = simple control panel for Docker apps

Dokploy is an open-source platform that sits on top of Docker and lets you deploy apps from templates (like n8n and WordPress) with just a few clicks.

Key benefits:

• One dashboard for multiple apps (n8n, WordPress, databases, more)
• Built-in reverse proxy and SSL (Let’s Encrypt)
• Easy backups, logs and environment variables
• Works perfectly with Hostinger’s Dokploy VPS template

So instead of manually managing Docker, Nginx, Traefik, firewalls, etc., Dokploy does the heavy lifting.

3. Self-hosted n8n = unlimited automations

n8n is an open-source low-code automation platform that connects APIs, webhooks, databases and AI models.

Self-hosting n8n gives you:

• Full control over your data and privacy
• Ability to run unlimited workflows and executions
• Deep integration with your own WordPress, CRM, email tools, and AI

Prerequisites

Before starting, you should have:

• A Hostinger VPS plan (KVM2-minimum)
• A domain for your infrastructure
• Domains added to Cloudflare for DNS and extra security
• Basic ability to log in to your VPS and Hostinger panel

You don’t need advanced Linux or Docker knowledge – Dokploy hides most of that.

Step 1 – Create a Hostinger VPS With the Dokploy OS Panel

Hostinger makes this very easy – they ship a ready-made Dokploy OS template.

1. Log in to your Hostinger account.
2. Go to VPS
3. Under OS with Panel, select: Ubuntu 24.04 with Dokploy
4. Complete the setup:
   • Choose server location (closest to your main audience)
   • Set or confirm your root password or SSH key
5. Click Finish setup / Rebuild and wait for provisioning.

Behind the scenes, Hostinger will:

• Install Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
• Install Docker and Dokploy with sane defaults
• Expose Dokploy’s dashboard on a secure port

Step 2 – Point Your Domains to the VPS (Cloudflare DNS)

Next, connect your domains to the VPS IP.

2.1 Find your VPS IP

In Hostinger → VPS → Overview, copy your IPv4 address

2.2 Add DNS records for the n8n domain

In Cloudflare → domain Add Site→ DNS:

Type	Name	Content (Value)	Proxy status
A	@	VPS_IP	Proxied or DNS only
CNAME	www	your-domain-name	Same as above

Cloudflare may display @ as the full domain name, that’s normal.

Once DNS is saved, give it a few minutes to propagate.

Step 3 – Secure the Dokploy Dashboard With Your Domain and SSL

Hostinger’s guide recommends securing the Dokploy instance as soon as possible.

1. Visit: https://your-vps-ip:3000 or the URL Hostinger provides.
2. Create your Dokploy admin account (email + password).
3. Log in to the dashboard.

3.1 Set the panel domain and SSL

1. Go to Settings in Dokploy.
2. Under Domain / SSL:
   • Domain:
   • Email: your contact email
   • Certificate provider: Let’s Encrypt
3. Save and wait while Dokploy:
   • Requests an SSL certificate
   • Reconfigures its reverse proxy

After that, you should be able to use:

without the :3000 port, fully encrypted.

Step 4: Deploy n8n on Hostinger VPS Using Dokploy

Now the fun part – installing n8n as a self-hosted automation platform.

Dokploy has an official n8n template that uses Docker under the hood.

4.1 Create a project for automation

1. In Dokploy, go to Projects.
2. Click New Project.
3. Name it: automation (or anything you like).
4. Click Create.

4.2 Deploy n8n from template

1. Open the automation project.
2. Click Create → Template.
3. In the template gallery, search for n8n.
4. Choose the simple n8n template (not the “worker + runner” or Postgres edition, unless you specifically need them).
5. Fill the basic details:
   • Name: n8n
   • Domain / Host: yourdomain.com
6. Keep everything else on default and click Create.
7. Inside the app page, click Deploy.

Dokploy will:

• Pull the correct n8n Docker image
• Run the container behind its reverse proxy
• Map the internal port to the domain

4.3 Request SSL for n8n

1. Inside the n8n app, open the Domains tab.
2. You should see default host remove it and change it your own domain
3. Click Request SSL / Enable HTTPS. and Selct = Let’s Encrypt
4. Wait until the status turns Active / Green.

Now visit Your Domain URL:

You should see the n8n onboarding page on your domain. Wait few minutes.

4.4 Recommended environment variables for production

To make URLs consistent and avoid redirect issues, add these environment variables (in Dokploy → n8n app → Environment / Config):

N8N_HOST=yourdomain.com
N8N_PROTOCOL=https
N8N_PORT=5678
WEBHOOK_URL=https:yourdomain.com

Redeploy the app after saving.

4.5 Updating n8n later

n8n’s official docs say that for Docker installs, you update by switching to a newer Docker image tag and recreating the container.

In Dokploy you simply:

1. Edit the image: line in the n8n configuration Compose file, for example:

image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n:1.119.2

2. Save and Deploy again.

All your workflows and database connections are preserved.