When you start taking automation seriously, you inevitably bump into a big choice:
Should you run n8n in the cloud, or should you self-host it?

And since Suns Out Agency now relies heavily on automation—both for client work and for the micro-businesses I’m building—this question became urgent for me. Last weekend, I rolled up my sleeves and self-hosted n8n on a Hostinger VPS. Yes, it worked. Yes, I had a brief meltdown when my router flagged the install URL as malware. And yes… I would still choose self-hosting again.

Why? Unlimited runs, cost stability, and full control of my data.

But I also know that for many people—especially beginners or those who want “set it and forget it”—n8n Cloud is still the better choice.

This post breaks down the pros and cons of both, shares why I picked self-hosting, and gives you the links you need to get the same savings I did (Hostinger’s Cyber Week sale is still live for three more days).

Why Automators Love n8n in the First Place

Before we compare hosting options, here’s why n8n is becoming the automation tool everyone’s whispering about:

• Unlimited potential: Far more flexible than Zapier or Make if you want branching logic, complex flows, or AI agents.

• Data control: You can store and process sensitive data privately.

• Open-source freedom: If you can dream it, you can build it—no “upgrade to premium task” walls.

Now let’s talk about hosting.

Option 1: n8n Cloud (Hosted by n8n)

Think of n8n Cloud as the “Apple” experience: clean, easy, reliable, and perfect if you don’t want to maintain anything.

Pros

✔ Zero setup
Spin it up instantly and start building workflows. No servers. No Docker. No root access. Nothing to maintain.

✔ Official support
If something breaks, n8n fixes it—not you.

✔ Scales without effort
You don’t think about CPU, RAM, uptime, or security updates. It just runs.

✔ Great for teams
Access control, collaboration, and a predictable environment.

Cons

✘ You pay for runs
When your workflows start doing real work, costs can creep up fast.

✘ Limited control over infrastructure
Great for convenience, but some industries (communications, healthcare, legal, finance) need guarantees about data locality and access.

✘ No custom server-level tweaks
If you want to deeply customize or integrate with private systems… cloud may be restrictive.

Option 2: Self-Hosting n8n (My Route)

This is where things get fun. And occasionally frustrating. But mostly fun.

As of this week, n8n is now running on my own Hostinger VPS. If you follow Suns Out Agency, you know I’m building micro-businesses: social automation engines, content tools, intake workflows, and agentic systems. That means I need unlimited executions without price spikes.

Pros

✔ Unlimited runs for one predictable cost
Once your VPS is live, everything you run is included. No cost creep.

✔ Full data control
Client information stays on your server. This matters for PR firms, communications agencies, founders, and sensitive use cases.

✔ Maximum flexibility
Install any package, run any script, build agents, customize integrations—true engineering freedom.

✔ A fraction of the long-term cost
Especially for builders running:

• recurring workflows

• webhooks

• AI agents

• high-volume data processing

Cons

✘ You must manage your own server
Including updates, stability, security, and backups, and n8n updates. (Hostinger’s auto-backup made this easy, thankfully.)

✘ Some technical setup
If you’ve never used Docker, a terminal, or DNS… you’ll learn quickly. I ran into router security issues blocking my VPS URL—took me a minute to diagnose it.

✘ No official n8n Cloud support
You use community support or documentation.

Why Self-Hosting Was the Right Choice for Me

1. Unlimited runs without unpredictable billing

Automation is the backbone of Suns Out Agency. If a workflow goes viral, or if one of my micro-businesses suddenly gets traction, I don’t want to wake up to a painful usage bill.

2. Client data protection

As an agency, I need to guarantee that data isn’t passing through third-party clouds unnecessarily. Self-hosting lets me own the environment, start to finish.

3. Freedom to build whatever I want

With the rise of agentic systems, I want to experiment, break things, build apps, run servers, and generally push boundaries without limits.

4. Hostinger’s Cyber Week deal made the math too good

Their VPS promo was the tipping point. Two-year plan = massive savings + free domain + automated backups. For the next three days, readers can still grab that same deal.

Who Should Choose Which?

Choose n8n Cloud If You…

• Want the simplest possible setup

• Need official support

• Are a beginner

• Want multi-user/team features out of the box

• Have low or medium workflow volume

Choose Self-Hosting If You…

• Need unlimited runs

• Care about data ownership

• Run a business that touches sensitive info

• Want to build advanced or large-volume automations

• Are running AI workflows (which eat tasks for breakfast)

• Enjoy having full control and lower long-term costs

Where Zapier and Make Fit Into the Picture

One thing I want to avoid in any automation conversation is making tools compete unnecessarily. The truth is:

There is no “one perfect automation platform.”
There is only the tool that best fits your use case.

Zapier (FYI: I'm a Silver Partner)

Zapier remains the industry leader in:

• Built-in integrations

• User-friendly design

• Fast deployment

• Business-ready reliability

If a client needs the widest range of ready-to-connect apps, or if they want everything “just to work” with minimal configuration, Zapier is often the best choice. It continues to be the most widely adopted automation platform for good reason. Let's talk if you want to learn more about Zapier.

Make

Make excels at visually complex workflows and is popular with teams wanting a drag-and-drop, design-oriented experience.

No criticism here—Make is powerful, improving rapidly, less expensive than some competitors, and relatively easy to use.

n8n (Hosted or Self-Hosted)

Best for:

• Complex workflows

• Data routing

• AI agents and orchestration

• Privacy-sensitive use cases

• Unlimited-run scalability

• Open-Source software

Still not sure which one fits your business?

That’s where I come in.

Every organization has unique needs:

• Do you want the most integrations? (Zapier)

• Do you want a visual builder for complex flows? (Make)

• Do you want ultimate flexibility and data control? (n8n)

• Do you want unlimited runs without breaking the bank? (self-hosted n8n)

If you’re unsure, I offer a free 30-minute consultation to walk through your goals and recommend the right platform—not just the one I prefer.