What is N8N?
N8N is an open-source workflow automation tool that allows you to connect different applications and services together. It is an open-source alternative to tools like Zapier or Make.
Deployment Variants
N8N is available in three deployment configurations in Coolify:
n8n (Default)
- Database: SQLite (embedded)
- Use case: Simple deployments, testing, or low-volume workflows
- Components: Single n8n container with built-in SQLite database
n8n with PostgreSQL
- Database: PostgreSQL (external)
- Use case: Production deployments requiring better performance, scalability, and data persistence
- Components:
- n8n container
- PostgreSQL 16 container
- Automatic database configuration and health checks
n8n with PostgreSQL and Worker
- Database: PostgreSQL + Redis
- Use case: High-volume production deployments with queue-based execution and parallel workflow processing
- Components:
- n8n main container
- n8n-worker container for distributed execution
- PostgreSQL 16 container
- Redis container for queue management
- Automatic database configuration and health checks
Screenshots
Extending n8n with custom dependencies
To extend n8n with custom dependencies, you can add them following the example below to your Dockerfile:
...
RUN apk add --no-cache ffmpeg
...Example Dockerfile
FROM n8nio/n8n:latest
# Switch to root user to install packages and modify system directories
USER root
# Install necessary system packages using apk
# build-base, python3-dev, geoip-dev are needed for potential native dependencies
# wget for downloading, git for source control (might be needed by Go), bash (useful shell)
RUN apk update && \
apk add --no-cache \
wget \
ffmpeg
ENV N8N_HOST=${SUBDOMAIN}.${DOMAIN_NAME}
ENV N8N_PORT=5678
ENV N8N_PROTOCOL=https
ENV NODE_ENV=production
ENV WEBHOOK_URL=https://${SUBDOMAIN}.${DOMAIN_NAME}/
# Switch back to the non-root user that n8n runs as (typically 'node')
USER node