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ADR-001 — Self-Host the Automation Platform

Status: Accepted

Context​

I need somewhere to run n8n continuously so it can receive Telegram messages, talk to Notion, call external APIs, and run automations in the background.

n8n Cloud would be the easiest option, but this is also a personal project and a good opportunity to run my own small infrastructure.

Decision​

I'll self-host the platform on a VPS instead of using n8n Cloud.

The different components will run in Docker containers.

Why?​

Mainly because I want to:

  • Keep recurring costs low.
  • Have full control over the environment.
  • Avoid paying based on workflow executions.
  • Be free to add other services to the VPS later.
  • Learn more about running a small production-like environment.

And, quite simply, running it myself is part of the fun of the project.

Trade-offs​

Self-hosting means I also get to deal with the less exciting parts:

  • VPS administration.
  • Docker maintenance.
  • HTTPS and networking.
  • n8n upgrades.
  • Backups.
  • Security updates.
  • Troubleshooting when something inevitably breaks.

For a small personal platform, that feels like a reasonable trade-off.