Why n8n?
If you are paying for Zapier or Make, stop.
n8n is a free, open-source workflow automation tool that you can
run on your own machine. Your data never leaves your server,
no monthly bills, no task limits.
What you will need
- Docker installed on your machine
- Docker Compose
- 5 minutes
The docker-compose.yml
services:
n8n:
image: n8nio/n8n:latest
container_name: n8n
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "5678:5678"
environment:
- N8N_HOST=localhost
- N8N_PORT=5678
- N8N_PROTOCOL=http
- WEBHOOK_URL=http://localhost:5678/
- GENERIC_TIMEZONE=Asia/Kolkata
volumes:
- n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
volumes:
n8n_data:
driver: local
Run it
docker compose up -d
Then open http://localhost:5678 in your browser.
Create your owner account on first visit and you are inside n8n.
What each key line does
- image: n8nio/n8n:latest — pulls the official n8n image
- restart: unless-stopped — auto restarts on reboot
- ports 5678:5678 — exposes n8n in your browser
- GENERIC_TIMEZONE — keeps your scheduled workflows on time
- n8n_data volume — persists all your workflows and credentials
Full Video Walkthrough
I have covered this step by step in a video on my YouTube channel ArrayAcademy including every line of the compose file explained.
📺 Watch here — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3RSWkvB8_Y
📄 Compose file — https://gist.github.com/abinash889/9c0f9ab02c160c95134a86fcef87b323
What's Next
In the next video I am covering the full n8n interface overview
followed by building a real Gmail to Telegram notification workflow — completely free.
Subscribe to ArrayAcademy on YouTube to follow along.
Drop a comment if you have any questions. Happy to help!
