Build
Short answer: For one n8n instance that runs 24/7, Hostinger KVM 1 is the simpler and more predictable choice: $6.49 a month on a 24-month term for 1 vCPU and 4 GB of RAM, with a one-click n8n template and unlimited executions (Hostinger's n8n page, November 2026). Railway starts at $5 a month (Hobby, $5 of usage included) but bills CPU and memory by the second: $10 per GB of RAM and $20 per vCPU per month at full use. A small n8n that sleeps a lot can cost less on Railway; one that is busy all day, or needs Postgres, usually costs more. Our winner is Hostinger for anyone running n8n for real work or clients.
🏆 Our pick for always-on n8n: Hostinger KVM 1
We run our Telegram AI sales bot on it. Fixed price, 4 GB RAM, n8n installed from a template in a few clicks, about $5.84 a month with code LEARN2EARN.
Hostinger vs Railway for n8n at a glance
| Hostinger KVM 1 | Railway Hobby | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.49/mo (24 months, $155.76), renews $11.99/mo | $5/mo, includes $5 of usage; extra usage billed by the second |
| Resources | 1 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 50 GB NVMe, fixed | Up to 48 vCPU / 48 GB per service, you pay for what you use |
| Usage rates | Included | RAM $10/GB/month, CPU $20/vCPU/month, volumes $0.15/GB, egress $0.05/GB |
| n8n setup | One-click n8n template in hPanel | Deploy from a template or Docker image |
| Bill surprises | None: same price every month | Depends on how busy your workflows are |
| Best for | Always-on bots, client automations, agencies | Developers, small or idle workflows, quick tests |
Railway prices from railway.com/pricing and docs.railway.com (November 11, 2026). Hostinger prices from hostinger.com/self-hosted-n8n (November 10, 2026). US dollars before tax.
What n8n costs on Railway (the honest math)
Railway charges for the memory and CPU your n8n actually uses, per second. A typical idle n8n container sits at a few hundred MB of RAM and almost no CPU, so a light setup can stay close to the $5 included in Hobby. But the rates add up when n8n is busy or when you add a database:
| If your n8n uses, on average… | Railway usage per month |
|---|---|
| 0.5 GB RAM + 0.1 vCPU | ≈ $5 + $2 = ≈ $7 |
| 1 GB RAM + 0.25 vCPU | ≈ $10 + $5 = ≈ $15 |
| 2 GB RAM + 0.5 vCPU (plus Postgres) | ≈ $20 + $10 = $30+ |
Calculated from Railway's published rates ($10 per GB of RAM and $20 per vCPU per month at full-time use). Your Hobby plan's $5 is subtracted from the usage, and you pay the difference. These are estimates; your real bill depends on your workflows.
On Hostinger KVM 1 the same n8n costs $6.49 a month no matter how busy it is, with 4 GB of RAM to spare for Postgres and queue mode later.
Why we run n8n on Hostinger
We bought KVM 1, picked the n8n template, and had n8n on its own HTTPS address in a few minutes without SSH. Then we built a Telegram AI sales assistant (Telegram Trigger, AI Agent with Gemini, Simple Memory, reply). The full walkthrough is in our n8n install guide and the plan choice in which KVM plan for n8n.
The n8n template in Hostinger's VPS setup (our order).
When Railway is the better choice
- You already deploy apps on Railway and want n8n next to them.
- Your workflows run a few times a day, so the container is mostly idle.
- You want to scale one service up for a short spike and pay only for those seconds.
- You do not want to manage a server at all, not even updates.
When Hostinger is the better choice
- n8n runs all day: webhooks, chat bots, client automations.
- You want a fixed monthly cost you can put in a client quote.
- You plan to add Postgres, Redis or a second app on the same server.
- You are not a developer and want a template instead of Docker settings (see KVM 1).
💡 Selling automations to clients?
One KVM 1 can run n8n workflows for several small clients. With a fixed $6.49 a month, every client fee after the first is profit. Start with Hostinger KVM 1
FAQ
Is Railway or Hostinger cheaper for n8n?
For a small, mostly idle n8n, Railway can stay near $5 a month. For n8n that runs all day or needs a database, Hostinger KVM 1 at a fixed $6.49 a month (24-month term) is usually cheaper and more predictable.
How much RAM does n8n need?
Our single n8n instance with an AI agent ran fine on 4 GB. On Railway every extra GB costs about $10 a month at full use; on Hostinger KVM 1 the 4 GB is included.
Can I move n8n from Railway to a VPS later?
Yes. Export your workflows (and credentials, carefully) from n8n and import them on the new instance. See our best VPS for n8n guide for sizing.
Is n8n Cloud an option?
Yes, from $24 a month for 2,500 executions. Compare all three in n8n self-hosted vs cloud cost.
Sources: railway.com/pricing and docs.railway.com/reference/pricing/plans (November 11, 2026), hostinger.com/self-hosted-n8n (November 10, 2026), our own Hostinger KVM 1 n8n test (October 2026).
