How to install n8n on your local machine

🪟 For Windows:

What you’re doing (in plain language)

You will install Docker, which is a tool that runs apps in a “box” (container) so everything works the same on every computer. Then you’ll start n8n with one command.

Step 1 — Install Docker Desktop

1. Open your browser and search: “Docker Desktop for Windows install”. Go to the first result or just follow this link https://docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/windows-install/.

2. Click "Docker Desktop for Windows - x86_64". Docker Desktop will be downloaded into your computer.

   

3. Run the installer.

4. During installation, if you see an option like “Use WSL 2 instead of Hyper-V”, leave it enabled (recommended).

5. After install, restart your PC if it asks you to.

Step 2 — Confirm Docker is running

1. Open Docker Desktop from the Start Menu. If it asks you to sign in, skip it. You don't need to sign in to Docker to run it on your computer.

2. Wait until it says something like “Docker is running” (green / ready status).

3. Keep its window tab open. It should look like this:
   
   

   

Docker desktop should always be open on the background in order to run n8n.

Step 3 — Create a folder for n8n (to keep your data)

1. Open File Explorer

2. Create a folder named n8n, for example in:

   • C:\Users\<yourusername>

Step 4 — Open PowerShell and go to that folder

1. Run Windows + R shortcut to instantly open the Run dialog box. Type "powershell":

   

   OR

   just search for Windows Powershell in your search bar and open it.

2. You should land exactly on C:\Users\<yourusername>. Type cd n8n and you go to the n8n folder you just created:

   

Step 5 — Create a docker-compose file (the “start recipe”)

1. In PowerShell, run:

   notepad docker-compose.yml

Notepad or some other editor will open. Paste exactly this:

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n:latest
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - N8N_HOST=localhost
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=http
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=Europe/Berlin
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  n8n_data:

Save and close Notepad.

Step 6 — Start n8n

Back in the same PowerShell window , run:

docker compose up -d

What this means:

• docker compose = uses your recipe file

• up = start it

• -d = run it in the background

  

Step 7 — Open n8n in your browser

Open your browser and go to:

• http://localhost:5678

You should see the n8n setup screen.

Step 8 — Stop / Start later (important)

To stop n8n:

docker compose down

To start it again later:

docker compose up -d

Step 9 — Update n8n later (optional)

To update to the newest version:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Step 10 — If localhost:5678 doesn’t open (quick checks)

Run these in PowerShell:

Check if container runs:

docker ps

See logs (what n8n says):

docker logs -f $(docker ps -q --filter "ancestor=n8nio/n8n:latest")

If port 5678 is busy (rare), change "5678:5678" to "5679:5678" in the file and then open:

• http://localhost:5679

That's it. Now you can set up your owner account and enjoy building your n8n workflows! ;)

P.S. Useful links with n8n documentation on this topic: https://docs.n8n.io/, https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/

🍏 For Mac IOS:

1. Install Docker (Apple Silicon or Intel version)

Go to: https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/

Download Docker Desktop for Mac (Apple Silicon)
Install it, open it, wait until it says “Docker is running”.

2. Create a folder for n8n

Open Terminal and run:

mkdir ~/n8n
cd ~/n8n

This keeps your data persistent (so you don’t lose workflows).

3) Create docker-compose.yml

Create the file:

nano docker-compose.yml

Paste this YAML:

version: "3.8"

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n:latest
    container_name: n8n
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    volumes:
      - ./n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
    environment:
      - N8N_HOST=localhost
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=http
      - NODE_ENV=production
    restart: always

Save & exit nano:

• Save: Ctrl + O, then Enter

• Exit: Ctrl + X

(Important: it’s Control, not Command.)

4) Start n8n

Still inside ~/n8n, run:

docker compose up -d

5) Open n8n

Open this in your browser:

http://localhost:5678

That’s it — n8n is running locally.

For your daily usage:

Make sure Docker is running before you turn on n8n
Tip: In Docker Desktop settings, enable “Start Docker Desktop when you log in” so it auto-starts.

Open n8n

Just open:

http://localhost:5678

Because the compose file uses restart: always, n8n will auto-restart whenever Docker is running.

Start n8n (if it’s not running)

cd ~/n8n
docker compose up -d

Stop n8n

cd ~/n8n
docker compose down

That's it. Now you can set up your owner account and enjoy building your n8n workflows! ;)

P.S. Useful links with n8n documentation on this topic: https://docs.n8n.io/, https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/