🚀 How to Download & Run n8n on Your Local PC

Get n8n running locally in 3 simple steps. Start automating workflows on your machine today.

🎯 Overview

This guide walks you through installing and running n8n locally on your computer. n8n is a powerful workflow automation tool that you can run on your own machine for free.

📥 Installation

Step 1️⃣: Install Node.js

n8n runs on Node.js. Download the latest LTS version: 👉 nodejs.org

Installation by Operating System:

Windows:

Run the .msi installer

macOS:

Run the .pkg installer, OR
Use Homebrew: brew install node

Linux:

Ubuntu/Debian: apt install nodejs npm
Fedora: dnf install nodejs

Verify Installation

After installation, confirm in terminal / PowerShell:

node -v
npm -v

You should see version numbers displayed for both commands.

Step 2️⃣: Install n8n via npm

Open your terminal (PowerShell, cmd, or Bash) and run:

npm install n8n -g

This downloads and installs n8n globally so you can run it from anywhere.

Step 3️⃣: Start n8n

Now, just run:

n8n

✨ This will start n8n on http://localhost:5678

Getting Started

Open the link in your browser: http://localhost:5678
Sign up / create your local user
Start building workflows!

🔧 Troubleshooting

Installation failed?

Ensure Node.js is properly installed (node -v should work)
Try running terminal/PowerShell as administrator
Clear npm cache: npm cache clean --force

Port already in use?

Another application might be using port 5678
Stop other n8n instances or change the port

Command not found?

Make sure npm global bin directory is in your PATH
Restart your terminal after installation

💡 Next Steps

Once n8n is running:

Explore the workflow templates
Connect your favorite apps and services
Build your first automation
Check out the n8n documentation for advanced features

📚 Additional Resources

📬 Contact

Questions? Suggestions? Feel free to reach out!

Made with ❤️ by Thiekshana

My Github Profile • DM Me @ LinkedIn