How to Safely Update n8n on Hostinger VPS

This guide will walk you step-by-step through updating your existing n8n instance on a Hostinger VPS (pre-installed with Docker and Docker Compose) - without losing any of your workflows, credentials, or data.

📺 Watch the Full Tutorial on YouTube

• How to Update n8n Safely on Hostinger VPS (Step-by-Step Guide)

---

✅ Important: Hostinger’s n8n VPS already uses persistent volumes, so this update process is safe and non-destructive.

---

1️⃣ Access Your Hostinger VPS via Terminal

2️⃣ (Optional) Clear Terminal

This just clears the screen for better visibility.

clear

3️⃣ Pull the Latest n8n Docker Image

This will download the latest version of n8n without affecting your data.

docker compose pull n8n

⚠️ Make sure you’re in the directory containing your docker-compose.yml. Which you can verify simply my entering ls in terminal.

4️⃣ Stop the Currently Running n8n Container

This stops the old container (but does not remove your workflows, because data is already persisted in Hostinger n8n VPS).

docker compose down

5️⃣ Start n8n Using the Updated Image

This restarts n8n with the latest version.

docker compose up -d

6️⃣ Confirm n8n is running successfully

docker compose ps

7️⃣ Confirm the Updated Version

docker exec -it root-n8n-1 n8n -v

Replace n8n with your container name if it's different. Use 'docker ps' to check.

---

🔒 Data Persistence (Why Your Workflows Are Safe)

Hostinger’s Docker setup includes a persistent volume like:

volumes:
  - ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n

This ensures:

• ✅ Workflows
• ✅ Credentials
• ✅ Execution history ...all remain safe even when containers are stopped or updated.

---

✅ That’s It!

Your n8n instance is now successfully updated on Hostinger — with no data lost and everything working on the latest version.

Support me if my videos or projects helped you 👇🏻

---

📝 License

• Code: MIT License
• Screenshots & Docs: CC BY 4.0 — Attribution required
  Credit: Moksh Bhardwaj

---

🙌 Author

Moksh Bhardwaj
🔗 YouTube
🔗 Super Profile
🔗 GitHub

🎥 Watch the full tutorial on YouTube

⭐ Star this repo if you find it useful and want more tech tutroials!