👋 Tired of limited free trials for powerful automation tools? This guide reveals how to unlock the full potential of n8n without spending a dime, using the magic of Supabase!
🧲 Why This Matters
In a world craving automation, n8n emerges as a champion, empowering you to connect various apps and automate tasks effortlessly. But what happens when the free trial runs out? This is where Supabase swoops in to save the day!
💰 The Free Trial Trap & The Supabase Solution
Most platforms, including Render (a popular choice for hosting n8n), offer limited free trials for their databases. Once expired, you’re left with two options:
- Option 1: 💸 Pay Up! Upgrade to a paid plan (like Render’s Starter plan at $7/month). While affordable, it might not be ideal for budget-conscious users.
- Option 2: 🚀 The Supabase Advantage! Migrate your database to Supabase, a platform offering a forever-free database tier perfect for hosting n8n.
This guide focuses on Option 2, guiding you through a seamless migration process.
🔄 Migrating Your Database: A Step-by-Step Guide
This process assumes you already have n8n hosted on Render (check out the creator’s previous video for a guide).
Before you begin: ⚠️ Migrating your database will erase existing workflows. Download any active workflows as JSON files for easy re-import later.
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Sign Up with Supabase:
- Head over to https://supabase.com/ and create a free account.
- Create a new organization and project, selecting the free plan and “Paris” as your region for optimal performance.
- Crucial: Carefully note down the generated database password. You’ll need it later!
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Configure Render:
- Navigate to your n8n instance on Render (not the n8n DB section).
- Go to “Environment” to access your environment variables.
- Locate the following fields:
DATABASE_HOST,DATABASE_NAME,DATABASE_PASSWORD,DATABASE_PORT,DATABASE_USER. - In a separate tab, go to your Supabase project settings, then “Database” > “Connection info”.
- Copy the corresponding values from Supabase to your Render environment variables.
- Important: The
DATABASE_TYPEshould remain aspostgres.
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Reconnect & Re-Import:
- Your n8n instance will restart with the new database configuration.
- Log back into n8n.
- Import your previously downloaded workflows using the “Import from File” option.
- If you were using any authentication, reconnect to your services.
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Clean Up:
- Return to your Render dashboard and locate your n8n database.
- Go to settings and safely delete the old database.
🎉 Congratulations!
You now have a fully functional n8n instance powered by a free Supabase database! Enjoy unlimited automation possibilities without the burden of recurring costs.
🧰 Resource Toolbox
- Supabase: https://supabase.com/ – Your go-to platform for a free and powerful database.
- Render: https://render.com/ – A popular cloud platform for hosting web applications, including n8n.
- n8n: https://n8n.io/ – The open-source automation champion that lets you connect to any app and automate workflows.
🚀 Take Your Automation to the Next Level
This setup empowers you to explore the full potential of n8n. Start building powerful workflows, connect your favorite apps, and automate tasks like a pro – all without spending a dime on database hosting!
