Bottom line: a cheap VPS with Docker running is the cheapest way to own your automation and monitoring — n8n for workflows, Uptime Kuma for uptime, Caddy for free HTTPS. All free software; you only pay for the box.
The stack at a glance
| Tool | What it does | RAM | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| n8n | Workflow automation (self-hosted) | ~0.5 GB | full setup |
| Uptime Kuma | Uptime & status monitoring | ~0.15 GB | full setup |
| Caddy | Reverse proxy + auto HTTPS | ~0.1 GB | both guides |
All three fit comfortably on a 2 GB VPS. A 1 GB box works for one or two, tight for all three.
Install Docker
On Debian/Ubuntu, the official convenience script works and is the most-maintained path:
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker
docker --versionThen verify Compose v2 is included: docker compose version.
Security first: before exposing anything, run through the 15-minute VPS security checklist — SSH hardening, firewall, fail2ban. Do it before you deploy.
The two free tools worth running
n8n — your automation engine
n8n self-hosted gives you unlimited workflow executions and full data control. Full step-by-step in the Best VPS for n8n in 2026 guide, with a ready n8n + Caddy repo.
Uptime Kuma — know when things break
Free, unlimited uptime monitors with notifications. Grab the uptime-kuma-stack repo and the setup guide.
Why a paid VPS over free tiers for this
Free SaaS tiers for n8n (or the automation features you actually need) tend to cap executions, hide your data behind their terms, and nag you to upgrade. A $5–$6/mo VPS with Docker + a few tools removes those caps and keeps your data on hardware you control. For many people the box pays for itself by removing limits you'd otherwise hit.
Pick a box
Sweet spot (2 GB): the choice for n8n + Uptime Kuma + a website together.
See the full cheap VPS comparison to match a provider to the workload.
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