n8n Docker Setup: Why It Breaks (And the Easier Alternative)

Docker has become the standard way to self-host n8n — and for good reason. But here's what most tutorials don't tell you: Docker makes n8n easier to run, but not necessarily easier to set up correctly. The gap between "Docker is running" and "n8n is working securely with HTTPS and persistent data" is where most people get stuck. This article walks through the five most common failure points — and how to fix each one. Key Takeaways (30-Second Summary) Docker is the standard way to self-host n8n, but setup is fraught with hidden pitfalls. The top 5 failure points are: SSL certificate configuration, environment variable typos, database persistence, update chaos, and port conflicts. Most "it doesn't work" moments trace back to one of five specific misconfigurations. A working production setup requires proper SSL, reverse proxy, persistent volumes, and the right environment variables. The easier alternative: deploy n8n in 3 minutes on Agntable with everything pre-configured — no terminal, n