Hostinger: The $7.49/mo Self-Hosted Automation Server Everyone's Googling in 2025

TL;DR

Self-hosted automation is the open-source alternative to expensive SaaS tools.
Hostinger offers 1-click VPS templates with Docker and SSL-ready defaults.
KVM-2 starts at $7.49/month vs $20+/month for cloud platforms, a 67% cost drop.
Ideal for AI workflows, web scraping, social media bots, and ecommerce automations.

Why this combo is exploding in 2025

Creators want automation without platform lock-in. Hostinger made it effortless with a template that boots your automation stack, Docker, and SSL in minutes. You get enterprise-grade power with total control over your data and domain.

self-hosted automationHostinger VPS setupDocker SSL automationAI automation VPSno-code privacy

Cloud vs Self-Hosted Automation

Category	Cloud Platforms	Self-Hosted VPS
Price	$20+ / mo, limited executions	$7.49 / mo, unlimited workflows
Infrastructure	Shared resources	Dedicated 2 vCPU / 8 GB / 100 GB NVMe
Control	No root access	Full root + custom domain + SSL

Step 0

Grab the deal (30 seconds)

Open Hostinger VPS and choose the KVM 2 plan (or higher).
Checkout with code AUTOMATION2025 for an extra 10% off.
Select Ubuntu 24.04 with Docker during onboarding.

Step 1

One-click install (2 minutes)

Open hPanel > VPS > Manage.
Go to OS & Panel > Operating System.
Search for Docker and select "Ubuntu 24.04 with Docker".
Confirm the wipe, set root password, and wait for the green status bar.

Step 2

Free SSL + custom domain (3 minutes)

Point your domain (example: automation.mybrand.com) to the VPS IP with an A-record. Then run:

sudo apt install certbot nginx python3-certbot-nginx -y
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/automation
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/automation /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/automation
sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d automation.mybrand.com --redirect

Paste this minimal Nginx config, replace the domain, and save:

server {
  listen 80;
  server_name automation.mybrand.com;

  location / {
    proxy_pass http://localhost:5678;
    proxy_http_version 1.1;
    proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
    proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
  }
}

Step 3

First login and secure setup (1 minute)

Open https://automation.mybrand.com in your browser.
Create your owner account and land on the workflow canvas.
Go to Settings > User Management, add a user, and disable public sign-ups.

Step 4

Build a viral AI workflow

Trending 2025 use-case: "Tweet > GPT-4 rewrite > LinkedIn post > Discord alert". All integrations available.

Twitter node
OpenAI node
LinkedIn node
Discord node

Import a workflow template, customize it for your needs, and activate.

Step 5

Scale like a pro

Traffic spike	Action
> 50k executions / month	Upgrade to KVM 4 (1-click resize in hPanel)
Need queue mode	Re-deploy with queue-enabled configuration
Multi-project stack	Install Coolify to manage multiple apps

Backup and security checklist

Enable daily snapshots: hPanel > Backups & Monitoring > Snapshots.
Firewall essentials: sudo ufw allow 22,80,443/tcp && sudo ufw enable
Monthly update: docker compose pull && docker compose up -d

Bonus: 5 copy-paste ENV tweaks

Add these to your docker-compose.yml, then run docker compose up -d.

- EDITOR_BASE_URL=https://automation.mybrand.com
- SECURE_COOKIE=true
- PROTOCOL=https
- HOST=automation.mybrand.com
- WEBHOOK_URL=https://automation.mybrand.com/

Wrap-up

You now own a private, unlimited automation server for the price of two lattes. No vendor lock-in, no workflow cap, and no data leaks.

Drop your questions below and share your most creative automation workflow.

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