Bonus + Demo Day: Self-Hosting n8n with Docker (Cloud vs Local Decision, the n8n_data Volume, Credentials, ngrok) and How the Hackathon Was Judged

Cloud: ~$25/month base for 2,500 executions (test runs included - limits arrive fast), one-click OAuth for nodes, the n8n AI assistant, team collaboration with access control, and until recently only verified community nodes (changing in the new version). Self-hosted (your PC, a company server, or a rented VPS): free beyond your own compute, local file access via the Read/Write Files from Disk node, an unrestricted Code node for arbitrary Python/JS, all community nodes, direct connection to local LLMs (Ollama, LM Studio), and 'the entire 4-hour class' on local AI deferred. Costs: no permissions model ('anyone with access can edit anything'), no AI assistant, and patience. Decision: personal use starts on cloud and migrates when the cap bites; technical teams needing data control go local; large enterprises stay cloud for compliance and support SLAs. Hostinger's managed n8n (~$5/month, unlimited executions, updates handled) sits between.

Download Docker Desktop for your chip (AMD64 for most PCs, ARM64 for the newer Copilot-class machines, Intel or Apple silicon on Mac); on Windows accept the WSL prompt. In Docker Hub search n8n.io/n8n, choose the 'latest' tag, Pull (~1.63 GB, 10-12 minutes). Volumes -> Create -> name exactly n8n_data. Run the image: container name n8n, host port 5678 (every doc assumes it), mount the volume, add environment variables including TZ from the Wikipedia timezone list, Run. Open localhost:5678, sign up, click 'send me a free license key', then Settings > Usage and Plan > Enter Activation Key for unlimited workflows. Update by pulling 'latest' again - monthly at most; data survives because it lives in the volume, not the image. Containers are sandboxed - a corrupted n8n cannot touch the host; the npm install route gives n8n the whole machine and is discouraged. Two n8n instances can run in one Docker Desktop on different ports.

OAuth nodes (Gmail, LinkedIn) need a client ID and secret created in the provider's console per n8n's linked docs (Google Cloud project, enable APIs, consent screen) - about two hours the first time, ten minutes with practice, one-time per credential type, then shared by every node of that type. API-key nodes (ChatGPT, Gemini) are trivial. Migration: export the workflow JSON from cloud, 'Import from file' locally (and back); structure transfers, credentials do not; move a workflow once rather than syncing both ways. Instance-level MCP access is enabled locally the same way as in cloud. Exposure: local n8n listens on localhost:5678 only; to receive webhooks from Retell, Apify or a Lovable front end, tunnel with ngrok (a public *.ngrok-free.app URL forwarding to 5678) - no domain purchase, reverse proxy or TLS certificate was covered. The box must run 24/7 or workflows stop; production belongs on an always-on server. Debugging: screenshot the node, the workflow and the error text into Gemini/ChatGPT - 'works wonderfully' except rare complex cases. Selling self-hosted builds is 'absolutely legal'; n8n's revenue comes from resellers like Hostinger, not self-hosting businesses.

Fifty-plus teams submitted (after a deadline extension) a deck plus a Loom walkthrough. Criteria: problem understanding (checked against the deck), functionality ('is your app actually working'), creativity/innovation, presentation and storytelling. 'Success comes from balancing all these elements.' Winners went from three to five on submission quality; prizes were an achievement certificate (with completion certificates by Jan 30), a ten-minute live demo, eligibility for a public product showcase, and verification-gated listing on the Outskill alumni page. Fifth place, Team 3's TripTally - 'track every travel dollar' - a personalized trip-budgeting and expense app for an individual or group's specific trip, differentiated from generic itinerary/expense tools by budgeting ahead plus tracking; Lovable front end (Bolt evaluated and dropped), Supabase backend with field-level validation and encryption, two days of work, idea born from a team poll merging 'budgeting' and 'travel'. The recording ends during their screen-share; places 4-1 are not captured.