---
contentType: tutorial
---

# npm

npm is a quick way to get started with n8n on your local machine. You must have [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/) installed. n8n requires a Node.js version between 20.19 and 24.x, inclusive.

--8<-- "_snippets/self-hosting/installation/latest-next-version.md"

## Try n8n with npx

You can try n8n without installing it using npx.


From the terminal, run:

```bash
npx n8n
```

This command will download everything that's needed to start n8n. You can then access n8n and start building workflows by opening [http://localhost:5678](http://localhost:5678).

## Install globally with npm

To install n8n globally, use npm:

```bash
npm install n8n -g
```

To install or update to a specific version of n8n use the `@` syntax to specify the version. For example:

```bash
npm install -g n8n@0.126.1
```

To install `next`:

```bash
npm install -g n8n@next
```

After the installation, start n8n by running:

```bash
n8n
# or
n8n start
```


### Next steps

Try out n8n using the [Quickstarts](/try-it-out/index.md).

## Updating

To update your n8n instance to the `latest` version, run:

```bash
npm update -g n8n
```

To install the `next` version:

```bash
npm install -g n8n@next
```

--8<-- "_snippets/self-hosting/installation/tunnel.md"

/// note | Docker required
The tunnel uses cloudflared, which runs as a Docker container. Make sure [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/) is installed on your machine, even when running n8n via npm.
///

For npm installations, use the **services only** approach. Start cloudflared as a standalone service, then run n8n locally:

```bash
# Terminal 1: Start the cloudflared tunnel service
pnpm --filter n8n-containers services --services cloudflared

# Terminal 2: Start n8n locally
pnpm dev
```

The `services` command starts cloudflared, fetches the public tunnel URL, and writes a `.env` file to `packages/cli/bin/.env` with `WEBHOOK_URL` and `N8N_PROXY_HOPS=1`. n8n picks up this `.env` automatically on startup.

Clean up when done:

```bash
pnpm --filter n8n-containers services:clean
```

For the full stack approach (n8n and cloudflared both in containers), refer to the [Docker tunnel setup](/hosting/installation/docker.md#n8n-with-tunnel).

## Reverting an upgrade

Install the older version that you want to go back to.

If the upgrade involved a database migration:

1. Check the feature documentation and release notes to see if there are any manual changes you need to make.
1. Run `n8n db:revert` on your current version to roll back the database. If you want to revert more than one database migration, you need to repeat this process.

## Windows troubleshooting

If you are experiencing issues running n8n on Windows, make sure your Node.js environment is correctly set up. Follow Microsoft's guide to [Install NodeJS on Windows](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dev-environment/javascript/nodejs-on-windows).