Our rating: 3/5 for this setup

n8n homelab workflows that replaced Zapier on a NAS

On a home NAS running Docker, the writer replaced Zapier with n8n. A self-hosted contact form is keyword-filtered and the gist is sent to Telegram (with a copy to Notion), and RSS feeds post new items to Telegram and Discord. When Immich finishes a photo batch, photos from one camera are copied over SFTP, and backup jobs report to chat.

New Added Oct 25, 2026 · ✓ Last checked Oct 25, 2026

It broke for meBroke?

Diagram drawn by AppToBot from this recipe's source. It shows the flow, not a screenshot of the product.

Setup steps

Run n8n in Docker on your NAS or home server
Expose its webhook URL through your reverse proxy
Contact form: webhook, then keyword filter, then Telegram (optional Notion copy)
RSS: on each new item, post title and link to Telegram and Discord
Immich webhook: check camera metadata and copy matching photos over SFTP

Steps summarized from the original Blog source ↗. Use “Copy” to grab them with the tools and source link, or copy an AI prompt.

How it went

After a few weeks, the writer says n8n does almost everything they used Zapier for, without a subscription, and they keep routing more services through it.

Worth knowing

Self-hosting means backing up databases, updating the container and reading logs when something breaks.

Only what the original source ↗ says, re-read Oct 25, 2026. How we write these

Try it with AI

Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude or your own agent for step-by-step help. Prompt written by AppToBot from this recipe's data, not by the original author. It keeps drafts for your review and asks before anything is sent or paid.

Help me set up this automation using n8n (self-hosted in Docker on a NAS) + Telegram + Discord: "n8n homelab workflows that replaced Zapier on a NAS".
Goal: replace Zapier.

How it should work:
- Trigger: A form post, RSS item, Immich batch or backup job
- Then: n8n filters and routes it
- Then: Sends it to Telegram, Discord or Notion
- Then: Copies photos over SFTP when they match
- Result: Alerts and file copies across the home server

Setup steps (summarized from the original source):
1. Run n8n in Docker on your NAS or home server
2. Expose its webhook URL through your reverse proxy
3. Contact form: webhook, then keyword filter, then Telegram (optional Notion copy)
4. RSS: on each new item, post title and link to Telegram and Discord
5. Immich webhook: check camera metadata and copy matching photos over SFTP

Guide me one step at a time. Ask me for anything you need (accounts, sheet or channel names) before you start.

Safety rules:
- Build and test with sample data first, and show me a sample result before anything goes live.
- Keep anything that goes to other people (emails, posts, replies, record updates) as drafts for my review until I say otherwise.
- Never send, post, buy, pay, delete or change records without my approval.
- Tell me about any cost (paid plans, API usage) before I'd incur it, and help me set a spending limit.
- Keep API keys and passwords out of shared docs and chats.
- Privacy: Runs on your own server; form messages go to Telegram (and Notion if you add that step).

Based on: https://www.xda-developers.com/this-self-hosted-automation-tool-does-what-zapier-charges-20month-for/

From the source

A laptop showing a self-hosted n8n workflow in the editor (XDA Developers photo) — Image from xda-developers.com, the source of this recipe, shown as a reference. It belongs to its owner. Downloaded Oct 25, 2026.

Zapiern8n (self-hosted in Docker on a NAS) + Telegram + Discord

Tool names link to each official site (opens in a new tab).

Cost afterFree on hardware the writer already runs

SetupMedium · Not reported

Time savedNot reported

SkillIntermediate

Running cost: Free to run Runs on the writer's existing NAS; no paid service named. Self-hosted How we sort costs
Stack: n8n · Telegram · Notion

App vs bot, side by side

Old app vs bot
	Old app / habit	Bot
Tool	Zapier	Self-hosted n8n on a NAS with webhooks behind a reverse proxy
Monthly cost	About $20/mo for Zapier (per the article's headline)	Free on hardware the writer already runs
Setup	None (already in use)	Not reported · Intermediate
Your time	Baseline	Not reported
Maintenance	Handled by vendor/you as before	Back up n8n's database, update the container yourself and check logs when something breaks, per the writer.
Privacy	Data stays with the app vendor	Runs on your own server; form messages go to Telegram (and Notion if you add that step).

Full comparison

Replaces	Zapier
Bot / agent stack	Self-hosted n8n on a NAS with webhooks behind a reverse proxy
Monthly cost before	About $20/mo for Zapier (per the article's headline)
Monthly cost after	Free on hardware the writer already runs
Setup time	Not reported
Time saved	Not reported
Skill level	Intermediate
Reliability	3/5: a few weeks of firsthand use with clear workflows; no long-term data.
Maintenance	Back up n8n's database, update the container yourself and check logs when something breaks, per the writer.
Privacy & data	Runs on your own server; form messages go to Telegram (and Notion if you add that step).
Best for	Homelab owners who already run Docker
Not for	People without a server who want zero upkeep

Pros and cons

Pros

Multistep workflows, webhooks and real-time triggers without a bill
Connects home-server apps like Immich that Zapier can't reach
Visual editor

Cons

You maintain it
Webhooks need a reverse proxy to be reachable

Source and evidence

First-person XDA Developers article (Feb 2026): after a few weeks, n8n 'completely replaced Zapier' in the writer's personal stack. No figures.

Read the original Blog source ↗

“Not reported” means the source doesn't say. We never fill gaps with guesses. Numbers marked “per author” or “vendor claim” are the source's own and weren't independently tested. Source last checked Oct 25, 2026.

Our rating is an editorial opinion based on the public source above, not lab testing. Spot an error? Request a correction.

Plain-text summary (for search and AI assistants)

n8n homelab workflows that replaced Zapier on a NAS. Replaces Zapier with Self-hosted n8n on a NAS with webhooks behind a reverse proxy. Cost before: About $20/mo for Zapier (per the article's headline). Cost after: Free on hardware the writer already runs. Setup: Not reported, Intermediate. Time saved: Not reported. Reliability 3/5: 3/5: a few weeks of firsthand use with clear workflows; no long-term data. Best for: Homelab owners who already run Docker. Not for: People without a server who want zero upkeep. How it went (per source): After a few weeks, the writer says n8n does almost everything they used Zapier for, without a subscription, and they keep routing more services through it. Worth knowing: Self-hosting means backing up databases, updating the container and reading logs when something breaks. Source: https://www.xda-developers.com/this-self-hosted-automation-tool-does-what-zapier-charges-20month-for/

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