How to Update n8n on a VPS (e.g. Hostinger) to Get the New MCP Nodes

If you're self-hosting n8n on a VPS (like Hostinger) and want to take advantage of the new MCP nodes, you're in luck — updating your n8n instance is quick and painless if you're using Docker.

Follow the concise guide below to upgrade your deployment and unlock the latest features.

Step 1: SSH into Your VPS

Use your preferred terminal or the browser-based terminal provided by your host. For example:

ssh root@your-server-ip

Or using the browser console, just click this button on hostinger

Step 2: Locate Your docker-compose.yml File

Usually, this file is in your root's home directory:

cd ~
nano docker-compose.yml

Step 3: Update the Image Tag to "next"

In the docker-compose.yml, find the line with the image key under the n8n service:

image: n8nio/n8n:latest

Change it to:

image: n8nio/n8n:next

This ensures you're pulling the latest cutting-edge version, which includes the MCP nodes.

📌 You can browse available image tags at: https://hub.docker.com/r/n8nio/n8n/tags

Step 4: Stop the Current Containers

Depending on your Docker Compose version, run one of the following:

docker compose down

or older versions:

docker-compose down

Step 5: Pull the New Image

Fetch the updated next image:

docker compose pull

Step 6: Start Everything Back Up

Spin up your containers again:

docker compose up -d

You're All Set ✅

Once the containers restart, your n8n instance will be running the latest version with MCP node support. Check your browser dashboard and start building with the new tools!

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