v0.1.2 Open source · Live on npm ↗

The backup layer
n8n never built.

Snapshot every workflow, encrypt your credentials, restore or migrate in seconds. Free, local-first, and open source. No account needed.

ELv2 licensed Node ≥ 18 Local-first · no account
flowsave-cli — bash
Flowsave demo: backup, push, list, show, and restore n8n workflows in seconds
Open source — ELv2 License
Local-first — data never leaves your server
Zero config — set up in under 5 minutes
n8n 1.x & 2.x compatible
Open source — ELv2 License
Local-first — data never leaves your server
Zero config — set up in under 5 minutes
n8n 1.x & 2.x compatible

What it does

Everything your n8n deserves. All local.

Eleven commands that turn an unprotected n8n instance into one you can snapshot, diff, restore, and migrate without a second thought.

One-command migration

Moving servers? Point at the destination URL, supply the passphrase, done. Workflows migrate in one pass; credentials transfer via docker exec or REST API.

flowsave migrate

Git sync

Every backup auto-commits to your private repo. Full diff history. Encrypted credentials excluded via .gitignore — metadata kept for auditing.

flowsave push

Snapshot diff

Compare any two snapshots. See exactly which workflows were added, removed, or modified — with field-level change detail.

flowsave diff 3 7

Doctor mode

One command checks your n8n connection, Docker access, config validity, and backup directory health. Diagnose before disaster.

flowsave doctor

Get started

Up and running
in five minutes.

$ npm install -g flowsave-cli
1

Install

One npm command. Requires Node.js ≥ 18 — already a requirement for running n8n. No extra dependencies.

# install
$ npm install -g flowsave-cli
# verify
$ flowsave --version
2

Configure

Tell Flowsave where your n8n lives. One interactive prompt — instance URL, API key, and optionally your Docker container for credential backup.

$ flowsave config init
Instance URL: http://localhost:5678
API key: ••••••••••••
Container: n8n
3

Back up & sleep

Run your first backup. Restore any snapshot later — same instance, new server, or just to verify nothing changed.

$ flowsave backup
✔ Snapshot #1 saved

$ flowsave restore 1

Platform compatibility

Folder structure is only preserved on n8n Enterprise. The folder REST API is an Enterprise feature — n8n's own limitation, not Flowsave's. On Community edition, all workflows are backed up and restored flat at root level. Flowsave records which mode applied in each snapshot's metadata.

Setup Workflows Credentials Notes
Docker self-hosted
Recommended — full support
Backup + restore via docker exec
Bare metal / PM2
No Docker on the host
⚠️
Credential backup needs Docker. Cross-instance restore works via REST API — some credential types may fail.
n8n Cloud
Managed by n8n
n8n holds the encryption key. Credential export is impossible on any tool — a platform limitation.

Open source

Built in public.
Yours to own.

Install → first backup in < 5 min

# 1. install
npm install -g flowsave-cli

# 2. configure (interactive)
flowsave config init

# 3. first snapshot
flowsave backup

# view your snapshots
flowsave list

# restore if you ever need to
flowsave restore 1

# sync to git
flowsave push

Coming next

The Dashboard
is coming.

The CLI is free forever. We're building the Dashboard for teams who want scheduled backups, a web UI, multi-instance management, and alerts — without touching the terminal.

Scheduled backups with cron or webhook triggers
Web UI — restore any snapshot with one click
Multi-instance management in one place
Email & Slack alerts on backup failure
Self-hosted agent — your data never leaves your infra

Early access

Get notified when it launches

No spam. One email when the Dashboard launches, maybe a progress update or two.

You're on the list.

We'll reach out when the Dashboard is ready. Meanwhile, give the CLI a try — it's live now.

Dashboard preview
Coming soon
dash.flowsave.dev / overview

Main

Overview
Snapshots
Schedule

Infra

Instances
Alerts 2
Overview
Monitoring 3 instances · All healthy
All instances
183
Total snapshots
47
Workflows
2h ago
Last backup
Healthy
System status
Recent snapshots+2 today
IDTimeInstanceSize
#18314:03prod1.4 MB● ok
#18213:03prod1.4 MB● ok
#4512:00staging0.8 MB● ok
#4411:00staging0.8 MB● ok
Backup schedule
Next: prod-server42 min
prod-server14:03 ✓
staging13:00 ✓
prod-server15:00 ← next
staging16:00