In this comprehensive tutorial, Leon van Zyl guides viewers through the process of self-hosting n8n in the cloud, providing an alternative to the paid cloud service offered by n8n. He begins by explaining the benefits of self-hosting, including full control over the application and potential cost savings. The video details the steps required to deploy n8n using Render, a cloud service provider. Leon walks through creating accounts on Render and GitHub, forking the n8n repository, and setting up the environment for deployment. He emphasizes the importance of selecting the correct plan, discussing the limitations of the free tier, such as data persistence issues. As he demonstrates the deployment process, he highlights how to customize the n8n instance, including setting up a custom domain and managing workflows. Leon also shares tips on upgrading to a starter plan for enhanced features and data persistence. The video concludes with guidance on keeping the n8n instance up to date, encouraging viewers to sync their forked repository to incorporate the latest changes. Overall, the tutorial is a valuable resource for anyone looking to leverage n8n for automation and workflow management in a self-hosted environment.