n8n vs Zapier vs Make: Which Automation Tool Is Right for You?

Choosing between n8n, Zapier, and Make can feel overwhelming. All three platforms promise to automate your workflows and connect your apps, but they take very different approaches to getting the job done.

Here's the short version: Zapier is the easiest to use but the most expensive at scale. Make offers the best value with powerful visual workflows. n8n gives you maximum control and the cheapest option for high-volume automation, especially if you can self-host.

This guide breaks down exactly how each platform works, what they cost, and which one fits your specific situation.

Quick iPaaS Comparison

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Platform Deep Dives

n8n: The Developer's Choice

• 2019 in Berlin by Jan Oberhauser
• $2.5 billion (October 2025, Series C)
• Fair-code automation with native AI capabilities
  

n8n takes a different approach than its competitors. It's open-source at its core, meaning you can self-host it on your own servers for free. This isn't a limited free tier; it's the full platform with unlimited executions.

The platform launched n8n 2.0 in December 2025, bringing enterprise-grade security features including isolated code execution and granular role-based permissions. It now includes 70+ AI nodes with LangChain integration, making it a serious contender for teams building AI-powered workflows.

Vodafone (saved approximately £2.2M in operational costs), Delivery Hero (200+ hours saved monthly), StepStone Group, Musixmatch.

The execution-based pricing model. One execution equals one complete workflow run, regardless of how many steps it contains. A 20-step workflow costs the same as a 2-step workflow. This makes n8n dramatically cheaper for complex automations.

Zapier: The Accessibility Champion

• 2011 in Columbia, Missouri by Wade Foster, Bryan Helmig, and Mike Knoop
• $5 billion (remarkably achieved with just $1.3M in funding)
• Make automation accessible to everyone
  

Zapier pioneered the no-code automation space and remains the most user-friendly option. Its linear, step-by-step builder guides you through creating automations without any technical knowledge required.

With 8,000+ integrations, Zapier covers more apps than any competitor. If an app exists, Zapier probably connects to it. Recent additions include Zapier Copilot (an AI assistant for building workflows), AI Agents, and MCP (Model Context Protocol) support planned for 2026.

69% of Fortune 1000 companies, Meta, Dropbox, Shopify, Amazon, Toyota.

Ease of use. Business users can build automations in minutes without training. The trade-off is cost: Zapier charges per task, and every action in your workflow counts.

Make: The Value Leader

• 2012 in Prague (originally as Integromat), acquired by Celonis in 2020
• $13 billion (Celonis)
• Visual power at accessible pricing
  
  

Make sits between n8n and Zapier in terms of technical complexity. Its canvas-based interface lets you build workflows visually, including branching paths and parallel processing that Zapier's linear approach can't handle as elegantly.

The platform offers the most generous free tier: 1,000 operations monthly with two active scenarios. For teams testing the automation waters, this provides meaningful capability without cost.

Recent updates include AI Agents (October 2025), a redesigned navigation experience, and enhanced HTTP capabilities for custom API work.

Part of the Celonis ecosystem serving Deutsche Telekom, Lufthansa, Siemens, Uber. Over 250,000 active businesses.

Visual complexity at low cost. You can build sophisticated workflows with conditional logic and parallel paths, then pay roughly one-third what Zapier charges.

Pricing: The Numbers That Matter

The Billing Model Difference

This is critical to understand: these platforms measure usage differently. Here are some worked costings based on a workflow with 10 steps running 1,000 times monthly:

n8n Pricing

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Zapier Pricing

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Make.com Pricing

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Self-Hosting and Data Privacy

This is where n8n stands alone.

For organisations with strict compliance requirements (healthcare, finance, government), this isn't a nice-to-have. It's often a requirement.

AI Capabilities: The Emerging Battleground

All three platforms now offer AI features, but the depth varies significantly.

n8n's AI Stack

n8n has gone furthest with AI integration:

You can self-host your LLMs alongside n8n for complete data privacy. Build AI agents that never send data to external services.

Zapier's AI Approach

Zapier focuses on accessibility:

No-code AI. Business users can add AI steps without managing API keys or understanding model parameters.

Make's AI Features

Make balances power and usability:

Visual AI workflow building. See your AI logic laid out on the canvas with branching and conditional paths.

Strengths and Weaknesses

n8n Strengths

• Free self-hosting with unlimited executions: no usage caps, no overage charges
• Execution-based pricing means a 20-step workflow costs the same as a 2-step one
• 70+ AI nodes with LangChain integration and self-hosted LLM support
• Full source access under fair-code licence: inspect, modify, and extend
• Complete data residency control for regulated industries
  

n8n Weaknesses

• Steep learning curve, particularly for non-technical users
• Fewer native integrations (400+ core) compared to Zapier's 8,000+
• Self-hosting requires server management knowledge and ongoing maintenance
• Debugging often requires understanding JSON data structures
• Smaller ecosystem of templates and community resources
  

Zapier Strengths

• Easiest platform to learn: most users build their first automation in minutes
• 8,000+ native integrations, the largest ecosystem by far
• Strongest uptime track record of the three platforms
• Zapier Copilot lets you describe workflows in plain English
• Extensive documentation, tutorials, and support resources

Zapier Weaknesses

• Most expensive at scale: per-task billing adds up fast with multi-step workflows
• Linear workflow builder limits complex branching and parallel logic
• No self-hosting option: data stays on Zapier's servers
• Free tier limited to 100 tasks and 5 two-step Zaps
• Costs escalate quickly: 10,000 tasks can reach $250–400/month
  

Make Strengths

• Best value for money, paid plans cost roughly one-third of Zapier
• Visual canvas builder handles branching, loops, and parallel paths elegantly
• Most generous free tier: 1,000 operations and 2 active scenarios
• Good balance of power and accessibility for semi-technical users
• Part of the Celonis process mining ecosystem
  

Make Weaknesses

• No self-hosting option: all data processed on Make's servers
• Some reliability concerns raised since the Celonis acquisition
• 2,400+ integrations: solid, but far fewer than Zapier
• Visual complexity can overwhelm complete beginners
• Premium app connectors locked behind higher-tier plans

‍When to Choose Either n8n, Zapier or Make - an expert opinion

Choose Zapier when

You prioritise speed and simplicity over cost. Zapier is the right pick when your team needs to move fast without technical hand-holding. The app coverage is unmatched, the builder is intuitive, and the ecosystem of pre-built templates means you're rarely starting from scratch. Just go in with eyes open on pricing as costs climb quickly once you're past the free tier.

We characterise Zapier as an automation platform that gives you 'breadth' rather than the depth offered by the other two platforms in this comparison. If Zapier's connectors feature your tech stack and you want your people to build relatively simple automations themselves, it's hard to beat.

Choose Make when

You want serious automation capability without Zapier's price tag. Make is ideal when your workflows need branching logic, parallel paths, or conditional routing; things Zapier's linear builder handles awkwardly. The free tier gives you enough room to prove value before committing budget, and paid plans stay affordable as you scale.

Make gives you around a third of the 'breadth' of Zapier's ecosystem, and the gap is closing due to its community move on app connector development introduced in 2024/25. This means they are closing the gap. Meanwhile on average, our experience across hundreds of Make automations is that the modules tend to give great coverage of the API endpoints of apps. This means you can do more in your apps via Make than you can in Zapier, unless your app is one of Zapier's core connectors (e.g. Slack, Salesforce and HubSpot)

Choose n8n when

You have technical requirements that the other platforms simply can't meet. Whether that's self-hosting for data residency, running AI workflows with private LLMs, or processing high volumes where per-task pricing becomes unsustainable, n8n is the only option. The learning curve is real, but it pays dividends once your automation needs outgrow what cloud-only platforms can offer.

If you have a high throughput workflow that's executing a stable business process with minimal change required, n8n is nearly unbeatable. Your decision may boil down to who will maintain it when it does need adapting. The key takeaway here is that unless you have people with advanced technical capabilities, n8n may become burdensome as it is really a developer's version of Zapier.

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The Hybrid Automation Stack

Another vital consideration is if you should run two platforms. One to give you technical, scaleable firepower and the other to give you ease of access. We have helped many clients combine the strengths of two or more iPaaS platforms to obtain the most overall value. Zapier will give 'everyone power to automate' whilst Make or n8n can be less widely accessible, but be deployed to handle your mega throughput workflow automation needs.

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FAQ

Is n8n really free?

The self-hosted Community Edition is completely free with unlimited executions. You pay only for your server infrastructure (typically $5-15/month for a basic setup). n8n Cloud has paid tiers starting at $20/month.

Which platform has the most integrations?

Zapier leads with 8,000+ integrations. Make offers 2,400+. n8n has 400+ core nodes plus 600+ community-contributed nodes. However, all three can connect to any API via HTTP/webhook nodes, so integration count isn't the whole story.

Can I switch between platforms later?

Yes, but it requires rebuilding your workflows. There's no direct migration path between these platforms. Start with one or two workflows on your chosen platform before committing fully.

Which is best for AI automation?

n8n offers the deepest AI capabilities, including self-hosted LLM support and LangChain integration. Zapier is easiest for adding simple AI steps without technical knowledge. Make provides a good middle ground with visual AI workflow building.

What's the real cost difference at scale?

For 100,000 operations monthly:

For 100,000 operations monthly, the cost gap is stark. n8n self-hosted runs on server costs alone; typically $5–20/month for unlimited executions. n8n Cloud's Pro plan covers it for around $50/month, because a 10-step workflow running 10,000 times counts as just 10,000 executions. Make lands in the $90–180/month range depending on your plan tier and add-on operation packs. Zapier, where every step counts as a separate task, reaches $1,200–1,500/month for the same workload.

The billing model is the real differentiator. A 10-step workflow running 10,000 times generates 100,000 tasks on Zapier and 100,000 operations on Make but only 10,000 executions on n8n. At scale, this single distinction can mean a 20x cost difference.

In our experience, precise calculations can only be made when you have fully scoped (and sometimes onlyonce you'veimpleemnted and tested) a workflow. If you need a Proof of Concept to help you know, get in touch.

Do I need to be a developer to use n8n?

Not necessarily, but technical comfort helps. n8n's interface is more complex than Zapier's, and debugging often requires understanding data structures. Many non-developers use n8n successfully, but the learning curve is real. If you use self-hosted n8n, you will need to maintain your own infrastructure and handle building some relatively complex 'authentication' functionality n8n can securely connect to yoru tools. If you stay with n8n in the cloud, you can focus just on the actual workflow development.

Which platform is most reliable?

All three have strong uptime records. Zapier is often cited as the most stable. Make has had some reliability discussions since the Celonis acquisition. n8n self-hosted reliability depends on your infrastructure.

Can Zapier or Make be self-hosted?

No. n8n is the only major workflow automation platform offering true self-hosting with full feature parity. Make will allow you to choose between its US or EU datacenter in terms of sovereignty.

The Bottom Line

There's no universal "best" platform. The right choice depends on your team's technical capabilities, budget constraints, and specific requirements.

Zapier's ease of use justifies its higher cost. You'll build automations faster and spend less time troubleshooting.

If you are comfortable with a visual interface which makes more technical functionality more accesible to non-coders, Make delivers excellent value. The generous free tier lets you prove value before committing budget.

If you are dealing with data privacy requirements or high-volume needs, n8n's self-hosting capability and execution-based pricing make it the clear choice. The learning curve pays dividends at scale.

If you're working with n8n (or considering it), our n8n experts can help you design, build, and maintain workflows that scale. We've delivered automation projects across all three platforms and can advise on the right fit for your situation.

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Pricing and features current as of January 2026. We recommend verifying current pricing on each platform's website before making decisions.