A disclosure before we start: I mostly build automations on n8n and Make. I'm telling you so you read this comparison knowing where I stand. The facts in the table come from the official pages of the three vendors, accessed on October 13, 2026, with the links at the end of the article. Prices change often: check them before you commit.
What do n8n, Make and Zapier do, and how are they different?
In principle, all three do the same thing: when an event happens in one piece of software, they trigger actions in others. A form is filled in on your website: the contact is created in the CRM, a confirmation email goes out, a row is added to the tracking spreadsheet.
What sets them apart is how you build, how you are billed and where your data runs:
- Zapier bets on simplicity. You chain steps in a vertical list, guided step by step. It is the tool a founder can pick up alone in an afternoon.
- Make offers a visual editor where each step is a bubble connected to the others. Branches, loops and filters are visible at a glance.
- n8n looks like Make in its visual approach, but targets a more technical audience. It lets you write code inside a step, and above all you can install it on your own server.
How do n8n, Make and Zapier compare in 2026?
The information below comes from the official pricing and integration pages, accessed on October 13, 2026. Zapier and Make show their prices in US dollars on their websites, n8n in euros.
| Criterion | Zapier | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | Tasks: each successful action | Credits: usually 1 per module action | Executions: one complete run of the workflow, whatever the number of steps |
| Free plan | 100 tasks per month, two-step Zaps only | 1,000 credits per month, at least 15 minutes between runs | Free Community edition, which you install yourself |
| First paid tier | Professional from $19.99 per month billed annually (750 tasks) | Core from $9 per month billed annually for 10,000 credits | Starter at €20 per month billed annually (2,500 executions) |
| Self-hosting | No | No | Yes (free Community edition, paid editions available) |
| Integrations advertised | More than 9,000 apps | More than 3,500 apps | 2,366 integrations listed, plus a node to call any API |
| Learning curve | The easiest | Intermediate | More technical |
The number of integrations is impressive, but it matters less than you'd think. What matters is that your software is there, with the actions you need. Before choosing, look up your three or four main tools (email, CRM, invoicing, spreadsheet) in each platform's catalog.
How does each tool count what you pay for?
This is the point that changes the bill the most, and the least understood. Take a typical example: an online store that processes each new order in six steps (the trigger, then five actions: create the customer in the CRM, add a row to the spreadsheet, generate the invoice, send an email, notify the warehouse). It gets 500 orders a month.
- On Zapier, each successful action counts as a task, the trigger does not. That is about 5 tasks per order, or around 2,500 tasks a month.
- On Make, each module that acts usually uses one credit, trigger included. That is about 6 credits per order, or around 3,000 credits a month.
- On n8n, one order processed end to end counts as one execution. That is 500 executions a month.
These are orders of magnitude: loops, filters and some AI features change the count. But the logic is clear. The longer your workflows, the more n8n's model works in your favor. On the other hand, for a few short, infrequent automations, the free plan of Zapier or Make may be enough.
Run the numbers on your own case. Count your events per month (orders, forms, quotes) and the number of steps in each workflow. Multiply, then compare with each tool's tiers. Ten minutes of math saves you a plan change three months in.
What does self-hosting n8n change for a small business?
Self-hosting means installing the software on a server you control (with a hosting provider in your region, for example) instead of using the vendor's online service. The n8n documentation states it: without a license key, n8n runs as the free Community edition.
The benefits:
- Your data stays on your server, which makes things simpler with a client who is strict about confidentiality or GDPR.
- No execution cap set by a subscription: the limit is the power of the server.
- A predictable cost: the price of the server, whatever the volume.
The trade-offs, not to be underestimated:
- Someone has to maintain the server: updates, backups, monitoring. If no one does, it is a security risk.
- The license has rules. n8n is distributed under a so-called "fair-code" license, the Sustainable Use License. It allows use for your company's internal business purposes. It does not allow reselling access to n8n as a service. It also lets a provider build and maintain workflows for its clients, as long as those clients can't create or edit the workflows themselves (official license FAQ, accessed on October 16, 2026).
For a company with no technical team, self-hosting makes sense if it is handed to a provider who maintains it. Otherwise, n8n's cloud version, or Make, is the safer choice. If you are torn between the two, book a 30-minute call: I'll look at your tools and your volume and tell you which one I would pick.
Which one should you choose for your situation?
You want to automate two or three simple tasks yourself
Zapier. Typical example: a bakery that wants cake orders from its website form to land in a spreadsheet, with a reminder text message the day before. Low volume, and you stay in control without outside help. Note: with the day-before reminder, the Zap has more than two steps, which requires a paid plan, because the free plan is limited to one trigger and one action.
You have scenarios with conditions and a tight budget
Make. Typical example: an accounting firm that sorts documents received by email by client and document type, then files them in the right folder. The branches are easy to read, and the price per credit stays low.
You have volume, long workflows or sensitive data
n8n. Typical example: an online store processing hundreds of orders a month in several steps, or a company that wants customer data never to leave its own server. Per-execution billing and self-hosting make the difference.
You want to add AI to your automations
All three now offer AI steps. n8n and Make give more control over the model used and the data sent, which matters for AI agents connected to your tools.
Can you switch tools later?
Yes, but there is no export from one tool to another: each workflow has to be rebuilt. To keep that cost down, document each automation from day one (what it does, its triggers, the connected accounts) and keep the business logic simple. That is what I deliver with every automation project: the access and documentation that let someone else take over the work.
To see what a real automation looks like with these tools, read how to automate quote follow-ups.
Sources accessed on October 13, 2026
- Zapier, pricing page
- Make, pricing page and integrations catalog
- Make, help page on credits
- n8n, pricing page and integrations catalog
- n8n, self-hosting documentation
- n8n, license FAQ (accessed on October 16, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Which automation tool is cheapest for a small business?
It depends on your volume and how long your workflows are. For a few short automations, the free plans of Zapier or Make are enough. For long, frequent workflows, n8n is often cheaper, because it counts one execution per complete run, whatever the number of steps.
Is n8n really free?
The n8n Community edition is free if you install it on your own server, under the Sustainable Use License, for internal use. You pay for the server and have to maintain it. The version hosted by n8n is paid, starting with the Starter plan.
Are Zapier, Make and n8n GDPR compliant?
All three can be used in line with the GDPR, provided you sign the data processing agreements offered by the vendor and limit the data that passes through. With n8n self-hosted in Europe, the data stays on a server you control.
Can you migrate automations from Zapier to n8n?
Yes, but by hand: there is no reliable automatic conversion. Each workflow has to be rebuilt and tested. Good documentation from the start cuts migration time significantly.