n8n vs Zapier vs Make: Which Automation Platform Is Right for Your Business?

Why This Comparison Matters

I get asked this question on almost every discovery call: “Should we use Zapier, Make, or n8n?” People usually already have a Zapier account with a couple of zaps running, and they want to know if there’s something better.

The short answer is: it depends on how many automations you run and whether you care about data control. The longer answer is the rest of this article.

Zapier: Great Until Your Bill Shows Up

Zapier is what most people try first, and for good reason. It has the biggest app library — over 6,000 integrations — and the simplest interface. You pick a trigger, pick an action, and you’re done. For connecting two SaaS tools with a basic “when this happens, do that” logic, nothing is easier.

What it does well:

• 6,000+ app integrations, more than anyone else
• Dead simple to set up for basic automations
• Solid uptime — things rarely break on Zapier’s end
• Great documentation and a large community

Where it falls short:

• Pricing gets expensive fast — $19.99/month for just 750 tasks on the Starter plan
• Multi-step workflows and branching logic are locked behind higher tiers
• No self-hosting, so all your data flows through Zapier’s servers
• Limited error handling and debugging tools

If you’re running five simple zaps and processing a few hundred tasks a month, Zapier is fine. But I’ve had clients paying $300-400/month for workflows that cost $20/month on n8n. That math stops making sense quickly.

Make: More Power, Better Price

Make (it used to be called Integromat) takes a visual approach — you build workflows as flowcharts with drag-and-drop modules. It handles branching, loops, error routing, and data transformation right out of the box. Zapier charges extra for most of that.

What it does well:

• Visual scenario builder — you can actually see the logic flow
• Much better pricing: free tier has 1,000 ops/month, paid starts at $9/month
• Routers, iterators, and data transformation built in
• Good HTTP/webhook support for connecting custom APIs

Where it falls short:

• Steeper learning curve, especially for non-technical users
• Smaller app library — roughly 1,500 integrations
• No self-hosting option, same data residency concerns as Zapier
• Debugging complex scenarios can be a headache

Make sits in a good middle ground. If you need more than Zapier offers but don’t want to manage your own infrastructure, it’s a solid pick. I recommend it to teams that have someone comfortable with visual tools but aren’t ready for code-level customization.

n8n: The One I Actually Use

Full disclosure: n8n is the platform I build on for my clients. Not because I have some partnership with them — I don’t — but because after trying all three extensively, it gives me and my clients the most flexibility for the least long-term cost.

n8n is open-source and self-hostable. You can run it on a $20/month VPS and execute unlimited workflows. No per-task fees. No usage caps.

What it does well:

• Self-hosting — your data stays on your servers, period
• Open-source with a fair-code license, so you can inspect and extend the code
• Unlimited executions on self-hosted — a workflow processing 50 records costs the same as one processing 50,000
• Native code nodes for JavaScript and Python when pre-built integrations don’t cut it
• 400+ integrations, and HTTP request nodes cover most gaps
• Active community and the development pace is fast

Where it falls short:

• Self-hosting means you need to handle Docker, updates, and backups (or hire someone who does)
• Smaller integration library than Zapier, though HTTP nodes make up for most of it
• The UI works well but isn’t as polished as Make’s visual builder
• If you go with their cloud offering instead of self-hosting, you’re still paying monthly

The trade-off is clear: n8n asks more of you upfront (setup, hosting) but saves significantly over time. For one-off simple automations, it’s overkill. For businesses running dozens of workflows processing thousands of records, nothing else comes close on cost.

What the Numbers Actually Look Like

Here’s a comparison at 10,000 automations per month — a typical volume for a mid-size operation:

Platform	Plan Required	Monthly Cost
Zapier	Professional (20K)	~$69/month
Make	Core (10K ops)	~$16/month
n8n	Self-hosted	~$20/month (VPS cost only)
n8n	Cloud (Starter)	~$20/month

At 50,000 or 100,000 tasks per month, Zapier can run past $400/month. n8n self-hosted stays at whatever your server costs. That gap adds up to thousands of dollars per year.

Features That Matter Once You Outgrow the Basics

Pricing aside, here’s where the platforms differ when your automations get serious:

• Error handling: Make and n8n both let you build proper error routes. Zapier’s error handling is basic — you get notified, but routing errors to fallback logic is clunky.
• Version control: n8n workflows export as JSON. Put them in Git, track changes, roll back when something breaks. Zapier and Make have no native version control.
• Custom logic: n8n lets you write JavaScript or Python directly inside workflows. Make has formulas. Zapier has limited code steps that feel like an afterthought.
• API flexibility: All three support webhooks, but building complex multi-step API interactions is noticeably easier in n8n and Make.
• Team collaboration: All offer team features, but with n8n self-hosted you control user management, permissions, and access entirely on your own terms.

Which One Should You Pick?

Pick Zapier if your team is non-technical, you need fewer than ten simple automations, and the monthly cost doesn’t bother you. It’s the fastest way to connect two tools with zero learning curve.

Pick Make if you need more sophisticated workflows at a reasonable price and your team can handle a visual builder. It’s the best balance of power and usability for most small businesses.

Pick n8n if you’re running a serious operation — dozens of workflows, thousands of records, sensitive data, or you just want to stop paying per task. You’ll need someone who can manage a server (or a partner who does it for you).

My Take

For most of the businesses I work with — mid-size US companies doing 5,000 to 50,000+ automated tasks per month — n8n is the clear winner. The economics are straightforward: you pay for a server, not for every data point that moves through your system.

I’ve migrated several clients off Zapier onto self-hosted n8n and the cost savings alone usually pay for the migration project within a couple months. The real upside, though, is what you can build once you’re not constrained by per-task pricing. You stop asking “is this worth automating?” and start automating everything that should be automated.