n8n vs Zapier vs Make – automation tools compared

n8n, Zapier and Make are automation tools that connect your apps and move data between them, so nobody has to copy it by hand. Zapier suits the fastest start and simple tasks, Make suits visually complex scenarios at a lower price, and n8n suits technical teams that want AI agents, their own server and full control over data.

In brief:

• Zapier: the most apps (9,000+) and the easiest interface, but the most expensive at volume.
• Make (formerly Integromat): a visual editor with branching, usually cheaper for complex scenarios.
• n8n: bills a whole workflow run regardless of the number of steps and is the only one you can self-host for free.
• Prices are from official pricing pages, October 2026, excl. VAT.

n8n vs Zapier vs Make at a glance

All three work the same way: an event in one app (the trigger) starts steps in other apps, so a new order creates an invoice and adds the customer to your CRM. They differ in pricing, hosting and technical demands.

What n8n is and who it suits

n8n is a workflow automation platform you use in the n8n cloud or for free on your own server. You build each n8n workflow from nodes on a canvas. Its GitHub repository lists 1,500+ integrations and 9,000+ templates. Where an integration is missing, the HTTP Request node calls the app’s API, or you add JavaScript or Python.

The source code is public, which is why n8n is often listed as an open-source Zapier alternative. Strictly speaking, it is fair-code under the Sustainable Use License: you can use it for free inside your business and charge clients for setup and maintenance. You may not offer n8n as a service where customers build their own workflows, or rebrand it as your own product.

The free Community Edition usually runs in Docker on your own server, and your data stays with you. Updates, backups and security are your job, though.

n8n pricing as of October 2026

An execution is one run of the entire workflow, whatever the number of steps. You can try the cloud without a credit card (1,000 executions), and companies under 20 employees may get 50% off Business.

Pros: lowest cost for long workflows, data control, strong AI features. Cons: a steeper learning curve, fewer ready-made integrations, self-hosting needs someone to run it.

Zapier: the fastest start and the most apps

Zapier is a cloud service where you build Zaps: a trigger followed by one or more actions. Zapier says it connects more than 9,000 apps, the linear interface suits non-developers, and Zapier Copilot can draft a Zap from a description. Typical Zapier use cases: a website enquiry sent to your CRM, or a Slack alert.

Zapier bills tasks: every successful action is one task. Triggers, failed actions and helper steps (Filter, Formatter, Paths, Delay) don’t count. A Zap with five actions therefore uses five tasks per run.

Zapier pricing as of October 2026

Paid plans cost more as your task tier grows, and the price depends on monthly or annual billing (Zapier says annual saves up to 33%). Zapier Agents have a separate activity quota, 400 a month for free.

Pros: the most apps, the shortest learning curve. Cons: the highest cost at volume, data stored in the US, complex logic is harder to follow in linear Zaps.

Make (formerly Integromat): visual scenarios

Make started in Prague as Integromat. Celonis, a German company, acquired it in 2020 and renamed it Make in 2022, so Zapier vs Integromat today means Make. You build scenarios on a canvas like a mind map, with modules, branching (routers), loops and error handling in view. Make lists 3,000+ ready-made apps.

Make bills credits: most module actions (read, create, update a record) cost one credit, while routers and error handlers cost nothing. AI features using Make’s AI Provider consume credits based on tokens.

Make pricing as of October 2026

Paid plans let you add credits, and Make says annual billing saves 15% or more.

Pros: clear branching, cheaper than Zapier, data handling without code. Cons: fewer apps than Zapier, a longer learning curve, no self-hosting.

What n8n, Zapier and Make cost in practice

Don’t compare plan prices alone; the billing unit decides. An illustrative example (a fictional coffee store, not our client): 1,500 orders a month, each running a trigger and four actions – a spreadsheet row, an invoice, a customer email and a warehouse message.

The figures are indicative: in Make the trigger can use credits too, and in Zapier some actions cost more than one task. The longer the workflow and the more runs, the more n8n pays off.

n8n AI, Zapier Agents and Make AI Agents

All three tools can build AI agents that choose the next step themselves:

• n8n: an AI Agent node built on LangChain, a choice of models, vector stores and memory. The MCP Server Trigger exposes your workflows to AI assistants, and the MCP Client Tool lets an agent call external tools.
• Zapier: Zapier Agents, AI fields in Zaps, chatbots and Zapier MCP on all accounts (one tool call uses two tasks).
• Make: Make AI Agents (still in beta) with Make’s AI Provider or your own model key, the Maia assistant that builds scenarios from a conversation, and the Make MCP Server.

More in what is an MCP server and AI agents for business. Check model output before it reaches a customer or your accounts, because models can hallucinate.

Security, GDPR and vendor lock-in

• Zapier stores data on AWS in the US and offers no EU-only storage. Transfers rely on its EU-US Data Privacy Framework certification and standard contractual clauses in its DPA.
• Make is hosted on AWS in the EU or North America.
• n8n on your own server keeps data with you, and the security responsibility is yours.

For GDPR and personal data protection, pass only the data an automation needs and use service accounts with minimal permissions. Watch out for vendor lock-in: you can’t export workflows from one tool to another, so switching means rebuilding. Document your automations.

How to choose: a decision guide

1. 1Estimate the volume: runs per month times steps. With hundreds of runs, price differences are small; with thousands, the billing unit decides.
2. 2Check the integrations: find your store, invoicing and CRM in each catalogue. In Make and n8n, fill gaps with API calls; in Zapier, with webhooks.
3. 3Decide who will maintain it: without a technical person, Zapier or Make; with a developer or agency, n8n.
4. 4Decide where data lives: need the EU or your own server? Then Make, or self-hosted n8n.
5. 5Test one real process on a free plan or trial and measure the tasks, credits or executions it uses.

Rule of thumb: connect two apps quickly → Zapier. A process with branching and no code → Make. Long workflows, AI agents, sensitive data or high volume → n8n.

Other alternatives and web scraping

Microsoft Power Automate suits companies on Microsoft 365, while IFTTT targets personal automations (Zapier vs IFTTT is a different league). The only open-source, self-hosted Zapier alternative of the three is n8n. Simple web scraping works in n8n and Make via an HTTP request; check the site’s terms and personal data first, and prefer an official API for regular collection.

When to bring in a specialist

You can build a simple Zap yourself. A specialist pays off when an automation connects several systems, touches invoicing or stock, processes personal data or includes AI. We build automations in Make, n8n and Airtable and connect online stores, CRM systems and accounting so nothing gets lost when a step fails. See our digitalization and automation service, or use our contact form to describe the process that costs you the most manual work.