Key takeaways
- The short answer: Zapier for non-technical teams that want automations working today, Make for visual, multi-step scenarios at a lower price, and n8n for technical teams that want to self-host or run complex workflows.
- The billing unit matters more than the plan price. Zapier counts successful action steps (tasks), Make counts module actions (credits), and n8n Cloud counts whole workflow runs (executions).
- A busy workflow with many steps can cost very different amounts in each tool. Price your three biggest workflows before you choose.
- n8n can be self-hosted for free under its fair-code Sustainable Use License, which allows internal business use but isn't OSI open source. Check the licence before you build a product on it.
- Zapier is our top pick for most small businesses because it's the fastest to learn and connects to the most apps. Make is the best value once your workflows get bigger.
Every small business reaches the point where someone spends Friday afternoon copying form entries into a spreadsheet, then pasting the same details into the CRM and the invoicing tool. An automation tool turns that into a workflow that runs on its own.
The three names that come up first are Zapier, Make and n8n. In short: Zapier is the easiest, Make is the best value for complex visual workflows, and n8n is the most powerful if you have someone technical and want to self-host. The details below decide which one fits you.
Zapier, Make and n8n at a glance
| Zapier | Make | n8n | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Tasks (successful action steps) | Credits (each module action) | Executions (whole workflow runs) on Cloud |
| Free plan | 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps | Up to 1,000 credits a month, 2 active scenarios | Free to self-host; no free cloud plan |
| Builder | Linear steps, very guided | Visual canvas with routers and filters | Visual canvas plus code nodes |
| Self-hosting | No | No | Yes (Community Edition) |
| Licence | Proprietary | Proprietary | Fair-code (Sustainable Use License) |
| AI features | Agents, chatbots and AI steps | AI modules and agents | AI agent nodes and LLM integrations |
| Learning curve | Low | Medium | Medium to high |
| Best for | Non-technical teams | Ops people with complex logic | Developers and data-sensitive teams |
Ease of use
Zapier is built so that anyone in the company can automate a task. It walks you through trigger, action and test, with plain-language labels. Make shows the whole scenario as a diagram, which is great once you understand it, but it takes an afternoon to learn bundles, routers and iterators. n8n looks similar to Make, and adds expressions and code nodes that reward technical users.
Winner: Zapier, because a non-technical person can build a working automation in minutes.
Pricing and the billing unit
This is where the tools differ most. A workflow that receives a new order, looks up the customer, updates the CRM, posts to Slack and adds a spreadsheet row has five steps:
- In Zapier, each successful action is a task. The trigger is free, so that's four tasks per order.
- In Make, each module action is a credit, so roughly five credits per order, plus any searches or iterations.
- In n8n Cloud, the whole run is one execution, however many steps it has.
Multiply by your monthly volume and the differences get large. Zapier gets expensive for long, high-volume workflows. Make is usually cheaper for the same work. n8n is cheapest per run on long workflows, and self-hosting replaces the subscription with server and maintenance costs.
Winner: Make for most multi-step use, and n8n for long, high-volume workflows.
Power and logic
Make and n8n both handle branching, loops, error routes and data transformation well. n8n goes further for technical teams, with JavaScript or Python code nodes, sub-workflows and AI agent building blocks. Zapier has paths, filters and formatter steps, and it's improving, but complex logic gets awkward and costly.
Winner: n8n, with Make close behind.
Data control and self-hosting
Zapier and Make are cloud-only. n8n's Community Edition can run on your own server, so customer data never leaves your infrastructure. That matters for agencies with strict clients, regulated industries and teams with data residency needs. The licence allows internal business use. It doesn't allow white-labelling n8n or charging others to access it.
Winner: n8n.
Integrations
Zapier connects to the most apps by a wide margin, and smaller SaaS tools often build a Zapier integration first. Make covers the mainstream tools well and has a good HTTP module for the rest. n8n has hundreds of nodes and an HTTP node for any API, but niche apps are less likely to have a ready-made node.
Winner: Zapier.
Price your three busiest workflows in each tool's billing unit before you choose. The plan page alone won't tell you the real cost.
Choose Zapier if… / Make if… / n8n if…
Choose Zapier if:
- the people building automations aren't technical;
- you use niche apps that only have a Zapier integration;
- most of your workflows are short, two or three steps.
Choose Make if:
- your workflows have branches, loops and data transformation;
- you want lower cost for multi-step work;
- someone on the team enjoys building visual logic.
Choose n8n if:
- you have a developer, or someone comfortable with servers;
- customer data must stay on your own infrastructure;
- you run long or high-volume workflows where per-step billing hurts.
The best workflow automation tools
We compared each tool on ease of setup for non-developers, how the billing unit behaves on real workflows, logic and data handling, self-hosting and data control, and the range of apps it connects.
Zapier is the quickest way to connect two apps without code. Pick a trigger, add actions, and it's running. It has the largest app directory, plus Tables, Forms and AI features in the same account. It's priced by task tiers, and a task is each successful action step. Triggers, polling and built-in tools like Formatter don't count. The free plan includes 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps.
Why we like it
- Easiest to learn; most people build a first Zap in minutes
- Largest library of app integrations
- Failed actions and triggers don't count toward usage
Watch out for
- Multi-step, high-volume workflows get expensive quickly
- Complex branching and data handling are clumsier than in Make or n8n
Make shows each automation as a visual scenario of connected modules, with routers, filters and iterators, which suits workflows with real logic. Billing is in credits, where each module action uses one. Since August 2025, credits have replaced operations one for one. The free plan includes up to 1,000 credits a month, two active scenarios and a 15-minute minimum interval.
Why we like it
- Visual builder that shows exactly how data flows
- Usually cheaper than Zapier for the same multi-step work
- Strong tools for transforming and routing data
Watch out for
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier
- Every module action uses a credit, including searches and reads
n8n combines a visual editor with code nodes, so developers can drop into JavaScript or Python when a node isn't enough, and it has strong AI agent building blocks. The self-hosted Community Edition is free under the fair-code Sustainable Use License. That allows internal business use but not reselling n8n as a hosted service. n8n Cloud is priced by workflow executions, so a long workflow counts as one run, and there's no free cloud plan.
Why we like it
- Self-host for free and keep data on your own servers
- Priced per execution, not per step
- Code nodes and AI agent tools for complex work
Watch out for
- Self-hosting needs someone to run and secure the server
- Fair-code licence, not OSI open source; check it if you build products on n8n
Pipedream is a code-first platform for developers who connect APIs, with thousands of connectors and prebuilt actions. Workday agreed to acquire it in late 2025, and its pricing now centres on production usage. The free plan covers building and testing, and paid plans are billed in credits based on compute time.
Why we like it
- Write real code in any step
- Large catalogue of API connectors and triggers
Watch out for
- Built for developers, not business users
- Production use needs a paid plan, and the roadmap now sits with Workday
How to get started
- List five tasks someone does by hand every week, such as form to CRM, new order to spreadsheet, or a new lead alert.
- Build the simplest one on the free plan of your first-choice tool.
- Run it for two weeks and check every error notification.
- Price your busiest workflow in all three tools before you upgrade.
- Write down what each automation does and who owns it, so nothing breaks silently when someone leaves.
See all ranked alternatives to Zapier or browse the automation category. For a common first automation, see how to connect live chat to your CRM.
Frequently asked questions
Is Make cheaper than Zapier?
Usually, for multi-step workflows. Make charges a credit for each module action, and its paid plans include more units for the money. Zapier only counts successful actions, so very simple automations can cost about the same. Price your own workflows in both before deciding.
Is n8n really free?
The self-hosted Community Edition is free to use for your own business under the Sustainable Use License. You still pay for the server and the time to maintain it. n8n Cloud is a paid service priced by workflow executions.
Is n8n open source?
Not in the strict sense. n8n is "fair-code". The source code is available and free for internal use, but the licence restricts selling n8n itself as a service, so it isn't an OSI-approved open-source licence.
Can I move my Zaps to Make or n8n?
There's no one-click migration. Rebuild each workflow, starting with the most expensive ones, and run old and new side by side for a week to compare results.