n8n vs Zapier vs Make (2026): pricing, AI features and which to choose

Zapier, Make and n8n all do the same basic job: when something happens in one app, do something in another. The differences are in what each one charges for, how much control it gives you, and who can comfortably use it.

The short version: choose Zapier if nobody on the team is technical and the workflows are simple. Choose Make for visual, multi-step workflows at a low price. Choose n8n if you have someone technical, want to host it yourself, or are building AI-heavy workflows.

#At a glance

#Pricing: compare the unit, not the headline

The three tools count different things, so their prices cannot be compared directly.

• Zapier counts tasks. Each action step that runs successfully is one task. The trigger does not count, and some built-in steps such as filters do not either.
• Make counts credits. Each module that runs uses a credit, including the trigger. Some AI modules use more.
• n8n counts executions. One complete run of a workflow is one execution, whether it has three steps or thirty.

These are the entry-level list prices we checked in October 2026. Vendors change them often, so confirm on the Zapier, Make and n8n pricing pages before you decide.

Make's prices depend on whether you pay monthly or annually, so they are shown as "from". Make also has a free plan with up to 1,000 credits a month.

#A worked example

Take a workflow with one trigger and four actions: a new form entry is checked, enriched, added to the CRM and announced in a chat channel. It runs 2,000 times a month.

Three things to notice.

1. Zapier's price reflects convenience. You are paying for the easiest setup and the widest choice of apps.
2. Make is the cheapest here, right at the edge of its plan. Add a step or a few more runs and you move up a tier.
3. n8n's cost does not change with the number of steps. Double the steps in this workflow and Zapier and Make use twice the units. n8n uses the same.

So the longer and busier your workflows, the more n8n's way of counting works in your favor.

#Ease of use

Zapier is the simplest. You pick a trigger, pick an action, map the fields, and it works. It is designed so that a first workflow takes minutes. It becomes awkward when a workflow needs branches, loops or error handling.

Make shows the workflow as a diagram, which makes branches and parallel paths easy to follow. It handles data in more detail than Zapier. Expect a few days to become comfortable.

n8n looks similar to Make and goes further. It has full code steps, direct database access and fine control over errors and retries. It assumes you are comfortable with ideas such as JSON and APIs. If you host it yourself, someone also has to update it and back it up.

#AI and agent features

All three now offer AI steps, and each has its own agent feature. The difference is control.

• Zapier makes simple AI steps very easy: summarize this message, draft a reply, sort this request. It suits jobs where you do not need to adjust much.
• Make offers modules for the main AI providers, with more control over settings and over how steps connect.
• n8n has the deepest toolkit. Its AI nodes cover agents, memory, document search and tool calling, and you can drop in code wherever the built-in options run out. You choose the model and write the instructions yourself.

For one AI step inside an ordinary workflow, any of the three will do. For an agent that works across several systems, with rules about what it may do, n8n or custom code gives you the control you will want. Our guide to AI agents for business covers when an agent is the right tool at all.

#Hosting and data

Zapier and Make are cloud services. Your data passes through their servers on the way from one app to another.

n8n can run on your own server, so the data can stay inside your environment. That matters when you handle sensitive records or have agreed with customers where their data will be processed. If it applies to you, check each vendor's current hosting regions and data processing terms.

n8n is published under its Sustainable Use License. You can host and modify it for your own business use at no charge. The license restricts offering it to others as a hosted product.

#Head to head

#n8n vs Zapier

Choose Zapier if the people building the workflows are not technical and the workflows are short. Choose n8n if you have technical help, your workflows are long or run often, or you need data to stay on your own server. A common path is to begin on Zapier and move the busiest workflows to n8n when the bill grows.

#n8n vs Make

Both are visual and both handle complex workflows. Make is hosted for you and has the lower entry price. n8n can be self-hosted, charges per run and allows full code. If nobody wants to look after a server, Make or n8n Cloud is the easier choice.

#Zapier vs Make

Zapier is easier and connects to more apps. Make costs less for the same work and copes better with branches and data handling. If you find yourself fighting Zapier to build something with several paths, Make is the natural next step.

#Which should you choose?

Choose Zapier when

• nobody on the team is technical
• workflows are short and simple
• you need a connection to a less common app
• volume is low enough that the price is not a concern

Choose Make when

• workflows have branches, loops or several paths
• you want a visual builder at a low monthly cost
• you would like the service hosted for you

Choose n8n when

• you have someone technical, in-house or on call
• workflows are long or run thousands of times a month
• data must stay inside your own environment
• you are building AI agents or anything that needs custom logic

It is common to use two. Zapier for the simple workflows that the team maintains themselves, and n8n for the heavier ones.

#When none of them is right

Two cases.

A feature in a tool you already have. Your CRM, help desk or accounting software may already do what you need. Check there first.

Custom code. A workflow that is central to your business, has heavy logic, or must be thoroughly tested may be better as a small program of its own. It costs more to build and gives you full control. Our guide to build vs buy for AI automation goes through the trade-offs.

#How we choose

We use n8n for most business workflows. It is visual, so your team can read and adjust it, and it can run in your own account. We use custom code where a workflow needs careful control. If you already use Zapier or Make and it is working, we build on that.

The tool matters less than choosing the right workflow and being clear about what it should do. Pick the simplest tool that can handle the hardest workflow you expect to need in the next year.

If you would like help choosing, or want one workflow built and running, a single automation starts from $4,800 and takes about two weeks. You can also book a free 20-minute call and talk it through first.

#Bottom line

Zapier is the easiest and the most expensive per step. Make is visual and good value. n8n charges per run, can be self-hosted and gives the most control, and it needs someone technical. Work out how many steps and runs you really have, price that on each tool, and let the answer decide.

Common questions.

• Which is cheapest: n8n, Zapier or Make?

  It depends on the shape of your workflows. Make has the lowest entry price and suits modest volumes. n8n charges per workflow run however many steps it has, so it becomes the cheapest as workflows get longer or busier, and its Community edition has no license fee if you host it yourself. Zapier usually costs the most per unit of work and is the quickest to set up.

• What is the difference between a task, a credit and an execution?

  They are the units each tool bills. Zapier counts a task each time an action step runs. Make counts a credit each time a module runs. n8n counts an execution each time a whole workflow runs, whatever the number of steps. A five-step workflow that runs 1,000 times is roughly 4,000 Zapier tasks, 5,000 Make credits or 1,000 n8n executions.

• Which is best for non-technical users?

  Zapier. It has the gentlest learning curve and the largest catalog of ready-made app connections. Make is more powerful and takes longer to learn. n8n assumes some technical comfort, especially if you host it yourself.

• Which is best for AI agents and LLM workflows?

  All three have AI steps and their own agent features. n8n gives the most control: you choose the model, write the prompt, connect your own data and tools, and add code where needed. Zapier and Make are quicker for simple AI steps such as summarizing a message or sorting a request.

• Can I self-host Zapier or Make?

  No. Both are cloud services, so your data passes through their servers. n8n is the only one of the three you can run on your own server, which matters when data must stay inside your environment.

• Is n8n really free?

  The Community edition is free to self-host for your own business use under n8n's Sustainable Use License. You still pay for a server and for the time to maintain it. n8n Cloud, the hosted version, is a paid subscription.

• Can I move my workflows from one tool to another later?

  Not automatically. None of the three imports the others' workflows, so each one has to be rebuilt by hand. Keep a short written description of what every workflow does and why. It makes a later move, or a handover, far easier.