n8n vs Make vs Zapier: which automation tool to choose in 2026

To choose between n8n, Make and Zapier, you need to look at three things: how each one bills (because the pricing model changes the real cost, not just the list price), how far each one goes with AI, and where your data lives. There is no single answer: the right tool depends on your volume, your technical profile and how sensitive the information you automate is.

What are n8n, Make and Zapier?

Zapier is the longest-standing and simplest platform: a linear editor (one trigger, one or more actions) designed for building automations with no technical knowledge. Make (formerly Integromat, under its current name since 2021) works on a visual canvas where the whole flow is shown as a diagram, with more advanced branching logic. n8n is the open-source option: it is node-based, supports custom code (JavaScript or Python) and, unlike the other two, can be self-hosted on your own server for free.

How does each platform bill, and why does that change the real cost?

Each one counts the unit of work differently, and that is the biggest source of billing surprises. Zapier charges per task: every action that runs successfully inside a Zap uses one unit; the trigger is free. Make charges per credit: since it renamed its system on August 27, 2025, every module that runs —including the trigger in most cases— costs at least one credit. n8n charges per execution: an entire workflow, whether it has 3 steps or 30, counts as a single unit each time it is triggered.

The practical consequence: a 5-step workflow that runs 1,000 times a month uses around 5,000 tasks in Zapier, around 5,000 credits in Make (a similar figure, because both count per step) and only 1,000 executions in n8n. That is why, for multi-step, high-volume automations, n8n is consistently cheaper; Make sits somewhere in the middle, and Zapier is the one that gets most expensive as you scale.

Based on official prices checked directly on all three pricing pages on July 14, 2026: n8n Cloud charges €20/month (billed annually) for the Starter plan with 2,500 executions, €50/month for Pro with 10,000 executions, and €667/month for Business —a self-hosted plan with 40,000 executions—; its self-hosted Community Edition is free, with your own server as the only cost. Make charges, on monthly billing, $12/month for Core (10,000 credits), $21/month for Pro and $38/month for Teams, with savings of 15% or more on annual billing; the Free plan includes 1,000 credits. Zapier no longer offers a fixed 750-task plan: its pricing page works with a volume selector, from 100 up to 2 million tasks a month, and the Professional plan starts at $19.99/month at the lowest tier with annual billing (33% cheaper than paying month to month); the Team plan, designed for team collaboration, starts at $69/month.

Which one is easier to use and maintain?

Zapier is the most accessible: its guided assistant explains each step in plain language and lets you build a simple automation in minutes, with no prior knowledge. Make has a steeper learning curve: the visual canvas is intuitive to start with, but mastering routers, iterators and error handling takes practice. n8n is the most technical of the three: working with nodes and JSON data structures involves a real learning curve, and its documentation assumes a certain developer profile. Support differs too: Zapier includes email support on all paid plans (and chat above a certain volume), Make limits priority support to its higher plans, and n8n’s Community edition relies on the community and forums, with dedicated support reserved for the Business and Enterprise plans.

What AI capabilities does each one offer?

All three have stepped up their AI push throughout 2026, but with a different scope. n8n offers the deepest integration: in January 2026 it launched n8n 2.0, with more than 70 AI nodes and native LangChain integration, and in May 2026 it added support for MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers, which lets agents connect to external tools such as Notion without manually configuring webhooks. Make made its AI Agents generally available on February 11, 2026, built into the same canvas as the rest of its scenarios, with a panel that shows the agent’s reasoning in real time; its conversational assistant Maia was still in limited access in mid-2026. Zapier offers Zapier Agents for no-code AI task execution and the Copilot assistant for building Zaps in natural language; since June 15, 2026 it has also introduced pricing by model tier, so AI steps at its “Advanced” tier use up to three times as many tasks as a standard step, a detail worth bearing in mind if your workflow makes heavy use of AI.

Which apps does each one connect to, and what about webhooks?

Zapier leads on catalog size with more than 8,000 native integrations. Make has around 3,000, and n8n around 500, although its HTTP request node lets it connect, in practice, to any service that exposes an API. A nuance that affects real projects: Make and n8n include webhook support on all their plans, free ones included, whereas Zapier restricts its Webhooks app to paid plans.

Where does your data live, and what does that mean for GDPR?

Only n8n can be self-hosted: in that case, the data never leaves your own infrastructure, which matters for regulated sectors —healthcare, legal, finance— or for any business with strict EU data residency requirements. If you use n8n Cloud instead of self-hosting, n8n confirms on its own website that data is stored in the EU, on servers located in Frankfurt (Germany). Make hosts its infrastructure on AWS, with data centers in both the EU and North America, and its pricing page does not specify an EU-only option per plan; it is worth asking directly which region your account is provisioned in. Zapier does not state where its servers are located on its pricing page; its parent company operates from the US, so you should review its international data transfer clauses if you handle personal data of European customers. In all three cases, before signing up you should request the Data Processing Agreement (DPA) and check certifications such as SOC 2 or ISO 27001.

Comparison table

Criterion	Zapier	Make	n8n
Billing model	Per task (action)	Per credit (module)	Per execution (whole workflow)
Ease of use	High	Medium	Low (technical)
Native AI	Zapier Agents, Copilot; model tiers since Jun. 2026	AI Agents since Feb. 2026; Maia in limited access	70+ AI nodes, LangChain (Jan. 2026), MCP support (May 2026)
Integrations	8,000+	~3,000	~500 + API via HTTP
Webhooks included	Paid plans only	All plans	All plans
Self-hosting / own data	No	No	Yes
Entry price (checked 07/14/2026)	From $19.99/month (lowest tier, annual)	$12/month Core (10,000 credits, monthly)	€20/month Starter (2,500 exec., annual) · Community free
Data location	Not specified on its website (US-based)	AWS EU/North America (depending on account)	EU, Frankfurt (Cloud) or your own server
Support	Email on all paid plans; chat above a certain volume	Priority only on higher plans	Community; dedicated on Business/Enterprise

When should you choose each one?

Choose Zapier if you have low volume, no in-house technical capability and need to quickly connect a niche app that the other two don’t cover as well. Choose Make if your workflows have branching logic —an e-commerce business with conditions by country or product, for example— and you want the best balance between power and price without getting into code. Choose n8n if you handle high volume, need your data to stay within your own infrastructure, or want to build custom AI agents beyond what templates offer, and you have the technical capability —in-house or external— to maintain it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the main difference between n8n, Make and Zapier?

The main difference is the billing model and the technical level. Zapier charges per task and prioritizes simplicity; Make charges per credit and offers a visual canvas with more advanced logic; n8n charges per full workflow execution, supports custom code and is the only one that can be self-hosted. The right choice depends on your volume, your technical profile and where you need your data to live.

Is n8n free?

It depends on the version. n8n’s Community edition, self-hosted on your own server, is free with unlimited executions; you only pay for the infrastructure. n8n Cloud, the managed version that doesn’t require your own server, has no permanent free plan and starts at €20/month (Starter, billed annually, 2,500 executions), as checked on n8n.io/pricing on 07/14/2026.

Which is the cheapest automation tool?

It depends on volume, not just the list price. Self-hosted n8n is the most cost-effective option for workflows with many steps and frequent executions, because it charges per full workflow and its Community edition is free —you only pay for the server—. Make usually sits in the middle. Zapier, since it charges for every action, is the one that gets most expensive as the workflow grows. n8n’s savings assume there is someone to install and maintain it; otherwise, that technical cost can offset the difference.

Which tool should I choose if I have no technical knowledge?

Zapier or Make. Zapier is the most accessible for your first Zap thanks to its guided assistant and templates; Make takes a bit more practice with its visual canvas, but it is still usable without coding. n8n, on the other hand, assumes knowledge of nodes and data structures, so if you have no technical profile in-house, it is worth working with an agency or a developer to get the most out of it.

Which tool has the most advanced AI integration?

n8n, in terms of technical depth: more than 70 AI nodes, LangChain integration since January 2026 and MCP server support since May 2026, which makes it possible to build custom agents. Make has offered AI Agents built into its visual canvas since February 2026, which are more accessible without coding. Zapier covers simple AI use cases with Zapier Agents and Copilot, although since June 2026 its advanced AI steps use more tasks.

Can I migrate from Zapier to n8n without losing my automations?

There is no automatic migration between platforms: workflows have to be rebuilt, because each one uses its own logic of nodes or steps. Zapier’s basic logic is usually the quickest to recreate in n8n because of its simplicity, but Zapier-specific features such as Tables or Interfaces have no direct equivalent in n8n. In real migration projects, the most time-consuming part is not rebuilding the workflow logic, but recreating the credentials and webhook connections for each connected app.

Conclusion

There is no best tool in the abstract. Zapier offers speed and the broadest catalog; Make, a balance between visual power and price; n8n, full control over your data, the most advanced AI integration and the lowest cost at high volume, in exchange for demanding more technical capability. The right decision starts with measuring your real volume, the type of workflow and how sensitive your data is, not with the price shown on each platform’s homepage.

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