n8n vs Make vs Zapier
The three leading automation platforms, head to head. Not "who wins" — but when each one is the right choice, based on your budget, team and business needs.
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All three in 30 seconds
Zapier is the no-code automation pioneer — the easiest to start with, with 7,000+ ready-made integrations. You connect a "trigger" to an "action" in a few clicks. Perfect for non-technical people who want a fast result.
Make (formerly Integromat) is a cloud platform with a colorful visual editor based on "scenarios". It balances ease and power — more flexible than Zapier and usually cheaper for medium volume.
n8n is a node-based platform focused on developers and flexibility. You can self-host it, write custom code at any step, and build complex AI agents. The most powerful and cheapest at scale — but it requires more technical knowledge.
Zapier = the easiest and fastest. Make = an excellent balance of ease, power and price. n8n = the most flexible, cheapest at scale, and most private — the king of agents and self-hosting.
Comparison table
| Criterion | n8n | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting model | Cloud + Self-hosted | Cloud only | Cloud only |
| Open source | Yes (fair-code) | No | No |
| Beginner-friendly | Medium | Very good | Excellent |
| Built-in integrations | 500+ (+HTTP) | 2,000+ | 7,000+ |
| Flexibility / custom code | High (JS/Python) | Medium | Limited |
| AI & agents | Built-in & advanced | AI modules | AI actions |
| Pricing model | Executions / self-host | Operations (ops) | Tasks |
| Cost at scale | Lowest | Medium | Highest |
| Data privacy | Full (self-host) | Make cloud | Zapier cloud |
| Best suited for… | Developers, scale, AI | Small–medium businesses | A fast start |
Pricing — where the real difference is
This is usually the deciding factor, and each one counts differently: Zapier by tasks (each action = a task), Make by operations, and n8n in the cloud by executions (running a whole workflow = 1). With n8n self-hosting you pay only for the server (a VPS at $5–20/month) with no limit on operations.
- Zapier: limited free tier · paid plans that climb fast with volume — the most expensive at scale.
- Make: free (1,000 ops/month) · Core from ~$9/month — worth it for medium volume.
- n8n Cloud: from ~$20–24/month by executions · Self-hosted: server cost only — the cheapest at high scale.
Want to start today with no technical work → Zapier. A price/power balance → Make. High volume, AI agents or privacy → n8n self-hosted.
When to choose each
Choose Zapier if…
- You're non-technical and want a working automation today
- You need a rare integration — Zapier has the most (7,000+)
- Your volume is low–medium and ease matters more than price
Choose Make if…
- You want a balance of ease and power, at a reasonable price
- You build visual, multi-step scenarios
- Your volume is medium and you're price-sensitive vs. Zapier
Choose n8n if…
- You're a developer/technical team that wants flexibility and custom code
- Data privacy (self-hosting) or low cost at scale matters to you
- You're building AI agents and complex pipelines
Practical notes
All three platforms have integrations for WhatsApp, Google Workspace, Telegram and webhooks — so you can build customer-service and lead automations for any business. n8n has an edge when you need to connect systems through a generic API, or keep customer data on your own server for regulatory and privacy reasons. Make and Zapier win when you need a ready-made integration for a popular service without writing code — Zapier with the widest selection, Make with a better price.
Next step
Picked a direction? Dive into the full guide, or grab a ready-made template to get started in minutes.