n8n vs Make — the full comparison
The two most popular automation platforms, head to head. Not "which is better" — but when each one is the right choice, based on your budget, team and needs.
What each one is — in 30 seconds
Make (formerly Integromat) is a cloud (SaaS) automation platform with a colorful visual editor based on "Scenarios." It's aimed at people who want to start fast without dealing with infrastructure — you sign up, connect apps, and build automation by dragging.
n8n is a node-based automation platform with an emphasis on developers and flexibility. You can run it on their managed cloud or self-host it — which gives full control, data privacy, and a fixed cost instead of paying per operation. n8n is also open (fair-code).
Make = fastest to start and for non-technical users. n8n = most flexible, cheap at scale, and private — especially for self-hosting and building AI agents.
Comparison table
| Criterion | n8n | Make |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting model | Managed cloud + Self-hosted | Cloud only (SaaS) |
| Open source | Yes (fair-code) | No |
| Ease for beginners | Medium | Excellent |
| Flexibility / custom code | High (JS/Python in any node) | Limited |
| Built-in integrations | 500+ (+ HTTP for any API) | 2,000+ |
| AI & agents | Built-in (AI Agent, LangChain nodes) | Basic AI modules |
| Pricing model | Per execution | Per operation |
| Cost at scale | Low (self-host = fixed) | Rises with volume |
| Data privacy | Full (data stays with you) | In Make's cloud |
| Error handling | Advanced (Error Workflows, retry) | Good (error handlers) |
| Community & templates | Growing fast, technical | Huge, accessible |
Pricing — where the real difference is
This is usually the deciding factor. Make prices by operations (each module action = one op). It's cheap at first but climbs quickly as scenarios get complex and run often. n8n in the cloud prices by executions (running a whole workflow = 1, no matter how many nodes) — very efficient for heavy workflows. And with self-hosting the cost is only your server (e.g. a VPS at $5–20/month) with no operation limit.
- Make: free (1,000 ops/month) · Core from ~$9/month · Pro/Teams by volume
- n8n Cloud: Starter from ~$20–24/month by executions
- n8n Self-hosted: free (the code) + server cost only — the best value at high scale
Low-to-medium volume and you want simplicity → Make. High volume, heavy workflows, or price/privacy sensitivity → n8n self-hosted.
When to choose each
Choose Make if…
- You're non-technical and want to start today, without servers
- You need a rare integration they have ready-made (2,000+ apps)
- The priority is a pleasant visual UX and a minimal learning curve
- Monthly volume isn't huge, and ease > control
Choose n8n if…
- You're a developer / technical team that wants flexibility and custom code (JS/Python) inside the flow
- Data privacy matters to you — that data shouldn't pass through a third-party cloud
- You want to build AI agents and complex pipelines (n8n is especially strong here)
- There's high volume and self-hosting will save you a lot of money over time
- You need full control: versioning, Git, dev/prod environments
The regional angle
Both tools have integrations for WhatsApp, Google Workspace, Telegram and webhooks — so you can build customer-service and lead automations for a local business with either. n8n has an edge when you need to connect local systems through a generic API (the HTTP node) or when you want to keep customer data on a server in your own region for regulatory and privacy reasons. Make wins when you need a ready-made integration for a popular service without writing a line of code.
Next step
Picked a direction? Dive into the full guide for the tool, or grab a ready-made prompt to help you map the process to automation.