Zapier is often the easiest place to start and Make sits in between. Here's how they compare, when each one is right and why we usually build in n8n.
All three connect your tools and do the work between them. They differ in how they charge, where they run and how far they go with AI and code. n8n is lit because it's what we usually build in.
| n8nOur usual pick | ZapierEasiest start | MakeIn between | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01How it charges | n8nPer execution. One run of a whole workflow counts once, however many steps it has. | ZapierPer task. Each successful action is a task. Triggers and filters don't count. | MakePer credit. Most actions use one, so a single run can use two credits or thousands. |
| 02Free to start | n8nThe self-hosted Community edition is free for use inside your own business, with almost every feature. | ZapierA free plan with 100 tasks a month, limited to two-step Zaps. | MakeA free plan with 1,000 credits a month. |
| 03Where it runs | n8nn8n's cloud, or your own server, on site or in a private cloud. | ZapierZapier's own cloud, fully managed. There are no servers to look after. | MakeMake's own cloud. On Enterprise, an on-prem agent reaches apps and databases inside your network. |
| 04AI agents | n8nAgents with tools, memory and MCP inside the workflow, on models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others. | ZapierZapier Agents, set up from written instructions and billed in activities rather than tasks. | MakeMake's AI Agent works inside a scenario, calling modules, other scenarios and MCP tools. It's in open beta. |
| 05Code when you need it | n8nA Code node runs your own JavaScript or Python as a step in the workflow. | ZapierCode by Zapier runs JavaScript or Python inside a Zap, with a time limit per step set by your plan. | MakeThe Make Code app adds JavaScript or Python to a scenario, on paid plans. |
| 06For a non-technical teamOur view | n8nThe most to learn. Its cloud takes the setup away, but self-hosting needs someone technical. | ZapierUsually the easiest start. You can build on the day you sign up. | MakeIn between. More to learn than Zapier, less to look after than your own n8n server. |
Checked on each tool's own pricing and help pages, October 2026
Zapier is often the easiest start and Make sits in between. Here's how we'd call it.
A few simple jobs between popular apps, with nobody technical to look after them.It's usually the easiest place to start.
ZapierYou want something running today with nothing to set up.Zapier's cloud is fully managed, so there's nothing to install.
ZapierWorkflows with lots of routes, built by your own team without running a server.Routers and error handlers don't use credits. Make hosts it for you.
MakeAI agents in the middle of your work, with tools, memory and the model you choose.The agent sits inside the workflow, where your team can see every step.
n8nCustomer data that has to stay on your own server.n8n runs on your own infrastructure, on site or in a private cloud.
n8nLong workflows that run thousands of times a month.n8n charges per run, so extra steps don't add to the bill.
n8nn8n connects the tools a business already runs on and lets AI work in between them. For that kind of work, four things make it our first choice.
We connect n8n to the tools you already use, hand each workflow over and walk your team through how it works. If Zapier or Make already does the job, we'll say so before anything gets built.
How we build in n8n
For AI agents, long workflows and data that has to stay on your own server, we think so. For a few simple jobs between popular apps, Zapier is often the easier start and may be all you need. We'll tell you which fits before anything gets built.
The self-hosted Community edition is free to use inside your own business and has almost every feature. You still pay for the server it runs on. n8n's cloud plans are paid and charge by workflow executions.
Both can run them. In n8n an agent sits inside the workflow with tools, memory and MCP, on models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others. Make's AI Agent works inside a scenario and was still in open beta when we checked in October 2026. For agents a business relies on, we build in n8n.
It depends on how many steps each workflow has. n8n counts one execution per run, however many steps it takes. Zapier counts each successful action as a task and Make counts most actions as a credit. So the more steps a workflow has, the more n8n's way of charging works in your favour.
Yes. We rebuild each automation in n8n and test it on real work, then you switch the old one off when you're happy. It's built in your own account, so it's yours from day one.
Not day to day. Self-hosting needs someone technical to set it up and keep it running, while n8n's cloud takes that off your hands. We build the workflows and train your team, so they can follow each step and change it later.
Workflow automation and custom tools start from £1,097 and custom AI agents from £3,497. Everything is built in your own account, so your n8n plan is billed to you directly at n8n's own prices.