Choose Zapier if you want the simplest setup and the most app connections. Choose Make if your workflows have several steps, branches or data clean-up and you want the best value without managing a server. Choose n8n if you have technical help and want to self-host or run high volumes cheaply. Most small service businesses do best starting with Make.
- All three tools connect your apps and run workflows without code. The real differences are pricing model, ease of use and hosting.
- Zapier bills per successful action (tasks), Make bills per module action (credits), and n8n bills per full workflow run (executions).
- Zapier has the biggest app library (10,000+), Make has 3,500+, and n8n can call almost any API through its HTTP node.
- n8n’s self-hosted Community edition is free for your own internal business use, but you run and maintain the server.
- For multi-step workflows at small-business volume, Make is usually the best balance of price and flexibility.
What are Make, Zapier and n8n?
When people search Make vs Zapier, they usually want to know one thing: which tool will save them the most time for the least money. All three are workflow automation platforms. They watch for an event in one app (a form submission, a new lead, a paid invoice) and then do things in other apps automatically, such as sending an email, adding a CRM contact or posting a Slack message.
- Zapier is the oldest and best-known. You build “Zaps” as a step-by-step list: one trigger, then actions. It is cloud-only.
- Make (formerly Integromat) uses a visual canvas. You build “scenarios” by connecting modules like a flowchart, which makes branching and data handling easier to see.
- n8n is a fair-code workflow tool that also uses a visual canvas. You can use n8n Cloud or host it yourself on your own server.
I build client systems in all three, but most of my small-business work runs on Make. The reasons for that, and when I would pick something else, are below.
Make vs Zapier vs n8n at a glance
| Zapier | Make | n8n | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Task (each successful action step) | Credit (most module actions use 1) | Execution (one full workflow run) |
| Free plan | 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps | 1,000 credits a month | Self-hosted Community edition |
| Entry paid plan | Professional from $19.99/month (annual) for 750 tasks | Core plan (see Make’s pricing page) | Starter €20/month (annual) for 2,500 executions |
| App library | 10,000+ apps | 3,500+ apps | Built-in nodes plus a generic HTTP node for any API |
| Builder style | Linear list of steps | Visual canvas | Visual canvas |
| Self-hosting | No | No | Yes |
| Learning curve | Easiest | Moderate | Steepest |
| Best for | Simple, quick automations | Multi-step workflows on a budget | Technical teams and high volume |
Figures are from each vendor’s pricing page in October 2026: Zapier pricing, Make pricing and n8n pricing. App counts are from the Zapier app directory and Make’s integrations page. Prices change often, so check before you commit.
Which is cheaper, Make or Zapier?
For anything beyond a two-step automation, Make is usually cheaper. The reason is how each tool counts usage.
Zapier counts tasks. A task is one successful action. The trigger does not count, and neither do Zapier’s built-in tools such as Formatter, Filters and Paths. A Zap with one trigger and four actions uses four tasks every time it runs.
Make counts credits. Every module that reads, searches, creates, updates or transforms data uses credits, and most use one. The Router and error-handler modules are free. AI features that use Make’s own AI provider can use more than one credit.
n8n counts executions. One execution is one complete run of a workflow, no matter how many steps it has. That is why n8n gets cheaper the more complex your workflows are.
A worked example: 200 new leads a month
Say every new website lead triggers a five-step workflow: the form trigger, then four actions (add to your CRM, send a welcome email, notify you in Slack, log it in a Google Sheet). You get 200 leads a month.
| Tool | How usage is counted | Monthly usage | What plan you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | 4 actions × 200 runs | 800 tasks | More than the 750-task Professional tier, and the free plan only allows two-step Zaps |
| Make | 5 modules × 200 runs | About 1,000 credits | Right at the free plan’s limit, so budget for the Core plan |
| n8n Cloud | 1 execution × 200 runs | 200 executions | Well within Starter’s 2,500 |
This is the pattern I see with clients: Zapier is cheap for one or two simple Zaps, then costs climb quickly as you add steps. Make stays affordable for most small businesses. n8n is cheapest at volume, as long as someone can build and maintain it.
One note for businesses in the Philippines: all three bill in US dollars or euros, so your card’s foreign-transaction fee and the exchange rate add to the real cost. Annual billing is cheaper on all three, but only commit once you know your monthly volume.
Which is easiest for beginners?
Zapier is the easiest. Its step-by-step builder reads like a to-do list and the app library almost certainly has every tool you use.
Make takes a little longer to learn, maybe an afternoon of practice. The pay-off is that you can see the whole workflow on one canvas, add a router to send leads down different paths, loop through lists, and reshape data without paying for extra steps. When a client hands me a messy process, Make is where I can build it most clearly. It is also what both of my Make.com templates in the Anchor Growth Co. Store run on.
n8n has the steepest curve. The canvas is similar to Make’s, but you will meet JSON, expressions and occasionally a bit of JavaScript sooner. If you don’t enjoy that, you will feel it.
Whichever tool you choose, the hardest part is rarely the software. It is deciding what to automate. A clear process beats a clever tool, which is one of the marketing automation myths that cost businesses revenue.
Not sure which tool fits your setup, or what to automate first? I’ll look at how your leads come in and where they slip away, then tell you which tool and workflow to start with.
Get a Visibility & Lead AuditIs n8n really free?
Partly. n8n’s self-hosted Community edition costs nothing in licence fees, and executions are unlimited because you run it on your own server. It is released under n8n’s Sustainable Use License, which lets you use and modify it for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial and personal use (n8n Community license). Reselling n8n itself as a hosted service needs a separate commercial agreement.
“Free” still has costs:
- A server. You need a VPS or cloud server, which you pay for every month.
- Maintenance. Updates, backups, security and fixing things when they break are your job.
- Your time. If you bill clients by the hour, a weekend lost to server problems is not free.
If you have a developer on the team, or you are one, self-hosted n8n can be excellent value. If you don’t, n8n Cloud or Make is the safer start.
Which one should you choose?
Use this checklist. Pick the first line that describes you:
- You need one or two simple automations working today, and you’ll pay for convenience. Choose Zapier.
- Your workflows have several steps, conditions or data clean-up, and you want to keep costs low. Choose Make.
- You have technical help, handle sensitive data you want on your own server, or run thousands of workflows a month. Choose n8n.
- You already run sales in HubSpot or another CRM. Check the CRM’s own workflow tools first, then add Make or Zapier for the gaps.
For the coaches, consultants and agencies I work with, the answer is usually Make. A typical first build is a lead flow: form, CRM, instant reply, notification. That’s the kind of system in a lead funnel that works while you sleep. The next step is usually the three beginner email flows.
Switching later is possible but tedious, because there is no clean export from one tool to another. You rebuild each workflow by hand. So pick based on where you’ll be in a year, not just this week.
The bottom line
There is no single winner in Make vs Zapier vs n8n, only the right fit for your team. Zapier wins on simplicity and app coverage. Make wins on value for multi-step workflows. n8n wins on flexibility and cost at scale, if you can run it. Start with one workflow that saves you real time each week, build it in the tool that matches your skills, and grow from there. If you would rather have it built for you, see my automation services.
Frequently asked questions
Is Make better than Zapier?
Make is better value for multi-step workflows with branches, loops or data clean-up, because you pay per module action instead of per task. Zapier is better if you want the simplest builder and the largest app library, with more than 10,000 apps.
Is Make cheaper than Zapier?
Usually, yes, once your workflows have more than two steps. Make’s free plan includes 1,000 credits a month, while Zapier’s free plan includes 100 tasks a month and only two-step Zaps (Make pricing, Zapier pricing).
Is n8n free for commercial use?
You can self-host n8n’s Community edition for free for your own internal business purposes under the Sustainable Use License. Selling n8n itself as a hosted service to others requires a commercial agreement with n8n.
Which is best for beginners: Make, Zapier or n8n?
Zapier is the easiest for complete beginners. Make takes an afternoon of practice to learn and pays off with more flexibility. n8n suits people who are comfortable with JSON, APIs and running a server.
Can I switch from Zapier to Make later?
Yes, but there is no automatic migration. You rebuild each workflow in the new tool, so it is worth choosing based on where your business will be in a year.
Not sure which parts of your client journey to automate first? I’ll review your funnel and onboarding and show you where leads and clients are slipping through.
Book your Visibility & Lead Audit
Shiela De La Cruz
Founder of Anchor Growth Co. and a HubSpot-certified marketer (Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Inbound). Shiela builds lifecycle marketing and automation systems in HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, Make and Zapier for environmental businesses. More about Shiela · YouTube · TikTok
Sources
- Zapier, Pricing (Free and Professional plans, how tasks are counted)
- Zapier, App directory (10,000+ apps)
- Make.com, Pricing (Free plan credits, how credits are counted)
- Make.com, Integrations (3,500+ apps)
- n8n, Pricing (Cloud plans and executions)
- n8n Docs, Community license (Sustainable Use License)
