n8n vs Make vs Zapier: Which Automation Platform Fits Your Team?

Most teams don't pick an automation platform. They inherit one. Someone connected a form to the CRM with Zapier three years ago, someone else built a reporting scenario in Make, and now the business runs on 40 automations across two tools that nobody fully understands. Then the bill grows, a workflow fails quietly, or a client asks where their data is stored.

This guide compares n8n, Make, and Zapier on the things that matter once automation is part of how your company runs. That means how each one bills, where your data lives, how far AI and custom code can go, and how much skill each needs to build and maintain. It's written for owners and operations leaders choosing a platform for the next few years, not for a weekend project.

What are n8n, Make, and Zapier?

n8n, Make, and Zapier are workflow automation platforms. They connect your business apps and move data between them when something happens, such as a form submission, a new deal, or a paid invoice. All three use a visual builder, all three can call AI models, and all three are used by companies every day. Where they differ is in how they're priced, hosted, and extended.

How each platform bills, with an example

This is the difference most teams underestimate. Each platform counts usage in a different unit, so the same workflow can use very different amounts of your plan.

n8n counts one execution per run

n8n's pricing page (opens in a new tab) defines an execution as "a single run of your entire workflow. It doesn't matter how many steps are in the workflow or how much data it processes." A 3-step workflow and a 30-step workflow cost the same per run. Self-hosting the free Community edition removes the execution count entirely, and replaces it with the cost of running a server.

Zapier counts one task per successful action

Zapier's help center (opens in a new tab) says "a task is any successful action that runs in Zapier." Triggers, Filter and Paths steps, Formatter steps, and failed steps don't count. Every successful action does, so a Zap with six actions uses six tasks each time it runs. Some features use more. A Code step uses at least one task, and a Zapier MCP tool call uses two.

Make counts credits per operation

Make replaced operations with credits (opens in a new tab) as its billing unit in 2025. For non-AI apps, one operation equals one credit, and most modules use one operation each time they run. Reading, searching, creating, updating, and transforming data all count. Routers and error-handler modules don't. AI modules can use more credits than standard ones, based on tokens.

The same workflow on all three

Take a typical inbound lead workflow. A form is submitted, the workflow looks up the company, an AI step scores the lead, the contact is created in the CRM, a deal is created, the right rep gets a Slack message, and a confirmation email goes out. That's one trigger and six actions. Suppose it runs 1,000 times a month.

Now add a loop. If the workflow processes a CSV of 200 leads in one run, that's about 1,200 tasks on Zapier and a similar jump in credits on Make, while n8n still counts one execution. Long workflows and batch processing are where the billing models pull apart.

Billing changes what you build

The billing unit does more than set your bill. It shapes your workflows. When every action costs something, teams leave out the extra CRM lookup, the duplicate check, and the logging step, because each one adds to every run. Those are often the steps that make an automation reliable.

On n8n, those steps don't add to your execution count. So you can build the careful version without paying more each time it runs. On a 3-step workflow this hardly matters. Once you're past about 10 steps, or running batches, it starts to shape every design decision.

Where your data lives and who controls it

For many companies, especially those with UK, EU, or enterprise clients, hosting is a deciding factor.

• n8n can be self-hosted, so your workflow data stays in your own infrastructure. n8n Cloud is hosted on Microsoft Azure, and n8n's security page (opens in a new tab) states the data is "currently hosted in the European Union". The pricing page specifies servers in Frankfurt, Germany.
• Make offers two data center locations, the US and the EU. You choose when you create an organization, and Make's help center (opens in a new tab) notes that "you cannot change the location of the data center after you create the organization."
• Zapier hosts data on AWS servers in the United States. Its data privacy page (opens in a new tab) answers the question of EU-only storage directly. "Zapier does not support this option." EU-to-US transfers rely on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

On security reports, Make (opens in a new tab) and Zapier (opens in a new tab) both state they have completed SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3 audits. n8n says it aligns its security program to SOC 2, is audited annually by an independent auditor, and shares its SOC 2 report with enterprise customers and a SOC 3 report with others.

AI and custom code

All three now let you put AI models and AI agents inside your workflows. The differences are in control and billing.

AI agents

• n8n has an AI Agent node (opens in a new tab) and supports several model providers, including Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini, with tools, memory, and multiple models in one workflow. It also supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP) as a client and as a server. AI steps run as part of the workflow, so they're counted in the same execution.
• Make offers Make AI Agents (opens in a new tab), built in the same visual builder, with a Reasoning panel that shows each decision and the option to add manual approvals. Make says they're available on all plans. Credits depend on tokens as well as operations.
• Zapier offers Zapier Agents, chatbots, and an MCP server on all plans, with "AI by Zapier" steps inside Zaps on paid plans. Agents are billed in their own unit, activities, separate from tasks.

Before you build an agent, check whether you need one. Most business processes are better served by a fixed workflow with one or two AI steps.

Custom code

All three run JavaScript and Python. In n8n, the Code node (opens in a new tab) is included on every plan and doesn't add to your usage. Code by Zapier steps use tasks, and its pricing page lists a runtime limit of 1 second on the free plan and 30 seconds on paid plans. Make runs code through its Make Code app.

The practical difference is how often you'll need code. When an integration doesn't do exactly what you need, n8n makes it normal to drop into code or call an API directly. In Zapier, code is more of an escape hatch.

Which platform fits which team

The choice comes down to how long your workflows are, how often they run, and who will build and look after them.

Choose Zapier when

• You need a few simple automations, mostly one trigger and a few actions.
• The people building them aren't technical, and speed of setup matters most.
• You rely on niche apps that only Zapier connects to.
• Your volume is low enough that per-task billing stays small.

Choose Make when

• Your workflows have real logic, like branches, loops, and data transformation.
• Your team wants a visual builder but is comfortable with a steeper learning curve.
• You need EU hosting without running your own servers.

Choose n8n when

• Automation is becoming core to how you sell and operate, with long workflows that run often.
• You want to self-host, or you need data to stay in your own infrastructure.
• You're building AI agents and AI-heavy workflows and want control over each step.
• Someone technical, in-house or a partner, will build and maintain the system.

Common mistakes when choosing a platform

• Choosing on the starting price. The entry plan matters less than how your workflows consume the billing unit.
• Ignoring loops. A workflow that processes lists can use hundreds of tasks or credits in a single run.
• Treating self-hosting as free. The software license costs nothing, but the server, updates, and on-call time don't.
• Picking on integration count alone. A connector list of 9,000 apps doesn't help if the three you use have limited actions. Check the specific triggers and actions you need.
• Spreading across every platform. Each extra tool means another login, another bill, and another place a failure can hide.
• No error handling or monitoring. Every platform can fail quietly.

If you're moving between platforms

Moving is a rebuild, so don't start with the whole list. Sort your automations by monthly usage, then look at the top five. Those are usually where the savings are. Delete anything nobody uses, and keep the small, cheap workflows where they are until you have a reason to move them.

Run the old and new versions side by side for a week or two, and compare the results before you switch the old one off.

If you plan to sell a product built on n8n, read its Sustainable Use License (opens in a new tab) first, since it covers use "for your own internal business purposes." This isn't legal advice.

Conclusion

Zapier is the fastest way to connect apps, Make handles more complex logic in a visual builder, and n8n gives you the most control over cost, hosting, code, and AI. For a team whose automations are growing into core systems for your business, that control usually matters more than the speed of the first setup.

The bigger decision is often not which platform, but who builds and owns the system. If you'd rather have it built for you, our AI automation is built on n8n in your own accounts and monitored after launch. If you're comparing builders, see the best n8n agencies.

Frequently asked questions

Is n8n cheaper than Zapier and Make?

For long workflows that run often, usually yes, because n8n counts one execution per workflow run no matter how many steps it has, while Zapier counts each successful action and Make counts each module operation. For a few short workflows, the difference is small, and self-hosting n8n adds server and maintenance costs.

Is n8n open source?

Its source code is public, but it uses the Sustainable Use License, which allows use for your own internal business purposes and limits distributing it to others. Read the license before building a product you sell on top of it.

Which is easiest for a non-technical team?

Zapier, for simple trigger-and-action automations. Make is a close second and handles branching and data transformation in a visual builder. n8n is the most technical of the three, especially when you self-host it.

Can I keep automation data in the EU?

With n8n, yes: self-host it in your own EU environment, or use n8n Cloud, which is hosted in Frankfurt. Make lets you choose an EU or US data center when you create an organization. Zapier hosts data in the US and doesn't offer EU-only storage.

Can all three run AI agents?

Yes. n8n has an AI Agent node, Make has Make AI Agents, and Zapier has Zapier Agents. They differ in how they're billed and how much control you get over each step, so test your real use case before choosing.

Can we move from Zapier or Make to n8n later?

Yes, but plan to rebuild each workflow on the new platform rather than copy it over. Moving is a good moment to document what each automation does and remove the ones nobody uses.

Sources

1. n8n, Pricing (opens in a new tab), accessed November 1, 2026.
2. n8n, Integrations (opens in a new tab), accessed November 1, 2026.
3. n8n, Security (opens in a new tab), accessed November 1, 2026.
4. n8n Docs, Advanced AI (opens in a new tab) and Code in n8n (opens in a new tab), accessed November 1, 2026.
5. n8n, Sustainable Use License (opens in a new tab), accessed November 1, 2026.
6. Make, Credits (opens in a new tab), accessed November 1, 2026.
7. Make, Pricing (opens in a new tab) and Integrations (opens in a new tab), accessed November 1, 2026.
8. Make, Organizations (opens in a new tab) (data center locations), accessed November 1, 2026.
9. Make, Security (opens in a new tab) and AI Agents (opens in a new tab), accessed November 1, 2026.
10. Zapier, How is task usage measured in Zapier? (opens in a new tab), accessed November 1, 2026.
11. Zapier, Pricing (opens in a new tab) and Apps (opens in a new tab), accessed November 1, 2026.
12. Zapier, Data Privacy FAQ (opens in a new tab) and Trust Center (opens in a new tab), accessed November 1, 2026.