n8n vs Make vs Zapier: Complete Comparison Guide 2026

Introduction

Choosing the right workflow automation platform is crucial for your business. In this comprehensive guide, we compare n8n, Make (formerly Integromat), and Zapier—three leading automation platforms—to help you make an informed decision.

Overview Comparison

At a Glance

Feature	n8n	Make	Zapier
Pricing	Free (self-hosted), $20/mo (cloud)	Free tier, $9+/mo	Free tier, $19.99+/mo
Self-Hosted	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Open Source	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
AI Nodes	Built-in	Limited	Add-on
Integrations	400+	1,000+	5,000+
Complexity	Medium-High	Medium	Low-Medium
Best For	Developers, Cost-conscious	Visual learners	Beginners

Pricing Comparison

n8n Pricing

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        n8n Pricing                              │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  Self-Hosted (Free)                                             │
│  ├── Full features                                               │
│  ├── Unlimited workflows                                         │
│  └── You manage infrastructure                                   │
│                                                                  │
│  Cloud Starter        Cloud Professional   Cloud Enterprise     │
│  $20/month           $40/month           Custom                │
│  • 5 workflows       • 50 workflows      • Unlimited           │
│  • 10k steps/mo      • 50k steps/mo      • Unlimited           │
│  • 1 user            • 5 users          • Teams               │
│  • Community support • Email support     • Priority support     │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Make Pricing

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        Make Pricing                              │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  Free                   Core              Pro                  │
│  $0/month             $9/month           $299/month            │
│  • 1,000 ops/mo       • 10k ops/mo       • 100k ops/mo        │
│  • 2 scenarios        • 25 scenarios     • Unlimited scenarios  │
│  • 100MB storage     • 1GB storage      • 10GB storage        │
│                      • 1 user            • 5 users             │
│                                                                  │
│  Enterprise: Custom pricing                                       │
│  • Dedicated support                                             │
│  • Custom integrations                                          │
│  • SSO & compliance                                              │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Zapier Pricing

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                       Zapier Pricing                             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  Free                Starter            Team                   │
│  $0/month           $19.99/month       $49/month              │
│  • 100 tasks/mo     • 1k tasks/mo      • 2k tasks/mo           │
│  • 5 Zaps           • Unlimited Zaps   • Unlimited Zaps        │
│  • Limited apps     • 5k+ apps         • All apps              │
│                                                                  │
│  Professional       Business           Company                  │
│  $49.99/month      $599.99/month      $999.99/month           │
│  • 3k tasks/mo     • 50k tasks/mo     • Unlimited              │
│  • Multi-step Zaps • Advanced filters • Admin controls         │
│                      • Paths            • SSO                   │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Features Comparison

Core Features

Feature	n8n	Make	Zapier
Visual Builder	Yes	Yes (Best)	Yes
Code Execution	✅ JavaScript	✅ JavaScript	Limited
Webhooks	✅ Custom	✅	✅
API Requests	✅ HTTP Node	✅ HTTP	✅ Built-in
Data Transformation	✅ Code + UI	✅ Built-in	Limited
Error Handling	✅ Advanced	✅ Good	✅ Basic
Scheduling	✅ Cron	✅ Flexible	✅ Schedule
Conditional Logic	✅ If/Switch	✅ Router	✅ Filter
Looping	✅ Split Batches	✅ Repeater	❌ Limited
Sub-workflows	✅ Execute Workflow	✅ Modules	❌ No

AI Capabilities (2026)

Feature	n8n	Make	Zapier
AI Nodes	✅ LangChain integration	❌ No native	Add-on
LLM Integration	OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, etc.	Via HTTP	OpenAI, Claude
Vector DB	✅ Pinecone, Weaviate, etc.	❌	❌
AI Agents	✅ Build agents	❌	❌
Custom AI Tools	✅ Code + API	Via HTTP	Limited

Integrations

Aspect	n8n	Make	Zapier
Total Apps	400+	1,000+	5,000+
Custom Integrations	Build your own	Limited	Limited
REST API	✅ Full API	✅ API	✅ Platform API
GraphQL	✅ Built-in	✅	❌ No

Technical Deep Dive

Data Transformation

# n8n: JavaScript + UI
{{ 
  $json.data.map(item => ({
    ...item,
    processed: true,
    timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
  }))
}}

# Make: Built-in functions
{{ map(ARRAY; item => merge(item; {processed: true})) }}

# Zapier: Limited (Code step required)
# Use Python/JavaScript in Code action

Error Handling

n8n:          Advanced
├── Error Workflows (separate)
├── Retry Logic (built-in)
├── Continue on Fail
└── Detailed error context

Make:         Good
├── Error Handlers
├── Break
└── Direct retry

Zapier:       Basic
├── Auto-retry (limited)
└── Error paths (Paths add-on)

Performance at Scale

Platform	Batch Processing	Concurrent Runs	Webhooks
n8n	Excellent (self-hosted)	Unlimited (configurable)	Unlimited
Make	Good	Limited by plan	Good
Zapier	Basic	Limited by plan	Premium only

Use Case Comparisons

E-commerce Order Processing

n8n Approach:
┌────────────┐   ┌────────────┐   ┌────────────┐
│  Webhook   │──►│  Split    │──►│  Process  │
│  (Order)   │   │  Batches  │   │  Each     │
└────────────┘   └────────────┘   └────────────┘
                                        │
                    ┌───────────────────┼───────────────────┐
                    ▼                   ▼                   ▼
              ┌──────────┐        ┌──────────┐        ┌──────────┐
              │  Update  │        │  Email   │        │  Slack   │
              │  Shopify │        │  Customer│        │  Notify  │
              └──────────┘        └──────────┘        └──────────┘

Make Approach:
┌────────────┐   ┌────────────┐   ┌────────────┐
│  Webhook   │──►│  Iterator │──►│  Router    │
│            │   │           │   │            │
└────────────┘   └────────────┘   └────────────┘

Zapier Approach:
┌────────────┐   ┌────────────┐
│  Webhook   │──►│  Action    │
│  (Pro)     │   │  (1 step) │
└────────────┘   └────────────┘
Multi-step = higher tier

AI-Powered Content Processing

Feature	n8n	Make	Zapier
LLM Summarization	✅ Native	Via HTTP	Add-on
Vector Search	✅ Built-in	Via HTTP	❌
Agent Workflows	✅ Full support	❌	❌
Custom Tools	✅ Code + API	Via HTTP	Limited

# n8n AI Agent Example
nodes:
  - Chat Trigger
  - AI Agent
    - Model: GPT-4
    - Tools:
      - Search (web)
      - Read file
      - HTTP request
      - Custom function
  - Slack: Send message

Pros and Cons

n8n

✅ PROS:
├── Free self-hosted option
├── Full code control
├── Custom node development
├── Excellent AI integration
├── Active open-source community
├── Flexible deployment
└── No per-step pricing

❌ CONS:
├── Requires more technical skill
├── Community integrations vary
├── Limited built-in templates
├── Self-hosted = you manage infra
└── Smaller app marketplace

Make (Integromat)

✅ PROS:
├── Best visual builder
├── Great for beginners
├── Rich library of templates
├── Powerful routing (Router)
├── Good error handling
└── 1000+ integrations

❌ CONS:
├── No self-hosted option
├── Can get expensive at scale
├── Limited AI capabilities
├── Complex scenarios = slow
└── Locked to their platform

Zapier

✅ PROS:
├── Largest app marketplace
├── Easiest to start
├── Great documentation
├── Widely adopted
├── Enterprise features (SSO)
└── Reliable infrastructure

❌ CONS:
├── Most expensive
├── Limited customization
├── No code execution (basic)
├── No self-hosted option
├── Complex zaps = slow
└── AI = expensive add-on

Decision Matrix

If You…	Choose	Reason
Need self-hosted	n8n	Only option with self-hosting
Have limited budget	n8n	Free self-hosted or $20/mo
Are non-technical	Zapier or Make	Visual builders, templates
Need AI agents	n8n	Native LangChain support
Want best visual builder	Make	Router + visual debugging
Need 5000+ apps	Zapier	Largest marketplace
Are a developer	n8n	Full code control
Need enterprise features	Zapier	SSO, compliance, support
Want to start free	All three	All have free tiers

Migration Considerations

Migrating to n8n

# Key differences to handle:
1. Data format: n8n uses JSON natively
2. Error handling: Use Error Workflows
3. Looping: Use Split In Batches
4. Variables: Expression syntax ({{ $json.field }})

Migrating from Zapier/Make

# Common mappings:
Zapier/Make       → n8n
─────────────────────────────
Filter            → Filter node / If node
Router            → Switch node
Iterator          → Split In Batches
Module            → Node (similar apps)
Webhook           → Webhook node
Formatter         → Edit Fields / Code

Cost Analysis Examples

Startup (1000 automations/month)

Platform	Cost	Notes
n8n Cloud	$20	Starter plan
Make	$9	Core plan
Zapier	$0	Free tier (limited)

Winner: Zapier (limited), Make (full)

Growing Business (50,000 automations/month)

Platform	Cost	Notes
n8n Self-hosted	~$50	Server costs
n8n Cloud	$40	Professional
Make	$299	Pro plan
Zapier	~$600	Business tier

Winner: n8n

Enterprise (500,000+ automations/month)

Platform	Cost	Notes
n8n Self-hosted	~$200-500	Custom infra
Make	Custom	Enterprise
Zapier	Custom	Enterprise

Winner: n8n (self-hosted for control)

Conclusion

Quick Recommendation

Your Situation	Best Choice
Developer, want control	n8n
Small budget	n8n
Non-technical, want ease	Make
Enterprise, need support	Zapier
Need AI agents	n8n
Want most integrations	Zapier
Best visual builder	Make

Final Verdict

n8n: Best for developers, budget-conscious teams, AI features, and self-hosted needs
Make: Best for visual learners, medium-complexity automations
Zapier: Best for enterprise, non-technical users, maximum integrations