Choosing the wrong automation platform costs you money twice — once when you build on it, and again when you migrate off it. Here's how n8n, Zapier, and Make actually compare in 2025.
Pricing comparison
Pricing is where the platforms diverge most dramatically at scale. Zapier's task-based billing model means costs grow linearly with volume — and the numbers get uncomfortable fast once you're processing tens of thousands of tasks per month.
| Platform | Free Plan | Starter | Scale | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud | Self-host free forever | $20/mo (2,500 workflow executions) | Custom — contact sales | Unlimited workflows; open-source core; no per-task fees on self-hosted |
| Zapier | 5 Zaps, 100 tasks/mo | $19.99/mo (750 tasks) | $103.50/mo (2,000 tasks) | Task-based billing; costs compound fast at high volume; 7,000+ app integrations |
| Make (Integromat) | 1,000 operations/mo | $9/mo (10,000 ops) | $29/mo (40,000 ops) | Operation-based pricing; significantly cheaper than Zapier at scale; strong visual builder |
Feature comparison: Zapier vs n8n
Zapier leads on ease of entry and breadth of pre-built connectors. n8n leads on everything else that matters once you're building serious automation infrastructure.
Zapier vs n8n — feature by feature
n8n deep dive
n8n is an open-source workflow automation platform with a fair-code licence that lets you self-host for free and modify the source. What separates it from Zapier and Make isn't just cost — it's the architecture. Code nodes let you run arbitrary JavaScript or Python inline. AI agent nodes integrate directly with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Ollama. Sub-workflows allow you to build modular, reusable automation components. And because the entire platform runs in a Docker container you control, your data never leaves your infrastructure.
- Pros: Zero per-task cost on self-hosted; full JavaScript/Python in Code nodes; AI-native with LangChain and agent nodes; complete data residency control; active open-source community; unlimited workflows
- Cons: Self-hosting requires server maintenance, updates, and monitoring; steeper initial setup than Zapier; fewer pre-built app connectors than Zapier (400+ vs 7,000+); cloud plan executions are capped
Zapier deep dive
Zapier is the category-defining no-code automation platform with the largest app library on the market — over 7,000 integrations at last count. Its multi-step Zaps, Paths (conditional branching), and Tables (built-in database) cover the most common business automation patterns without writing a line of code. The trade-off is twofold: you pay per task, which makes Zapier genuinely expensive once volume climbs, and you cannot self-host or run custom code, which makes it unsuitable for sensitive data or complex transformation logic.
- Pros: Easiest onboarding in the category; 7,000+ app integrations; non-technical teams productive immediately; strong documentation and community support; Zapier Tables and Interfaces for lightweight apps
- Cons: Task-based billing becomes expensive above ~5,000 tasks/month; no self-hosting or data residency options; no custom code execution; limited error handling; AI capabilities are shallow compared to n8n
Make (formerly Integromat) deep dive
Make occupies the middle ground between Zapier's simplicity and n8n's power. Its visual scenario builder uses a node-and-wire canvas similar to n8n, and its operation-based pricing model is far more forgiving than Zapier's at moderate volumes. Make excels at complex multi-path routing, iterator and aggregator patterns for bulk processing, and conditional logic. It lacks n8n's code execution and self-hosting, but it offers more visual clarity than Zapier for intricate scenarios.
- Pros: Operation-based pricing is cheaper than Zapier at scale; excellent visual multi-path branching; iterator and aggregator modules for batch processing; 1,500+ app integrations; strong template library
- Cons: No self-hosting; no native code execution nodes; AI integrations lag behind n8n; can feel complex to learn despite being visual; slower execution throughput than n8n for high-frequency triggers
Which platform should you choose?
Decision checklist
- Choose n8n if: you need self-hosting or data residency, you process more than 10,000 tasks per month, you want to add custom JavaScript or Python logic, you need AI-native agent nodes, or you have a technical team comfortable with Docker.
- Choose Zapier if: you need to ship an integration today with no setup, your team is non-technical and will be maintaining the workflows, you need one of Zapier's 7,000+ niche app connectors that n8n doesn't cover yet, or volume is low and simplicity is the priority.
- Choose Make if: you need complex visual branching logic, you want cheaper pricing than Zapier without the maintenance overhead of self-hosted n8n, you're running bulk or batch processing patterns, or your team is semi-technical and wants more control than Zapier allows.
- Start with Zapier, plan to migrate: many teams start on Zapier for speed and migrate to n8n once volume makes the cost unjustifiable or once they need custom logic. Build modular Zaps — they're easier to replicate in n8n later.
