Zapier vs Make vs n8n: Automation Tools Compared
Compare Zapier, Make, and n8n for workflow automation. Pricing, integration counts, complexity handling, and self-hosting options for every budget.
Key Takeaways
Zapier App Integrations
Make vs. Zapier Cost Savings
n8n Self-Hosted Per-Execution Cost
n8n Community Nodes
Platform Overview & Positioning
Zapier, Make, and n8n each occupy distinct positions in the automation platform landscape. Understanding their positioning — not just their features — is the fastest way to make the right choice for your team. They are not interchangeable products; they reflect genuinely different philosophies about who should build automation and how.
Founded: 2011 | San Francisco, CA
Model: Cloud SaaS, per-task pricing
Target: Non-technical business users, SMB teams without developers
Philosophy: Maximum accessibility, minimum setup friction. If you can describe a workflow in plain English, you can build it in Zapier.
Strengths: Integration breadth (7,000+), ease of use, brand recognition, extensive documentation
Founded: 2012 (as Integromat) | Prague, Czech Republic
Model: Cloud SaaS, per-operation pricing
Target: Technically comfortable users, agencies, operations teams
Philosophy: Visual programming for complex workflows. Expose the full capability of APIs without requiring code.
Strengths: Visual scenario builder, complex logic, cost efficiency, data transformation
Founded: 2019 | Berlin, Germany
Model: Open source / self-hosted or cloud, per-execution (cloud)
Target: Developers, DevOps teams, data-sensitive organizations
Philosophy: Fair-code — open source with commercial use restrictions. Your data, your infrastructure, no per-task charges.
Strengths: Self-hosting, data sovereignty, JavaScript code nodes, unlimited executions
Pricing Comparison & Cost Modeling
Pricing models differ fundamentally across all three platforms — which makes direct comparison difficult without a concrete volume estimate. Zapier charges per task(each action in each workflow run). Make charges per operation (similar concept, but with different counting logic). n8n self-hosted charges nothing per execution.
| Plan | Price/Month | Included Volume | Overage | Key Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | ||||
| Free | $0 | 100 tasks/month | N/A — upgrade required | 2-step Zaps only, 15-min polling |
| Starter | $29.99 | 750 tasks/month | $0.04 per additional task | Multi-step Zaps, 15-min polling |
| Professional | $73.50 | 2,000 tasks/month | $0.037 per additional task | Custom logic, 2-min polling |
| Team | $448.50 | 50,000 tasks/month | Tiered | Shared workspace, SAML SSO |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Advanced security, dedicated support |
| Make (formerly Integromat) | ||||
| Free | $0 | 1,000 operations/month | N/A | 2 active scenarios, 15-min intervals |
| Core | $10.59 | 10,000 operations/month | $0.001/operation | Active scenarios unlimited |
| Pro | $18.82 | 10,000 operations/month | $0.001/operation | 1-min intervals, priority support |
| Teams | $34.12 | 10,000 operations/month | $0.001/operation | Team features, advanced logging |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | SSO, dedicated infra, SLA |
| n8n | ||||
| Community (Self-hosted) | $0 + infra costs | Unlimited executions | No overage — unlimited | Requires server setup, maintenance |
| Cloud Starter | $24 | 2,500 workflow executions | $0.009/execution | Managed, no maintenance |
| Cloud Pro | $60 | 10,000 workflow executions | Tiered | Priority support, custom variables |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | SSO, audit log, advanced security |
Real Cost Example: 50,000 Tasks/Month
A mid-size operations team running 50,000 automation executions per month across their marketing, sales, and support workflows will pay dramatically different amounts depending on their platform choice.
Zapier
~$448–$820/mo
Team plan at 50K tasks; higher for complex multi-step workflows that multiply task count
Make
~$55–$110/mo
Pro or Teams plan with operation count varies; typically 3–5x cheaper than equivalent Zapier usage
n8n (Self-hosted)
$5–$20/mo
VPS infrastructure only. No per-execution charges regardless of volume
Integration Ecosystem
Integration count is the most-cited differentiator in automation platform comparisons — but raw integration numbers are less important than whether your specific tools are supported and how deeply those integrations are implemented. A 7,000-app library with shallow integrations is less useful than a 500-app library with comprehensive trigger and action coverage.
7,000+ apps
Strongest integration breadth in the market. Most SaaS tools build Zapier integrations as their first automation partner — which means Zapier usually gets new integrations earliest.
Integration quality notes:
- Depth varies significantly by app — popular apps have 20+ triggers/actions; niche apps may have 2–3
- Instant triggers (webhooks) require Professional plan or app-specific support
- Custom integrations via Zapier Developer Platform
1,800+ apps
Smaller library than Zapier but with generally deeper API access per integration. Make's HTTP module allows custom API calls to any REST API, effectively enabling unlimited integrations.
Integration quality notes:
- HTTP/Webhook module enables any REST API without a native integration
- Built-in data parsers for XML, CSV, JSON transformation
- Instant triggers supported on all plans
400+ native + 400+ community nodes
Smallest native library, but n8n's HTTP Request node and Code node effectively give access to any API. Community nodes extend coverage significantly, and custom nodes can be built in JavaScript.
Integration quality notes:
- HTTP Request node with authentication handles any REST/GraphQL API
- Code node executes JavaScript/Python for custom logic
- npm package installation for additional libraries
Workflow Complexity & Logic
The most important functional differentiator across these platforms is how they handle conditional logic, loops, and data transformation within a single workflow. Simple linear workflows (trigger → action → action) all three platforms handle equally well. It is at the point of branching, iteration, and error handling that the platforms diverge.
| Capability | Zapier | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conditional Branching (If/Else) | Paths step (charged per path taken) | Router module (unlimited conditions, one module) | IF node with unlimited branches (no extra cost) |
| Loops / Iteration | Limited — requires workarounds for arrays | Iterator module — native array handling | Split In Batches node — powerful array iteration |
| Data Transformation | Formatter step — text, number, date transformations | Built-in functions + Math, Text modules | Code node (JavaScript/Python) — full programmatic control |
| Multi-Step Aggregation | No native aggregator — workarounds required | Aggregator module — collect data from iterations | Merge node with custom aggregation logic |
| Parallel Branches | Not natively supported | Multiple outputs from Router — parallel paths | Multiple output connections from any node |
| Scheduling Granularity | Minimum 1-minute interval (Professional+) | Minimum 1-minute interval (Pro+) | Cron expression — any schedule, including seconds |
| Webhook Response Control | Limited — can respond to webhooks | Webhook module with response configuration | Respond to Webhook node — full response control |
| Custom Code | Code step (JavaScript) — limited access | Custom function limited to built-in functions | Code node: full Node.js/Python with npm packages |
For a broader view of how automation tools like these connect to your CRM workflows, see our guide on marketing automation and lead scoring workflows, which covers the business logic that these tools implement at the application layer.
Error Handling & Reliability
Production automation systems fail silently when error handling is inadequate — which means critical business processes (lead handoffs, customer notifications, invoice processing) break without anyone noticing. The maturity of error handling varies dramatically across the three platforms, and it is one of the most underweighted factors in platform selection.
- Email notification on Zap failure
- Replay failed tasks from task history
- Basic retry logic on connection errors
- Filter step can prevent runs on bad data
- No branching logic for error paths
- No in-workflow error catching
Adequate for simple workflows; insufficient for business-critical automation without external monitoring.
- Error Handler module with Break/Retry/Ignore/Commit options
- Resume execution from specific module
- Router for conditional error paths
- Data store for checkpoint saves
- Email/Slack notifications on failure
- Incomplete execution history with replay
Solid error handling for most production use cases. The Error Handler module enables meaningful recovery logic.
- Try/Catch equivalent with Error Trigger node
- Workflow-level error workflows
- Automatic retries with configurable backoff
- Item-level error handling in batch operations
- Full execution log with node-level debugging
- Webhook responses for error status reporting
Most sophisticated error handling — comparable to application-level exception handling. Requires developer understanding to implement fully.
n8n Self-Hosting Deep Dive
Self-hosting n8n is the primary reason organizations choose it over Zapier and Make. When your data cannot leave your infrastructure — due to GDPR requirements, HIPAA compliance, contractual obligations, or company policy — cloud-only platforms are categorically ineligible. n8n running on your own server is the most cost-effective solution for these requirements.
Minimum Self-Hosting Requirements
2 vCPU, 2GB RAM minimum | 4 vCPU, 4GB RAM recommended for production
PostgreSQL 14+ (recommended) or SQLite for small deployments
Required for webhook triggers from external services
Node.js 18+ required
Redis required for high-volume production (optional for small deployments)
Self-Hosting Setup Checklist
Total setup time: ~2–3 hours for first-time setup
Performance & Rate Limits
At scale, performance and rate limit handling become critical differentiators. When your automation workflows process thousands of records daily or respond to high-volume webhook events, the platform's execution architecture determines whether workflows complete reliably or fail under load.
| Limit / Capability | Zapier | Make | n8n (Self-hosted) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Execution Timeout | 30 seconds (most steps) | 40 minutes (scenario) | Configurable (unlimited self-hosted) |
| Concurrent Executions | 3–50 (plan-dependent) | 10–unlimited (plan-dependent) | Configurable via worker count |
| Data Volume per Run | Typically limited to 500 items | Variable — aggregator handles thousands | No built-in limit (memory-bound) |
| Webhook Rate | Limited — shared infrastructure | Shared infrastructure | Your server capacity |
| API Rate Limit Handling | Manual — must add delays | Built-in wait/retry modules | Code node for custom retry logic |
| Execution History Retention | 7 days (Starter), 30 days (Pro+) | 30 days (Pro+) | Configurable (database size limits) |
| Parallel Processing | Limited | Limited scenarios | Queue mode with multiple workers |
Use Case Recommendations
Rather than declaring a winner, the right conclusion is that each platform dominates a specific set of use cases. The following recommendations are based on matching platform strengths to the most common automation scenarios across marketing, sales, and operations teams.
- Non-technical business users are building and maintaining automations
- You need a specific obscure app integration that only Zapier supports
- Speed of setup is more important than cost optimization
- Your total automation volume is under 2,000 tasks/month
- You need instant triggers without technical setup (Zapier handles this out of the box)
- Your team is already embedded in the Zapier ecosystem with existing Zaps
- Your workflows involve conditional branching, loops, or data transformation
- You're processing 5,000–50,000 operations per month (cost threshold)
- You want visual workflow design with more power than Zapier allows
- You need array/iterator processing (e.g., processing a list of 1,000 CRM records)
- You have technical literacy but not full developer capability
- You're running automations for clients as an agency (team features, white-labeling)
- Data cannot leave your infrastructure (GDPR, HIPAA, contractual requirements)
- You process 50,000+ workflow executions monthly (cost threshold vs. cloud)
- You need custom code nodes (JavaScript/Python) within workflows
- You have a developer or DevOps capability in-house for setup and maintenance
- You need to build custom integrations not available in any native library
- You want to avoid vendor lock-in and the platform pricing risk of SaaS automation tools
Common Workflow Examples by Platform
| Use Case | Best Platform | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| New Calendly booking → CRM contact + Slack alert | Zapier | Simple linear trigger-action; Zapier handles Calendly natively |
| Batch CRM data sync with transformation + deduplication | Make or n8n | Requires iterators, conditional logic, and data manipulation |
| GDPR-compliant EU customer data processing | n8n (self-hosted) | Data cannot leave EU infrastructure; self-hosting required |
| Lead score update → route to sales + email sequence | Make or HubSpot native | Multi-step logic with conditional paths |
| Nightly Shopify orders → Google Sheets + Slack summary | Zapier (simple) or Make (complex filtering) | Volume and filtering complexity determines choice |
| Custom AI agent workflow with OpenAI API | n8n | Code node for API calls, data transformation, and complex logic |
| Multi-platform social media publishing | Zapier (easiest) or Make | Zapier has broadest social integration; Make has lower cost at volume |
For organizations building business process automation that extends beyond simple app integrations, our guide on business process automation ROI framework provides a methodology for calculating the financial return on automation investment across your entire operation. For connecting automation to your CRM and email systems, see our guide on email and CRM integration for unified communication.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Digital Applied designs and implements automation architectures — from simple Zapier workflows to complex n8n self-hosted systems. We connect your CRM, marketing tools, and operational systems into a unified, reliable automation layer.
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