Comparison
Zapier vs Make vs n8n
Three popular automation platforms compared on free options, usage limits, hosting and AI features.
Comparison table
| Detail | Zapier | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|---|
| What a workflow is called | Zap | Scenario | Workflow |
| Free option As described on each official pricing page. | Free plan: 100 tasks per month, two-step Zaps | Free plan: up to 1,000 credits per month | Cloud free trial (no card required); self-hosted Community Edition available on GitHub |
| Paid plans listed | Professional, Team, Enterprise (plus separate Agents and Chatbots plans) | Core, Pro, Teams, Enterprise | Cloud: Starter, Pro, Enterprise. Self-hosted: Business, Enterprise |
| How usage is counted | Tasks | Credits (module actions use credits) | Executions (per the cloud trial limits) |
| Multi-step workflows | Professional plan or higher | Not stated on the pricing page — check Make's documentation | Yes |
| Hosting | Cloud (managed by Zapier) | Cloud (managed by Make) | Managed cloud or self-hosted (including on-prem via Docker) |
| Custom code | Code steps (1 second of runtime per step on the free plan) | Not stated on the pricing page — check Make's documentation | JavaScript or Python anywhere in a workflow |
| AI features named on official pages | Agents, Chatbots, Copilot (beta) | Not verified for this comparison | AI agents, RAG, MCP support, human-in-the-loop approvals |
| Best suited to Our summary, based on the facts above. | Non-technical teams that want the fastest setup | Teams that think visually and need detailed branching and data mapping | Technical teams that need code, self-hosting or data control |
Scroll sideways on small screens to see every tool. Italic entries could not be verified on an official page for this review.
The short version
All three connect your apps and automate repetitive work. The difference is who they’re built for.
- Zapier is the easiest place to start. Its free plan lets you test simple two-step automations, and the guided setup suits people who don’t want to think about data structures.
- Make gives you a visual canvas where you can see every branch and transformation. It suits people who are comfortable mapping data and want more control.
- n8n is for technical teams. You can write JavaScript or Python inside workflows, build AI agents, and run it on your own infrastructure if you need control over where data lives.
How to choose
- List the apps you need to connect and check that each platform supports them natively. An unofficial workaround can cost more time than it saves.
- Estimate your monthly volume. Each platform counts usage differently — tasks, credits or executions — so calculate a realistic month for each before comparing plans.
- Decide where data may be processed. If you have strict data requirements, self-hosting n8n is an option, but you take on updates, security and backups.
- Consider who will maintain it. A workflow that only its creator understands is a risk. Choose the tool your team can support.
What this comparison does not cover
We have not run performance benchmarks or reliability tests, and we do not score the tools against each other. Where a detail could not be confirmed on an official page, the table says so. Plans and limits change regularly; check the linked pricing pages before you decide. Read our comparison methodology for how we build these pages.
Official sources
- Zapier pricing zapier.com
- Make pricing make.com
- n8n pricing n8n.io
- n8n homepage n8n.io