n8n vs Zapier vs Make (2026): Pricing, Features and Which to Choose

By the Logic Leap team · October 12, 2026 · 5 min read

If you are trying to automate your business in 2026, you will quickly land on three names: n8n, Zapier and Make. All three connect your apps and remove repetitive work. They price that work very differently, though, and they suit very different teams. Picking the wrong one can mean paying ten times more than you need to, or getting stuck when your workflows become complex.

This guide compares n8n vs Zapier (plus Make) on pricing, ease of use, AI features, data privacy and scalability. It ends with a simple framework for choosing. We build automations on all three platforms for our clients at Logic Leap, so this comparison comes from real projects, not just feature lists.

Quick answer: n8n vs Zapier vs Make

• Choose Zapier if you want the fastest, simplest way to connect popular SaaS apps and your volumes are low.
• Choose Make if you want visual, flexible scenarios with branching logic at a much lower cost per action than Zapier.
• Choose n8n if you run complex or high-volume workflows, want AI agents inside your automations, or need to self-host for data control.

Comparison table

*Annual billing, as published at the time of writing. Prices change often, so always check each vendor’s pricing page before deciding.

Pricing: why “per task” vs “per execution” matters

This is the biggest difference between the three, and the one most people miss.

Zapier counts every action

Zapier charges per task, and every action step in a Zap is one task. A Zap with one trigger and four actions uses four tasks every time it runs. Filter and path steps count too, and unused tasks do not roll over. Zapier’s Professional plan starts around $19.99/month for 750 tasks, rises to about $129/month for 10,000 tasks, and goes well beyond that at higher volumes.

Make counts every module

Make charges per credit, and each module action uses roughly one credit. Its paid plans start from about $9/month (annual) with 10,000 credits. For the same workflow, Make is usually far cheaper than Zapier. Watch out for iterators, though: a module that processes 50 records uses 50 credits, not one.

n8n counts the whole workflow

n8n Cloud charges per execution, which means one full run of a workflow, no matter how many steps it contains. A 20-step workflow costs the same as a 2-step one. Cloud plans start from about €20/month for 2,500 executions. The self-hosted Community Edition is free, and you only pay for a small server, typically $5 to $15 a month.

Real example

Say a lead-handling workflow has 8 steps: capture the lead, enrich it, score it with AI, create a CRM record, notify sales, send an email, add a task and log to a sheet. It runs 3,000 times a month.

• Zapier: about 7 action tasks × 3,000 runs = 21,000 tasks, which puts you in a much higher pricing tier.
• Make: about 8 credits × 3,000 = 24,000 credits, so you would buy extra credits on a low-cost plan.
• n8n: 3,000 executions, roughly the entry-level Pro tier on n8n Cloud, or effectively free if self-hosted.

The more steps your workflows have, the more n8n’s pricing model works in your favour.

Ease of use

Zapier is the easiest. Anyone on your team can build a two-step Zap in minutes, and its templates cover thousands of common use cases. Make uses a visual canvas where you can see data flowing between modules. It takes a little longer to learn but handles routers, filters and loops elegantly. n8n also uses a visual canvas but is built with technical users in mind. You get full control over data, expressions and code, which is powerful but has a steeper learning curve.

AI and AI agents

All three now offer AI features, but they differ in depth:

• Zapier offers AI steps and agent features that are easy to switch on for simple tasks like summarising emails or drafting replies.
• Make has modules for OpenAI, Claude and other models, which you can chain into scenarios.
• n8n has the most advanced setup, with native nodes for AI agents, tools, memory, vector databases and retrieval (RAG). You can build a full AI agent that reads emails, looks up your CRM and takes action, all inside one workflow.

If AI is central to your plans, n8n is usually the strongest choice.

Data privacy and control

Zapier and Make are cloud-only, so your data passes through their servers. n8n can be self-hosted on your own cloud or server, which keeps sensitive data such as customer records, financial data or health information inside your infrastructure. For regulated industries, or companies with strict data policies, this is often the deciding factor.

Scalability and flexibility

As workflows grow, Zapier can become expensive and restrictive. Make scales better on cost and handles complex logic well. n8n scales furthest: unlimited executions when self-hosted, custom code nodes, sub-workflows, error workflows and the ability to call any API.

Which one should you choose?

1. Low volume, simple tasks, non-technical team → Zapier.
2. Medium volume, visual logic, cost-conscious → Make.
3. High volume, complex logic, AI agents or data privacy needs → n8n.

Many businesses use more than one. A common pattern is Zapier for quick team-level automations and n8n for core, high-volume processes.

Can you migrate from Zapier to n8n or Make?

Yes. There is no one-click import, so the usual approach is to list your Zaps, rank them by task usage and rebuild the most expensive ones first. Companies that migrate their busiest workflows often cut their automation bill significantly while gaining more flexibility.

Need help choosing or building your automations?

Logic Leap is a workflow automation agency working with n8n, Make.com, Zapier and GoHighLevel. We audit your current processes, recommend the right platform and build reliable workflows, with AI process automation where it adds value. Book a free consultation and we will map out your first automations.

FAQ

Is n8n better than Zapier?

For complex, high-volume or AI-heavy workflows, n8n is usually better and much cheaper. For simple automations built by non-technical users, Zapier is easier.

Is n8n really free?

The self-hosted Community Edition is free to use under n8n’s Sustainable Use License, with no execution limits. You pay only for hosting. n8n Cloud and enterprise features are paid.

Is Make cheaper than Zapier?

In most cases, yes. Make’s credits cost far less per action than Zapier’s tasks, especially for multi-step workflows.

Which is best for AI agents?

n8n offers the most complete AI agent toolkit, with agents, memory, tools and vector store nodes built in.