n8n, Make or Zapier: which automation tool fits your business?
Whether new leads flow into the CRM, invoices get filed or an AI pre-sorts enquiries: most automations in small and mid-sized businesses run on one of three tools. Zapier, Make or n8n. All three connect apps with each other. The biggest difference, though, is not the interface but how they bill. Ignore that and you choose a tool on first impressions and pay for it later.
Zapier bills per action executed, Make per step including the trigger, and n8n per complete workflow execution, however many steps it has. Zapier is the fastest to get going, Make offers a lot of logic for the money, and n8n pays off for long workflows and can be self-hosted. Decide by workflow length, volume and who will maintain it later.
Three billing models compared
Zapier counts tasks. According to Zapier, you are only charged when an action completes successfully. Checking for new data in the trigger, filters and failed steps do not count.
Make counts credits. According to Zapier's comparison, so from a competitor's perspective, every step in Make uses credits, including the trigger that regularly checks for new data. Most actions cost one credit, some cost more, for example with AI usage or large files. Test runs also use credits.
n8n counts executions. According to Toolradar, one execution equals one complete workflow run, regardless of how many steps it contains. According to Toolradar, the cloud version starts at 20 euros a month for 2,500 executions on annual billing. The self-hosted Community Edition has no execution cap.
A worked example
Take a typical lead workflow: a form submission comes in, followed by five actions. Create the contact in the CRM, generate an AI summary, notify sales, send a confirmation email, add a row to a spreadsheet. With 2,000 leads a month, that gives:
- Zapier: 5 actions times 2,000 runs, or 10,000 tasks.
- Make: 6 steps including the trigger times 2,000, or at least 12,000 credits, plus possible extra usage for the AI step and the regular trigger checks.
- n8n: 2,000 executions, which fits into the Starter plan with 2,500 executions according to Toolradar.
The longer a workflow gets, the more n8n's model pays off. For short workflows with one or two actions, the difference shrinks considerably. Always check current prices directly with the vendor, as they change regularly.
More than price: what matters day to day
- Getting started: Zapier has the most accessible interface and a very large number of ready-made app connections. For teams without technical support, that is often the fastest route.
- Logic: Make shows workflows as visual scenarios with branches, loops and data transformation. That is powerful but takes some learning.
- Control: n8n can run on your own servers. That helps when data should not leave your own systems. In return, you are responsible for updates, security and uptime. According to Toolradar, features such as single sign-on and version control require a paid licence even when self-hosted.
- Maintenance: The most important question is not who builds the workflow, but who fixes it in a year when an app changes its API.
Which tool for whom
- Zapier if you want to start quickly, have a few short workflows and nobody on the team enjoys technical tinkering.
- Make if your workflows need logic and you are willing to learn.
- n8n if you have many or long workflows, data control matters or you have someone who can look after a server.
How we plan and build automations that still run months later is covered under AI automation.
FAQ
Can I switch tools later?
Yes, but workflows cannot simply be exported and imported. Expect to rebuild them. Good documentation of your processes makes switching much easier.
Is n8n really free?
According to Toolradar, the self-hosted Community Edition has no execution cap. There are still costs: for the server and for the time that operations and updates take.
Which tool is best for AI workflows?
All three can integrate AI models. Pay attention to how AI steps are billed. According to Zapier's comparison, they can cost more than one credit in Make.
Sources
Want more of the attention you get to turn into customers? Let’s spend 15 minutes on your setup, free and without a pitch deck. Book your free call
