Buying Guide
n8n vs. Zapier vs. Make
All three connect apps and automate workflows. The real difference is hosting model, integration breadth, and how much control you get over data transformation between steps.
Choose n8n — You want self-hosting, complex branching logic, or to avoid per-task pricing at high volume, and have (or can build) the capacity to run it.
Choose Zapier — You need the fastest possible setup with mainstream SaaS tools and don't want to manage any infrastructure.
Choose Make — You want more visual control over data transformation between steps than Zapier gives you, without going as far as self-hosting.
| Self-hosting | n8n can be self-hosted; Zapier and Make are hosted-only. |
| Integration library size | Zapier has the largest pre-built app library, followed by Make, then n8n. |
| Complex branching logic | n8n and Make handle complex conditional logic more comfortably than Zapier's simpler linear model. |
| Cost at scale | Self-hosted n8n avoids per-task pricing; Zapier/Make costs scale with usage volume. |
Cost implications
Zapier and Make both scale with usage (tasks/operations per month), so cost grows with volume in a way that's easy to underestimate at signup. Self-hosted n8n trades that recurring cost for hosting/maintenance overhead — cheaper at high volume, not necessarily cheaper at low volume once your time is counted.
Migration considerations
Moving from Zapier/Make to n8n later means rebuilding each workflow's logic natively rather than porting it — budget time for that rebuild, don't assume a clean export/import.
Hidden tradeoffs
- — n8n's self-hosted flexibility means you also own its security patching and uptime — a real ongoing cost most teams don't price in upfront.
- — Zapier's huge integration library covers common apps well but can leave you stuck when an app isn't supported at all.
Common mistakes
- — Picking Zapier for a workflow with real conditional branching, then fighting the platform's linear model instead of switching tools early.
- — Self-hosting n8n without budgeting time for its maintenance — updates, uptime, and backups become your team's job, not a vendor's.
When to choose neither
If you're automating a single, one-off task you'll run a handful of times, a lightweight script or the platform's native automation (if it has one) is often less overhead than any of these three.
Decision checklist
- □Do you have someone who can own hosting and updates if you self-host n8n?
- □Is your logic simple/linear, or does it need real branching and loops?
- □What's your realistic monthly task volume, priced against each platform's tiers?
- □Do the apps you need to connect exist in each platform's library today?
Bottom line
Pick Zapier for the fastest setup with common apps, Make for finer data-mapping control, and n8n when self-hosting or complex logic matters more than setup speed.
Have a project in mind?
Tell us what you're trying to automate or build — we'll reply with next steps, not a sales pitch.