Zapier vs Make vs n8n 2026: The Ultimate Comparison Guide

Quick Answer: Zapier is best for beginners and quick setups. Make offers better value and more power for complex workflows. n8n is ideal for technical teams who want full control and self-hosting. Read our detailed comparison below.

Quick Comparison Table

ZAPIER VS MAKE VS N8N: HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON

                        ZAPIER         MAKE           N8N
                        ══════         ════           ═══
EASE OF USE            ★★★★★          ★★★★☆          ★★★☆☆
PRICING VALUE          ★★★☆☆          ★★★★★          ★★★★★
APP INTEGRATIONS       ★★★★★          ★★★★☆          ★★★★☆
WORKFLOW COMPLEXITY    ★★★☆☆          ★★★★★          ★★★★★
AI FEATURES            ★★★★☆          ★★★★☆          ★★★★★
SELF-HOSTING           ☆☆☆☆☆          ☆☆☆☆☆          ★★★★★
ERROR HANDLING         ★★★☆☆          ★★★★★          ★★★★★
LEARNING CURVE         Easy           Medium         Steeper

APPS AVAILABLE         7,000+         1,800+         400+ native
FREE TIER              100 tasks/mo   1,000 ops/mo   Unlimited*
STARTING PAID          $19.99/mo      $9/mo          $20/mo cloud

*n8n self-hosted is free; cloud pricing shown

BEST FOR:
• Beginners:           ZAPIER
• Price-conscious:     MAKE
• Complex workflows:   MAKE or N8N
• Self-hosting:        N8N
• Enterprise:          ZAPIER or MAKE
• Developers:          N8N

Detailed Platform Comparison

Ease of Use

Winner: Zapier

Zapier's interface is the most intuitive of the three. Anyone can create their first automation in under 5 minutes, making it perfect for non-technical users.

EASE OF USE COMPARISON:

ZAPIER:
├── Interface: Simple, linear workflow builder
├── Learning curve: 30 minutes to basics
├── Setup time: 5-10 minutes for simple Zaps
├── Documentation: Excellent, with video tutorials
├── Templates: 1000s of pre-built templates
└── Rating: 5/5 for beginners

MAKE:
├── Interface: Visual, modular scenario builder
├── Learning curve: 2-4 hours to basics
├── Setup time: 10-20 minutes for simple scenarios
├── Documentation: Good, slightly technical
├── Templates: 100s of community templates
└── Rating: 4/5 (more powerful but steeper curve)

N8N:
├── Interface: Node-based workflow editor
├── Learning curve: 4-8 hours to basics
├── Setup time: 15-30 minutes for simple workflows
├── Documentation: Developer-focused
├── Templates: Community-contributed
└── Rating: 3/5 (powerful but technical)

Pricing Analysis

Winner: Make (for value), n8n (for self-hosting)

This is where the platforms differ dramatically. Make offers significantly more operations per dollar than Zapier.

PRICING COMPARISON (January 2026):

FREE TIERS:
├── Zapier: 100 tasks/month, 5 Zaps
├── Make: 1,000 operations/month, unlimited scenarios
├── n8n Cloud: 2,500 executions/month
└── n8n Self-hosted: Free forever, unlimited

PAID TIERS COMPARISON:

$20/MONTH BUDGET:
├── Zapier Starter: 750 tasks/month
├── Make Core: 10,000 operations/month
├── n8n Starter: 2,500 executions/month
└── Winner: MAKE (13x more than Zapier!)

$50/MONTH BUDGET:
├── Zapier Professional: 2,000 tasks/month
├── Make Pro: 10,000 operations/month + teams
├── n8n Pro: 10,000 executions/month
└── Winner: MAKE

$100/MONTH BUDGET:
├── Zapier Team: 50,000 tasks/month
├── Make Teams: 10,000 ops + advanced features
├── n8n Self-hosted: Unlimited
└── Winner: N8N (if self-hosting is acceptable)

COST PER 10,000 OPERATIONS:
├── Zapier: $75-266 depending on plan
├── Make: $9-20 depending on plan
├── n8n Cloud: $20-40 depending on plan
├── n8n Self-hosted: $0 (plus hosting costs)
└── Winner: MAKE for cloud, N8N for self-hosted

App Integrations

Winner: Zapier

Zapier has the most integrations by far, but Make and n8n cover the most common apps that businesses actually need.

APP INTEGRATION COMPARISON:

TOTAL APPS:
├── Zapier: 7,000+ apps
├── Make: 1,800+ apps
├── n8n: 400+ native + HTTP/webhook

COMMON BUSINESS APPS:
                        Zapier    Make    n8n
Salesforce              Yes       Yes     Yes
HubSpot                 Yes       Yes     Yes
Slack                   Yes       Yes     Yes
Google Workspace        Yes       Yes     Yes
Microsoft 365           Yes       Yes     Yes
Notion                  Yes       Yes     Yes
Airtable                Yes       Yes     Yes
Shopify                 Yes       Yes     Yes
Stripe                  Yes       Yes     Yes
QuickBooks              Yes       Yes     Yes

AI INTEGRATIONS:
OpenAI                  Yes       Yes     Yes
Claude/Anthropic        Yes       Yes     Yes
Gemini                  Yes       Yes     Yes
Perplexity             Limited   Yes     Yes

KEY DIFFERENCES:
├── Zapier: Most apps, some shallow integrations
├── Make: Fewer apps, deeper integrations
├── n8n: Can build custom integrations easily
└── All three: HTTP/webhook for any API

Workflow Complexity

Winner: Make and n8n (tie)

For complex workflows with conditional logic, loops, and error handling, Make and n8n significantly outperform Zapier.

WORKFLOW CAPABILITIES:

Feature                    Zapier    Make     n8n
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
Linear workflows           Yes       Yes      Yes
Branching/conditions       Limited   Yes      Yes
Loops/iterations           Basic     Yes      Yes
Error handling             Basic     Advanced Advanced
Sub-workflows              Paths     Modules  Sub-workflows
Parallel execution         No        Yes      Yes
Data transformation        Basic     Advanced Advanced
Variables/storage          Limited   Yes      Yes
Scheduling                 Yes       Yes      Yes
Webhooks                   Yes       Yes      Yes
Code execution             Limited   Yes      Yes

EXAMPLE: "If lead score > 80, add to Salesforce AND
send Slack notification, else add to nurture sequence"

ZAPIER:
├── Requires 2-3 separate Zaps with Paths
├── Limited data sharing between paths
├── Gets expensive with multiple branches
└── Complexity: Difficult

MAKE:
├── Single scenario with Router module
├── Visual branching, easy to understand
├── All paths count toward same scenario
└── Complexity: Easy

N8N:
├── Single workflow with IF node
├── Full programming control
├── Completely flexible
└── Complexity: Easy (for technical users)

AI Features

Winner: n8n (slight edge)

All three platforms have embraced AI, but they differ in implementation depth.

AI CAPABILITIES COMPARISON:

ZAPIER AI:
├── AI by Zapier (OpenAI-powered)
├── Natural language workflow creation
├── AI-powered actions (summarize, translate)
├── Limited to Zapier's AI actions
└── Good for beginners

MAKE AI:
├── Native OpenAI, Claude, Gemini modules
├── Advanced prompt chaining
├── AI workflow templates
├── Better token/cost control
└── Good for advanced AI workflows

N8N AI:
├── Native AI nodes (OpenAI, Claude, Ollama)
├── LangChain integration built-in
├── Vector store integrations
├── Custom AI model connections
├── Self-hosted LLMs supported
└── Best for AI-heavy workflows

USE CASE: AI Email Classifier + Response

ZAPIER:
├── Use "AI by Zapier" action
├── Limited customization
├── Easy but basic
└── Cost: Included in plan

MAKE:
├── OpenAI module with custom prompts
├── Full control over parameters
├── Chain multiple AI operations
└── Cost: Your OpenAI API usage

N8N:
├── Any AI model (including local)
├── LangChain for complex AI logic
├── Vector search for context
├── Maximum flexibility
└── Cost: Your AI API usage (or free local)

Self-Hosting (n8n Only)

Winner: n8n (only option)

If data privacy, compliance, or cost at scale matters, n8n's self-hosting option is unmatched.

N8N SELF-HOSTING BENEFITS:

DATA PRIVACY:
├── All data stays on your infrastructure
├── No third-party data processing
├── Full GDPR/HIPAA compliance control
├── Audit logs under your control
└── Perfect for sensitive industries

COST AT SCALE:
├── License: Free forever
├── Hosting: $20-100/month (DigitalOcean/AWS)
├── Unlimited workflows and executions
├── No per-operation charges
└── At 100K operations/month:
    ├── Zapier: ~$800/month
    ├── Make: ~$100/month
    └── n8n self-hosted: ~$50/month (hosting only)

DEPLOYMENT OPTIONS:
├── Docker (easiest)
├── npm install
├── Kubernetes (enterprise)
├── One-click deploys (Railway, Render)
└── Cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure)

SELF-HOSTING CONSIDERATIONS:
├── Need technical skills to set up
├── Responsible for updates/security
├── Need to manage backups
├── Community or paid support
└── Worth it at scale

Which Platform Should You Choose?

Choose Zapier If:

• You're new to automation and want the easiest learning curve
• You need a specific app that only Zapier supports
• Simple linear workflows are all you need
• Budget isn't a major concern and convenience matters more
• Your team is non-technical and needs minimal training

Choose Make If:

• You want the best value for operations per dollar
• Complex workflows with branching and loops
• Visual workflow design is important
• Growing automation needs require scalability
• Team collaboration on scenarios is needed

Choose n8n If:

• Self-hosting is required for compliance or privacy
• Technical team comfortable with developer tools
• Complex AI workflows with custom models
• Cost optimization at high volume is critical
• Maximum flexibility and customization needed

Migrating Between Platforms

MIGRATION PATHS:

ZAPIER → MAKE:
├── Difficulty: Easy to Medium
├── Time: 1-2 hours per complex Zap
├── Most apps have equivalent modules
├── Some manual recreation required
└── Tip: Start with most-used Zaps

ZAPIER → N8N:
├── Difficulty: Medium
├── Time: 2-4 hours per complex Zap
├── May need HTTP nodes for some apps
├── Worth it for self-hosting needs
└── Tip: Use n8n's import templates

MAKE → N8N:
├── Difficulty: Easy (similar concepts)
├── Time: 1-2 hours per scenario
├── Visual paradigm is similar
├── Most translations are straightforward
└── Tip: Start with simpler scenarios

GENERAL MIGRATION TIPS:
├── Document current workflows first
├── Identify critical automations
├── Test thoroughly before switching
├── Run parallel during transition
└── Train team on new platform

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Make better than Zapier?

For most users who need complex workflows and care about cost, yes. Make offers more operations per dollar and better workflow capabilities. Zapier is easier to learn and has more integrations, making it better for beginners or specific niche apps.

Is n8n worth the technical complexity?

Yes, if you have a technical team, need self-hosting for compliance, or run high-volume automations where cloud pricing becomes expensive. For non-technical teams or simple needs, Make or Zapier are better choices.

Why is Zapier so expensive?

Zapier charges per "task" (each action in a workflow), which adds up quickly for complex automations. They've invested heavily in integrations (7,000+ apps) and ease of use, which commands a premium. Make's operation-based pricing is typically 3-5x cheaper.

Which platform has the best free tier?

n8n self-hosted is completely free with unlimited executions. For cloud-only, Make's free tier (1,000 operations/month) is much more generous than Zapier's (100 tasks/month).

Which is best for enterprise?

All three have enterprise offerings. Zapier Enterprise is most polished with advanced admin features. Make Teams/Enterprise offers better value. n8n Enterprise provides self-hosting with support for maximum control.

Which has the best AI features?

n8n for maximum flexibility (custom models, LangChain). Make for practical AI workflows with good control. Zapier for the easiest AI implementation but with less customization.

Conclusion

There's no single "best" automation platform—the right choice depends on your specific needs, technical capabilities, and budget.

Need help choosing the right automation platform or implementing complex workflows? Contact our team for expert guidance. We've helped hundreds of businesses automate their operations effectively.