In short: Zapier is ideal when you want to connect popular apps quickly without any technical baggage — it has the most integrations, but it charges for every action, so it gets expensive at high volumes. Make is the happy medium: a visual scenario builder, cheaper than Zapier and more flexible. n8n suits technically advanced users best, along with high volumes and cases where data privacy matters — you can self-host it for free on your own server, and you pay per execution rather than per step. For a small business, Make or Zapier is usually enough; self-hosted n8n is worth choosing when your automation volume is high (so costs don't climb) or when data privacy is a priority.
More and more companies want to automate their routine work — push enquiries into a CRM, sync data between systems, run AI agents. But before any of that, there's a first question to answer: which platform should you use? The three most popular names — Zapier, Make and n8n — look similar, but they differ fundamentally: in their pricing logic, their learning curve and what you can actually do with them. In this article we explain the differences in plain terms and offer recommendations based on your situation.
A quick introduction to each platform
- Zapier — the oldest and best-known tool. Its strength is a huge number of integrations (more than 7,000 apps) and its simplicity. An automation is called a "Zap", and you're billed for every successful action ("task").
- Make (formerly Integromat) — a visual scenario builder with more capabilities than Zapier and a lower price. In 2025 it moved to a "credits" system (previously "operations").
- n8n — an open-source platform. You can self-host it for free on your own server or use it in the cloud. Billing is based on whole-scenario executions, not on individual steps. It's the best fit for AI agents and complex logic.
How the pricing models differ
This is the most important thing to understand, because it's what determines your bill as your automation volume grows:
- Zapier — per action (task). Every successful step within a single Zap is counted separately. If one scenario has 5 actions and runs 100 times, that's 500 "tasks". This is why Zapier gets expensive fastest at high volumes.
- Make — per operation / credit. Each module run costs a credit (AI and code modules cost more). It's cheaper than Zapier, but the logic is similar: individual actions are counted.
- n8n — per execution. One run of an entire scenario is one execution, whether it contains 3 steps or 30. This is often considerably cheaper at high volume. And the self-hosted version has no execution limit at all — you only pay for the server.
Put simply: the more steps a single scenario has and the more often it runs, the more the n8n execution model pays off compared with Zapier's or Make's "per action" logic.
All three have a way to start for free: Zapier offers 100 tasks per month, Make offers 1,000 credits per month, and n8n has no free cloud plan but can be self-hosted for free on your own server. Paid plans start at: Make from $9/month (10,000 credits), Zapier from €19.99/month (750 tasks), n8n Cloud from €20/month (2,500 executions).
Comparison table
Indicative 2026 figures. Exact prices change, so always double-check on the official website or get in touch with us.
| Criterion | Zapier | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan (100 tasks/month); paid from €19.99/month (750 tasks) | Free plan (1,000 credits/month); paid from $9/month (10,000 credits) | No free cloud plan; Cloud from €20/month (2,500 executions); self-host — free |
| Learning curve | Easiest — great for beginners | Medium — visual, but takes some learning | Steepest — most comfortable for technical users |
| Number of integrations | The most (7,000+ apps) | Many (3,000+ apps) | Fewer ready-made (~400+), but any API via HTTP |
| Self-hosting | No | No | Yes (open source) |
| AI features | AI Actions, natural-language building | AI scenarios, prompt interface | Strongest — native LangChain, 70+ AI nodes, AI agents |
| Best for | Quickly connecting simple apps | Flexible scenarios at a reasonable price | Advanced users, high volumes, privacy |
Integrations: quantity or flexibility?
There's an important nuance here. Zapier and Make win on the number of ready-made integrations — many popular apps connect at the click of a button. n8n has fewer ready-made "nodes", but it can connect to any system that has an API through its universal HTTP request node. That means: if you use a niche or local system that isn't on Zapier's list, n8n will often handle it anyway — you'll just need a little more technical know-how.
AI features in 2026
All three platforms already connect to OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude) and Google Gemini, and they come with ready-made AI templates. However, n8n currently leads for more complex tasks: in 2026 it released version 2.0 with native LangChain integration, AI agent nodes and the ability to connect local models. If you're planning not just to "connect apps" but to build AI agents that make decisions and act across multiple steps, n8n gives you the most freedom. More on this on our AI integrations and AI automation pages.
Recommendations by scenario
- Small business, modest volume, no technical team → Make or Zapier. Make is usually cheaper and more flexible; Zapier — if you need a specific integration the others don't have, or you want maximum simplicity.
- Technically advanced / an IT person on the team → n8n. The most freedom, the most complex logic, the best AI agents.
- Lots of operations / high volume → n8n. The execution model and unlimited self-hosting save the most when automations run thousands of times.
- Data privacy matters (sensitive or customer data) → n8n self-host. Your data stays on your server and never "travels" off to a third party.
How we help you choose and set things up
Choosing a platform is only the start. You still need to design the scenarios properly, connect the systems, handle error management and, if needed, prepare a server for hosting n8n. Jmedia helps the whole way: we work out what you want to automate, pick the most cost-effective and reliable solution, and set it up for you. Interested? Take a look at AI automation, AI integrations, or simply get in touch for a quote. If your team needs the skills to do it themselves, we can also arrange AI training.