Zapier vs Make vs n8n: which automation tool for a small business
A side-by-side of the three most common small-business automation platforms, on price, app support, and how much technical comfort each one assumes.
Verdict
Zapier has the widest app library and the gentlest learning curve, at the highest per-task price. Make undercuts it meaningfully. n8n is free if self-hosted, at the cost of owning the infrastructure.
At a glance
| Criterion | ZapierEasiest to start | MakeBest value | n8nBest for technical teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free, then $19.99/mo | Free, then $9/mo | Free (self-hosted), or ~€20/mo cloud |
| Free plan limit | 100 tasks/mo, 2-step Zaps only | 1,000 ops/mo, 2 active scenarios | Uncapped by n8n if self-hosted |
| Builder style | Linear, step-by-step | Visual node canvas | Visual canvas, plus optional code steps |
| App library size | Largest | Large | Smaller, but extensible with code |
| Learning curve | Gentlest | Moderate | Steepest |
| Self-hosting option | No | No | Yes, free |
| Best for | Fastest first automation | Price-sensitive, moderate technical comfort | Technical teams avoiding per-operation fees |
| Full review | Read the Zapier review | Read the Make review | Read the n8n review |
What the winner gets right, and where it falls short
What works
- All three offer a genuinely usable free tier to prototype an automation before paying anything
- Each has a real, distinct positioning rather than being interchangeable: easiest setup, best price, or lowest long-term cost for a technical team
- Task and operation-based pricing across all three means paying for what runs, not a flat fee regardless of usage
What does not
- None of the three make it easy to estimate real monthly cost before building the actual planned workflow, since tasks, operations, and executions are all counted differently
- The cheapest option on paper (n8n self-hosted) is not free in practice for a business with no technical capacity to maintain a server
- Moving an existing set of automations from one of these tools to another means rebuilding them; none offer a real one-click migration path
The short version#
All three connect apps and automate repetitive work without writing much or any code. Where they actually differ is who they are built for: Zapier for the widest app support and the easiest first setup, Make for a price-sensitive team willing to learn a visual canvas, and n8n for a technical team that would rather own its infrastructure than pay a recurring per-operation fee indefinitely.
Price: the numbers do not compare directly#
At the entry level, Make's $9-a-month Core plan is the cheapest paid option, well under Zapier's $19.99 Professional tier. n8n's cloud Starter, at roughly €20 (about $22) a month, sits between the two, but n8n is also the only one of the three offering a genuinely free, uncapped self-hosted option that neither Zapier nor Make has an equivalent to.
Zapier: the safest default#
Zapier's app integration library is the largest of the three, which matters most for a business whose tools are less mainstream. Its builder is also the most linear and guided, which shows up directly in how quickly a first-time user gets a working automation without external help. That ease and breadth is what the higher price is buying.
Make: undercuts Zapier, asks more of the user upfront#
Make's visual canvas shows an entire multi-step workflow on one screen, which becomes a real advantage once an automation has several branches — it is easier to see and debug than scrolling a linear list. The trade-off is a steeper first-time learning curve, and an app library that, while large, is smaller than Zapier's.
n8n: the only option with no ceiling on cost#
n8n's self-hosted Community Edition removes the per-operation fee entirely, which matters most for a business running very high automation volume where task or operation costs on the other two platforms would add up significantly. The real cost shifts from a subscription to infrastructure: server hosting, updates, and uptime, which is a genuinely different kind of expense, not a free one.
Which to actually pick#
A business automating its first few workflows, with no strong technical background on the team, should start with Zapier: the app support and ease of use reduce the odds of getting stuck. A price-sensitive team comfortable investing a bit more setup time should try Make's free tier first. A business with in-house technical capacity planning to run automation at real volume over the long term should seriously evaluate n8n's self-hosted option before committing to a per-operation subscription indefinitely.
Tool by tool
Zapier
Easiest to startThe largest app integration library in the category and the most guided, linear builder, at the highest task-based price of the three.
- Starting price
- Free, then $19.99/mo
- Best for
- Widest app support and the gentlest first-time setup
Make
Best valueUndercuts Zapier on price for a comparable workload, in exchange for a steeper visual-builder learning curve and a smaller app directory.
- Starting price
- Free, then $9/mo
- Best for
- A price-sensitive team comfortable with a visual canvas
n8n
Best for technical teamsThe only genuinely free, uncapped option if self-hosted, with code-step flexibility no-code tools do not offer, at the cost of infrastructure ownership.
- Starting price
- Free self-hosted, or from €20/mo cloud
- Best for
- A technical owner who wants to avoid recurring per-operation fees long term
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, Zapier or Make?
- Make is generally cheaper on a like-for-like basis. Its Core plan starts at $9 a month versus Zapier's $19.99 for a comparable tier, though the two platforms count usage differently (operations versus tasks), so the real-world difference depends on the specific workflow.
- Is n8n really free?
- The self-hosted Community Edition is free and open source with no cap imposed by n8n. A business running it still pays for its own server and takes on responsibility for maintaining it, so "free" applies to the software licence, not the total cost of running it.
- Which tool is easiest for a beginner?
- Zapier. Its linear, step-by-step builder is the most guided of the three for someone building their first automation with no prior experience. Make's visual canvas and n8n's code-step option both assume more comfort with how automation logic works.
- Can I switch between these tools later?
- Not directly. Each stores workflows in its own format, so moving from one to another means rebuilding automations rather than importing them. It is worth deciding on the right tool for the next year or two rather than assuming an easy switch later.
Written by
Marcus O.Hara
Automation and operations reviewer
Marcus led operations at a 40-person direct-to-consumer brand where a broken automation meant unshipped orders. He builds every workflow tested on this site against a live sandbox with real order and invoice data, then deliberately breaks it to see how the tool recovers. He covers automation, agents, and integrations.
- Eight years in e-commerce operations
- Built and maintained 200-plus production automations