If you're choosing between n8n vs Zapier (with Make as the third contender), the decision usually comes down to one question: do you want the easiest setup, or the most control? All three can now run AI agents, not just simple "when this, do that" automations, but they charge in very different ways.
With OpenAI's Agent Builder scheduled to shut down on November 30, 2026, many teams are comparing these tools right now. We read each vendor's own pricing page on November 1, 2026. Here is how they differ on cost, AI features, hosting and ease of use, and which one we'd pick for different kinds of businesses.
QUICK ANSWER
Pick Zapier for the easiest setup and the most app integrations (9,000+). Pick n8n if you want a visual canvas with code options, per-workflow pricing and the option to self-host for free. Pick Make if you like mapping complex scenarios visually on a credit-based budget. All three now offer AI agent features.
n8n vs Zapier vs Make at a glance
| n8n | Zapier | Make | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Workflow executions (one full run, any number of steps) | Tasks (each successful action step) | Credits (most actions use 1) |
| Free option | Self-hosted Community Edition | Free plan, 100 tasks/month | Free plan, 1,000 credits/month |
| Entry paid price | Starter 20 euros/month (billed annually) | Pro from $19.99/month (annual, 750 tasks) | See make.com/pricing |
| Integrations | All integrations on every plan | 9,000+ apps | 1,000+ apps |
| Self-hosting | Yes | No | No |
| AI agents | AI Agent node, MCP, agents (preview) | Zapier Agents (billed in activities) | AI agents in scenarios |
Prices are from n8n pricing and Zapier pricing, read on November 1, 2026. Make's page explains its credit system but showed no plan prices to our checker, so confirm them on make.com before buying.
Pricing: why the billing unit matters most
n8n: pay per workflow run
n8n counts an execution as one complete run of a workflow, "regardless of complexity". A 20-step workflow that runs once costs the same as a 2-step one. Cloud plans start with Starter (20 euros/month billed annually) and Pro (50 euros/month billed annually), and all plans include unlimited users and workflows. The free Community Edition can be self-hosted from GitHub.
Zapier: pay per task
Zapier counts a task for each successful action step. Triggers and its built-in tools (Formatter, Filter, Paths and similar) don't count. The free plan gives 100 tasks a month with two-step Zaps; Pro starts at $19.99/month billed annually for 750 tasks ($29.99 monthly). Annual billing is 33% cheaper than monthly, and going over your limit can switch you to pay-per-task billing if you enable it.
Make: pay per credit
Since August 27, credits are Make's billing unit. Each module action uses credits, most use one, and some AI features use more. The free plan includes 1,000 credits a month. If you run out, scenarios stop until you add credits or upgrade.
What this means in practice
Long, multi-step workflows that run often are usually cheapest on n8n. Short, simple automations are easy to budget on Zapier. Make sits in between and rewards careful scenario design.
AI agent features compared
- n8n includes an AI Agent node, AI steps, an MCP server trigger and MCP client, human approval for tool calls, and hosted or embedded chat on every cloud plan, plus an "Agents" feature in preview. Cloud plans can use AI models without your own API keys.
- Zapier Agents is a separate add-on billed in activities, not tasks: the free tier includes 400 activities a month and Pro agents include 1,500. Agents can use Zapier's full app library, knowledge sources and web search.
- Make offers AI agents and its own AI provider inside scenarios; advanced AI actions may use more credits than standard steps.
For a plain-English primer on what these agents can and can't do, see our guide to AI agent risks for small businesses, which also covers the security basics before you connect an agent to email or payments.
Self-hosting, data and privacy
This is n8n's biggest advantage. You can run it on your own server, so your workflow data never leaves infrastructure you control. For its hosted plans, n8n says data is stored in the EU, on servers in Frankfurt, Germany, which matters to many UK and German businesses.
Zapier and Make are cloud-only. Zapier's Team and Enterprise plans add SAML single sign-on, audit logs and, on Enterprise, controls such as bringing your own AI model through AWS Bedrock.
Ease of use
Zapier is the easiest. Its Copilot can draft a Zap from a plain-English description, and most automations are linear. Make has a steeper learning curve, but its visual map makes complex branching easy to follow. n8n is the most technical: you can drop in JavaScript or Python steps and custom HTTP requests, which developers love and beginners may find intimidating.
Which should you choose?
| If you are... | Choose |
|---|---|
| A non-technical small business connecting popular apps | Zapier |
| A developer or tech-savvy team running heavy, multi-step workflows | n8n |
| Handling sensitive data or need EU/self-hosted control | n8n (self-hosted) |
| A marketer or ops person who thinks visually | Make |
| Moving off OpenAI Agent Builder with a visual canvas in mind | n8n first, then Make |
Whichever you pick, start with one workflow that saves real time each week, measure it, then expand. Good first candidates are lead capture from a web form into your CRM, a daily summary of new support emails, or posting new blog articles to social channels. Each is simple to build, easy to test, and shows quickly whether the tool fits the way your team works. Most platforms offer a free plan or trial, so build the same workflow in two of them before you decide.
Step by step: compare your real monthly cost
Pricing pages are easier to compare once you add up everything you already pay for. Use our free AI Subscription Cost Calculator alongside the automation prices above:
- List your workflows and how often each runs per month (a daily workflow is about 30 runs).
- Count steps per run. Multiply runs by action steps to estimate Zapier tasks or Make credits; for n8n, runs alone are your executions.
- Open the calculator and tick the AI chat plans (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and others) your team already pays for.
- Add the automation plan that fits your volume to the total, and switch the display to pounds or euros if you're in the UK or Europe.
- Compare annual vs monthly billing before you commit; both Zapier and n8n discount annual plans.
If your automations call AI models through an API, the AI API Cost Calculator estimates that part too.
Related: Automating code tasks instead of apps? Read our GitHub Agentic Workflows beginner guide.
Sources and further reading
- n8n Plans and Pricing (n8n)
- Zapier plans and pricing (Zapier)
FAQ
Is n8n cheaper than Zapier?
For long, frequent workflows it often is, because n8n bills per full workflow run while Zapier bills per action step. For a few simple automations, Zapier's free or entry plan can be cheaper.
Is n8n free?
The self-hosted Community Edition is free on GitHub. n8n's hosted cloud plans start at 20 euros a month billed annually.
Does Zapier have AI agents?
Yes. Zapier Agents is a separate add-on billed in activities, with 400 free activities a month and more on paid tiers.
Which is easiest for beginners?
Zapier. Its Copilot can build a Zap from a plain-English description, and most automations are simple trigger-and-action chains.
Can I self-host Zapier or Make?
No. Both are cloud-only. n8n is the one of the three you can self-host.
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