n8n vs Make vs Zapier: How to Choose

Start with the integrations and operating model your workflow requires. Evaluate Zapier for managed app connections, Make for visual scenarios, and self-hosted n8n when infrastructure control is a requirement you can support. There is no universal winner: test the same representative workflow before choosing.

By Toools maintainers · Documentation reviewed 2026-10-13 · Editorial standards

n8n, Make, and Zapier comparison by deployment, costs, maintenance, and licensing
Decision	n8n	Make	Zapier
Deployment	Self-hosted and hosted options; choose the operating model deliberately.	Managed visual scenarios; check the service and connector requirements.	Managed app workflows; check that the required actions and integrations are supported.
Budgeting basis	Check the chosen edition and current plan; self-hosting also adds infrastructure and operations costs.	Estimate credits for the actual scenario, including the steps you use.	Estimate billable tasks and the plan features your workflow requires.
Maintenance	For self-hosting, plan for upgrades, backups, security, and service availability.	The provider operates the platform; you maintain the connections, scenario logic, and failure handling.	The provider operates the platform; you maintain the connections, workflow logic, and failure handling.
License and terms	Source-available Sustainable Use License. Review conditions for customer-facing or commercial embedding.	Review service terms and the selected plan.	Review service terms and the selected plan.
Editorial starting point	Evaluate when hosting control is required and someone can operate the infrastructure.	Evaluate when visual branching and data transformations fit the team's workflow.	Evaluate when managed app connections and an understandable workflow fit the task.

Compare the same real workflow

List the trigger, required applications, transformations, branching, and final output.
Confirm the exact connector actions, credentials, and rate limits you need.
Run a representative input, an invalid input, and a retry after a failed step.
Calculate expected monthly usage using each provider's current billing units. Do not compare a task, a credit, and an execution as though they were equivalent.
Record who owns failures, credential changes, backups, and upgrades.

Is n8n open source?

n8n's repository uses the Sustainable Use License for its main code, with separate terms for enterprise files. This is source-available software with restrictions on use and distribution. Check the license conditions for your intended use. Self-hosting does not remove those conditions.

Which is cheapest?

That depends on the workflow, volume, selected features, and the operating model. For self-hosting, include infrastructure and maintenance time. For managed tools, include the billable steps and plan requirements. This comparison does not claim a price winner without a workload estimate.

Official sources

Deployment and billing descriptions reference these provider pages. Selection advice is an editorial judgment, not a performance benchmark.

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