Screenshots: Zapier, Make and n8n official pages, October 25, 2026
I have worked in IT for about twenty years, and "Zapier, Make or n8n?" is the question I hear most from small teams that have outgrown copy and paste. My answer starts with the shape of your work, not the logo. A short flow that runs a few times a day is a different problem from a nightly loop over 500 rows, and each of these three tools charges for a different thing. This guide follows the searches people run next on Google (cost, pricing, Zapier vs n8n, Power Automate, Relay, IFTTT) and gives one clear answer for each, using the vendors' own pages and a few dated comparisons.
Quick answer- Fastest start and the most app connections: Zapier, which lists 9,000+ apps on its pricing page.
- Many short flows on a tight budget: Make, the cheapest of the three for simple workflows in DroidCrunch's October 24, 2026 pricing analysis.
- Long flows, loops, AI steps or self-hosting: n8n, which counts one execution per full run and is the only one of the three with a self-hosted edition.
- Already living in Microsoft 365: Power Automate, covered below.
Jump to: Cost | Pricing | Zapier vs n8n | Power Automate | Relay | IFTTT | Which wins | Replace n8n | Limits | Reddit | Final pick | FAQ
Zapier vs Make vs n8n Cost: Tasks, Credits and Executions
Image: Zapier (official page, screenshot October 25, 2026)
The plan price is not what decides your bill. The billing unit is. According to Zapier's pricing page, every successful action step in a Zap uses a task, while triggers do not, and built-in steps such as Filter, Formatter and Paths are not charged. According to Make's pricing FAQ, credits are Make's billing unit and most actions use one credit, while routers and error handler modules are not counted. According to n8n's pricing page, you only pay when a workflow runs from start to finish, so a whole run counts as one execution however many steps it has.
DroidCrunch's October 24, 2026 pricing analysis puts the difference in one example. A five-step lead workflow (a form comes in, then four actions) is 4 tasks on Zapier because the trigger is free, 5 credits on Make, and 1 execution on n8n. The site earns commissions through its Make and n8n links, and it says it did not buy paid plans, so treat it as a pricing study, not a hands-on test.
My take (20 years in IT): Before you compare plans, write down your three busiest flows. Count the steps, then multiply by the runs per month. That one number tells you more than any pricing card. If a flow loops over rows, count each row as a step, because that is where per-step billing gets expensive.
For a sense of scale, DroidCrunch priced three workloads on October 24, 2026. These are the figures as that article reports them, at its US prices for Zapier and Make and in euros for n8n, billed annually:
| Workload (per month) | Make | n8n | Zapier |
|---|
| 300 runs, five steps | $12 | €20 | $39 |
| 3,000 runs, five steps | $21 | €50 | $189 |
| 30,000 runs, five steps | $129 | about €121 | $769 |
| Nightly sync of 500 rows | $38 | €20 | $289 |
The pattern matters more than the exact numbers. Make was cheapest for short flows, n8n pulled ahead on the long row-by-row sync because it counts one execution per night, and Zapier was the most expensive in every row of that study. The article also notes that Make shows different price lists in different countries, with the US list about 30 percent above most of Europe, so your own price may differ.
n8n vs Make vs Zapier Pricing: What Each Plan Page Says
Image: Zapier (official page, screenshot October 25, 2026)
Zapier (pricing page, read October 25, 2026): Free at $0 with 100 tasks per month, unlimited Zaps, Tables and Forms and two-step Zaps. Professional starts from $19.99 a month and adds multi-step Zaps, premium apps and webhooks. Team starts from $69 a month with 25 users and SAML SSO. Enterprise is by quote. New accounts get a free 14-day trial of Professional, and non-profits get 15 percent off paid plans. When you reach your task limit you move to pay-per-task billing unless you turn it off, and then Zaps pause.
Image: Make (official page, screenshot October 25, 2026)
Make (pricing page and FAQ, read October 25, 2026): the Free plan includes 1,000 credits a month. The page I opened showed Core at $9, Pro at $16 and Teams at $29 for 10,000 credits a month, but Make serves different price lists by country (DroidCrunch saw $12 for Core on the US list), so check your own page. If you run out of credits, scenarios stop, incoming webhooks queue up to a limit, and you can buy extra credits in bundles of 1,000 or 10,000. Credits expire at the end of the term.
Image: Make (official page, screenshot October 25, 2026)
Image: n8n (official page, screenshot October 25, 2026)
n8n (pricing page, read October 25, 2026): Cloud Starter is 20 euros a month billed annually, Pro is 50 euros, and Business is 667 euros and is self-hosted only. Enterprise is by quote. The page lists 5 concurrent executions and a 5 minute maximum run on Starter, and 20 or 50 concurrent runs and 40 minutes on Pro. Execution allowances shown on the page are 2.5k, 10k and 40k a month for Starter, Pro and Business, which matches Dokuflex's October 19, 2026 reading. Under 20 employees, a Start-up Plan gives 50 percent off Business. A free Community Edition can be self-hosted from GitHub.
Image: n8n (official page, screenshot October 25, 2026)
Who should pick which on price Read this before you subscribeZapier if your time is worth more than the subscription and your flows are short. Make if you run many short flows with instant triggers. n8n if your runs are long or loop through rows. Skip Zapier if you expect tens of thousands of multi-step runs a month, because per-step billing grows quickly in DroidCrunch's examples.
Zapier vs n8n: Ease or Control
Image: Zapier (official page, screenshot October 25, 2026)
Image: Zapier (official page, screenshot October 25, 2026)
This is the pair people ask about most, and the honest answer is that they sit at opposite ends. Zapier is built so a non-technical person can connect two apps in minutes, and its pricing page says it connects 9,000+ apps and does not require code. n8n describes itself as a platform for agents and workflows you can follow, with code steps in JavaScript or Python, an AI Agent node and an MCP server trigger listed on its pricing page. You get more control with n8n and you pay for it in setup time.
Image: n8n (official page, screenshot October 25, 2026)
Self-hosting is the other big difference. According to n8n's pricing page, a standard self-hosted version is available on GitHub, and Dokuflex reports it is the only one of the four tools it compared that you can run on your own server for free. One comparison from a competing vendor (Sim, October 22, 2026) calls n8n's Sustainable Use License source-available rather than OSI-approved open source. I could not open n8n's own license page, so read it before you build a product on top of n8n.
n8n vs Make vs Zapier vs Power Automate
If your company lives in Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, Power Automate belongs in the comparison. I did not open Microsoft's pages for this guide, so the details below come from Dokuflex's October 19, 2026 comparison, which says it read the vendors' sites that day. Dokuflex sells a competing process-automation product, and the post says so.
- It bills per user or per bot rather than per step, with Premium listed at 13 euros per user per month billed annually.
- Flows with standard connectors are included in Microsoft 365 with a limit of 6,000 requests per user per day.
- It has a native approvals connector, which Dokuflex says Zapier offers only in beta on Enterprise and Make does not advertise.
- It is cloud only, and it can reach internal servers through a data gateway.
My take (20 years in IT): Pick the tool your people already have a login for. Licensing, permissions and support are easier when the automation lives where the identity already lives. For a Microsoft 365 shop, I would test Power Automate first and only add Zapier or Make for apps it connects to poorly.
n8n vs Make vs Zapier vs Relay
Relay is a name that shows up in related searches. When I opened Relay.app's pricing page on October 25, 2026, it returned a "not found" page with the notice that Relay.app has shut down. So I cannot recommend it, and I would not start a new project on it. If you already have flows there, plan a move to one of the tools above and export what you can.
n8n vs Zapier vs IFTTT
IFTTT sits at the simple end. Its plans page (read October 25, 2026) shows a Free plan with 2 Applets, Pro at $2.99 a month and Pro+ at $8.99 a month when billed annually, which it lists at $35.88 and $107.88 a year. Pro lists 20 Applets, multi-action Applets and webhooks, and Pro+ lists unlimited Applets, queries and filters, and AI services. For a few personal or smart-home automations that is plenty. For multi-step business workflows with branching and loops, it is a different product category from n8n or Zapier.
Zapier vs Make vs n8n: Which Automation Platform Wins?
There is no winner without two answers. First, what specific apps do you need to connect? Check each vendor's integration directory for your exact apps and the exact action you need, not just the app name. Make's integrations page is titled "3,500+ Integration Apps", Zapier says 9,000+, and Dokuflex reports n8n at 500+ integrations plus HTTP and code nodes. A smaller list can still work if you can call the app's API.
Image: Make (official page, screenshot October 25, 2026)
Image: n8n (official page, screenshot October 25, 2026)
Second, are you comfortable managing self-hosted software, or do you need a fully managed cloud tool? If the answer is managed, you are choosing among the hosted plans. If you have someone who can run a server and you have sensitive data or very high volume, self-hosted n8n deserves a look.
How I would decide Three questions1) Do you have a developer or a technical owner? If not, start with Zapier or Make. 2) Do your flows loop or call AI several times per run? If yes, price n8n first. 3) Do you need approvals inside the flow? Power Automate has it natively according to Dokuflex. Skip all of them for a process that needs documents, deadlines and an audit trail, because Dokuflex argues that is a process-management job and not an integration job.
Image: Make (official page, screenshot October 25, 2026)
Can Zapier Replace n8n? Is There a Better Tool Than n8n?
Zapier can replace n8n for simple, no-code app-to-app flows. It cannot replace the self-hosted edition, and per-step billing makes long flows costly. In the other direction, n8n can replace Zapier if someone is willing to build and maintain the flows. As for "a better tool than n8n", I found no independent head-to-head test of automation platforms in my reading, so I will not name one. The sensible alternatives for different needs are the other tools in this guide, picked by billing unit, hosting and who will maintain the flows.
Image: n8n (official page, screenshot October 25, 2026)
What Happens When You Hit the Limit
Each platform fails differently, and this matters more than the monthly price. Zapier moves you to pay-per-task billing if it is on, and otherwise pauses Zaps until the next period. Make stops running scenarios until you add credits, and webhooks queue in the meantime. DroidCrunch reports that n8n Cloud fails new executions with an "Execution limit reached" error and that nothing queues, so a webhook that arrives in that window is lost. I could not confirm that last point on n8n's own pages, so test it before you rely on it for leads or orders.
Polling is the hidden cost on Make. DroidCrunch says a polling trigger that checks an app costs a credit per check even when nothing is found, while Zapier does not charge for polling. Prefer instant triggers (webhooks) wherever the app offers them.
Zapier vs Make vs n8n on Reddit? How to Use Forum Advice
Google also shows Reddit threads for this search. When you read those threads, look for answers that say how many runs, how many steps and who maintains the flows. Ignore price claims that do not name the plan and the date, because all three vendors change plans often. Then check the claim against the vendor's pricing page before you act.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Billing unit | Free option | Self-hosting | Best for |
|---|
| Zapier | Task (each successful action) | 100 tasks a month | No (cloud) | Fast no-code setup, widest app list |
| Make | Credit (each module action) | 1,000 credits a month | Not published | Many short flows, visual editor |
| n8n | Execution (one full run) | Self-hosted Community Edition | Yes | Long flows, loops, AI steps, technical teams |
| Power Automate | Per user or per bot | Included flows in Microsoft 365 (per Dokuflex) | No (cloud, data gateway) | Microsoft 365 teams, approvals |
| IFTTT | Plan with Applet count | 2 Applets | No | Simple personal automations |
How to Choose Without Overpaying
- Count first: steps times runs times rows. Use each vendor's own plan page to price that number.
- Pick the unit that fits: per step for short flows, per run for long ones.
- Test the failure mode: hit a limit on purpose on a free plan and see what happens.
- Plan the exit: DroidCrunch notes n8n workflows export as JSON, which makes moving easier.
Security and Data Before You Connect Everything
I read no vendor data policy for this guide, so I make no claims about how any of these tools store or use your data. Dokuflex reports that n8n Cloud states EU hosting on its pricing page, and that the others do not publish EU residency on the pages it read. If you handle regulated or customer data, ask each vendor for its data terms in writing, use the least-privilege account for each connection, and keep API keys out of shared documents.
My take (20 years in IT): Treat every connection as a key to a room. An automation account that can read your CRM and send email can also leak both if it is compromised. Use dedicated service accounts, turn on two-factor authentication, and review connected apps every quarter. A password manager helps here, and I wrote about passkeys in my guide linked below.
Final Recommendation
- Non-technical team, a few flows: Zapier.
- Many short flows and cost matters: Make, with instant triggers.
- Long loops, AI steps, or you want to host it yourself: n8n.
- Microsoft 365 shop with approvals: Power Automate.
- A handful of simple personal automations: IFTTT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheapest, Zapier, Make or n8n?
It depends on the shape of your workflow. In DroidCrunch's October 24, 2026 analysis, Make was cheapest for short workflows and n8n for a long nightly sync, while Zapier cost the most in every example. That is a pricing study with vendor-linked affiliate links, so price your own flows on each plan page.
Can Zapier replace n8n?
For simple no-code flows, yes. Zapier lists 9,000+ apps and does not require code. It does not offer a self-hosted edition and it bills per successful action step, so long or looping flows can cost much more than on n8n.
Can I self-host Zapier or Make?
On the pages I read, only n8n offers a self-hosted edition (its pricing page lists a Community Edition on GitHub). Zapier is a cloud service. Dokuflex says Make does not publish a self-hosting option.
What happens if I run out of tasks, credits or executions?
Zapier moves you to pay-per-task billing if it is on, otherwise Zaps pause. Make stops scenarios until you add credits and queues webhooks for a time. DroidCrunch reports that n8n Cloud fails new executions without queuing them, which you should test yourself.
Is IFTTT enough for a small business?
For a few simple automations it can be. Its plans page lists 2 Applets free, 20 on Pro and unlimited on Pro+, with queries, filters and AI services on Pro+. For multi-step workflows with branching and loops, the three tools above are built for that job.
Sources
- Zapier, Pricing (read October 25, 2026)
- Make, Pricing and FAQ (read October 25, 2026)
- n8n, Pricing (read October 25, 2026)
- IFTTT, Plans (read October 25, 2026)
- DroidCrunch, Make vs n8n vs Zapier Pricing 2026 (October 24, 2026), a site with affiliate links to Make and n8n
- Dokuflex, Make vs Zapier vs n8n vs Power Automate 2026 (updated October 19, 2026), by a vendor of process-automation software
- Sim, n8n vs Zapier vs Make (October 22, 2026), a competing vendor
- Relay.app pricing page, which showed a shutdown notice on October 25, 2026
Product screenshots come from the official pages of Zapier, Make and n8n, are framed here, and belong to their owners. I did not run these tools for this guide, and prices change often, so check each plan page before you buy.
Last updated: October 25, 2026.
Comments
Post a Comment