Zapier vs Make vs n8n for Small Businesses (2026)

Zapier, Make and n8n all connect apps and run automated workflows. They differ in how they bill, how much logic they handle comfortably, and who can maintain them. We build on all three, so here's how we choose.

Plans and limits change often. Figures below were checked in October 2026 against each vendor's pricing page; confirm before you buy.

The quick version

Sources: Zapier pricing, Make pricing, n8n pricing.

Zapier

Zapier has the largest catalog of app connections and the gentlest learning curve. If a non-technical team member will own the automation, it's usually the safest choice. The trade-off is cost at volume: every action step counts as a task, so multi-step workflows that run thousands of times a month get expensive. The free plan only allows two-step Zaps, which makes it more of a trial than a production option.

Make

Make shows workflows as visual diagrams with routers, filters and iterators, so complex branching is easier to see than in a long Zap. It's often cheaper for the same work, but it counts more things: triggers and filters use credits too. The free plan is genuinely useful for testing multi-step scenarios, though only two can be active at once.

n8n

n8n can be self-hosted on your own server. It bills per workflow execution rather than per step, which suits long or high-volume workflows, and self-hosting keeps data on infrastructure you control. Note that the self-hosted edition is released under n8n's Sustainable Use License, which allows internal business use. Someone has to patch and back up the server, so budget for that.

How we choose for clients

• Low volume, many apps, non-technical owner: Zapier.
• Moderate volume, lots of branching: Make.
• High volume, sensitive data, or heavy AI agent work: n8n, usually self-hosted.
• Mixed: it's common to run simple edge connections in Zapier and the core logic in n8n or Make.

Hidden costs to check

• Premium app connectors on lower plans
• Polling intervals (how often the tool checks for new data) on cheaper tiers
• AI model usage, which is billed separately by the model provider
• The cost of your time, or ours, when something breaks

Bottom line

Same workflow, three tools (illustrative)

Take a common job: when a new web form is submitted, create a contact in the CRM, send the lead a text, alert the owner in Slack, and add a row to a tracking sheet. That's one trigger and four actions.

In Zapier, it's a single multi-step Zap. Each of the four actions uses a task every time it runs, so a form that brings in 300 leads a month uses roughly 1,200 tasks. Setup is quick and readable, and someone on your team can probably follow it.

In Make, it's a scenario with a trigger module and four action modules, laid out left to right. Make counts every module run, including the trigger, so expect roughly five credits per lead. Adding a router later ("if the service is emergency, also call the on-call tech") is easy to see on the diagram.

In n8n, it's one workflow, and each run counts as one execution no matter how many steps it has. On a self-hosted instance there's no execution charge at all, just the server and someone's time to keep it updated.

None of this tells you the cheapest option for your volume. Run your actual numbers against each vendor's current pricing page, because the plans change.

Questions to ask before choosing

1. Who will maintain it? If the answer is "the office manager," lean toward Zapier. If it's a technical person or a partner, all three are open.
2. How many runs a month, and how many steps each? Multiply them. High numbers push you toward Make or n8n.
3. Are all your apps supported? Check each one's connector page, and check whether it's a premium connector on the plan you're looking at.
4. How quickly must it react? Some triggers poll on a schedule, especially on cheaper plans. Webhooks are instant.
5. Where can the data live? If you handle sensitive records, self-hosting or a vendor with the right agreements may be required.
6. How will you know it failed? All three can send error alerts. Make sure they go to a person who will act on them.

Migrating between tools

There's no clean export from one platform into another. Moving means rebuilding, so it's worth doing only when there's a clear reason: costs climbing with volume, logic that's become unreadable, or a data requirement. When we migrate, we do it one workflow at a time and run the old and new versions side by side for a few days, comparing the results before switching the old one off.

AI features

All three now offer AI steps: summarizing text, classifying messages, drafting replies or running agent-style workflows that choose their next step. The automation platform's own pricing is only part of the cost; model usage is often billed separately by the AI provider or as extra credits. Test with real data and set limits, because a loop that calls a model thousands of times can surprise you on the invoice.

Frequently asked questions

Can I start on a free plan? Yes, for testing. Zapier's free plan is limited to two-step Zaps, Make's free plan caps active scenarios, and n8n's free option means running your own server. Most production workflows end up on a paid tier.

Is self-hosting n8n risky? Not if someone handles updates, backups and access control. If nobody will, use n8n Cloud or another tool.

Can I mix tools? Yes, and it's often sensible. Just document which tool runs which workflow so nobody has to hunt for it.

None of the three is "best." Pick the one your team can maintain at the volume you actually run. If you want a second opinion on your setup, ask us. We'll tell you which tool fits and why, in writing.