n8n, Make or Zapier: which one?
All three run workflows. They differ on three points that actually decide the choice: how they bill, whether you can host your own data, and how technical you need to be.
Short answer: Zapier for a non-technical team connecting mainstream apps without thinking about it. Make for complex logic at a controlled cost. n8n when volume is high or data must not leave your infrastructure — it is the only one of the three offering genuine self-hosting, with no per-execution billing.
Comparison
| Criterion | n8n | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billing model | Free self-hosted; cloud plans from around €20/month | Per operation, from around €9/month | Per task, from around $20/month |
| Self-hosting | Yes, near-complete community edition | No | No |
| Where your data lives | With you, if self-hosted | With the vendor | With the vendor |
| Cost at high volume | Most economical: no per-execution cost when self-hosted | Good operations-per-euro ratio | Most expensive at volume |
| Number of integrations | Broad, extensible with code | Broad | Broadest (9,000+ apps) |
| Technical level required | High — aimed at technical teams | Intermediate | Low |
| Complex logic | Excellent, with custom code | Excellent visually | Limited |
The criterion that really decides: billing
Zapier bills per task — each successful action in a workflow. Make bills per operation, generally with a more generous allowance at a comparable price. Self-hosted n8n bills neither: you pay for your server.
What this means in practice: at low volume the difference is negligible and Zapier’s simplicity usually wins. At high volume — a workflow that processes every incoming email, say — per-execution billing becomes the largest cost line, and self-hosting changes the equation.
The second criterion: where your data lives
For a law firm, an accounting practice or a property manager, this is not theoretical. A workflow that reads your client emails moves personal, sometimes sensitive data. With Zapier or Make it passes through the vendor’s infrastructure. With self-hosted n8n it never leaves yours.
That point alone justifies choosing n8n in regulated sectors, cost aside.
And the criterion everyone underestimates: who maintains it?
A workflow is not a finished deliverable. An API changes, a format evolves, a tool gets replaced — someone has to fix it. So the real question is not “which tool is best”, but “who looks after this in six months”.
If nobody inside the company can open the hood, the most powerful tool becomes the riskiest. That is why we always ship documentation and training, and why a maintenance option exists: continuous monitoring costs less than a workflow sitting broken for three weeks with nobody noticing.
Our choice, and why
SAKU Agency builds with n8n. Two reasons: our clients often run volumes where per-execution billing becomes unreasonable, and many work in sectors where data residency matters. This is not dogma — for a small company connecting three mainstream apps at low volume, Zapier remains the rational choice, and we say so.
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n really free?
The self-hosted community edition is free and covers most of the functionality. You still pay for the server that hosts it and for administering it. The vendor’s managed cloud starts at around €20 per month.
What is the difference between a Zapier task and a Make operation?
A Zapier task is each successful action in a workflow. Make counts in operations, generally with a more generous allowance at a comparable price. At high volume the gap in the invoice becomes significant.
Can you switch tools later?
Yes, but migration has a cost: workflows are not portable between tools, they have to be rebuilt. Better to decide on expected volume and confidentiality constraints before building.
Which one suits a firm handling sensitive client data?
Self-hosted n8n, because it is the only one of the three where data does not transit through a third-party vendor’s infrastructure. That criterion usually outweighs cost in regulated sectors.
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