n8n vs Make vs Zapier:
How Professionals Select the Right Tool for Your Business
Bottom line: Zapier — maximum integrations, minimum technical requirements, maximum price. Make — the best price-to-features balance for SMB. n8n — the only one with self-hosting, no execution limits, built for complex logic and sensitive data. The right choice depends on your stack, data volume, and team structure — this is decided by an integrator after a process audit. Wrong tool choice means rebuilding everything in 3 months plus data loss risk.
Full Comparison Table
| Parameter | n8n | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open source | ✓ MIT | ✗ | ✗ |
| Self-hosting | ✓ (Docker) | ✗ | ✗ |
| Vendor cloud | ✓ $20/mo | ✓ $9/mo | ✓ $20/mo |
| Integrations | 400+ | 1,000+ | 5,000+ |
| Free plan | ✗ cloud / ✓ self | ✓ 1,000 ops | ✓ 100 tasks |
| Execution limits | None (self) | 1,000–10,000 | 100–750/mo |
| Custom code | ✓ JS, Python | ✓ JS | ✗ |
| Loops & branching | ✓ full | ✓ router | ✗ linear |
| Parallel branches | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Error handling | ✓ retry, fallback | ✓ basic | ✗ |
| Data on your servers | ✓ (self) | ✗ | ✗ |
| White-label / embedded | ✓ Enterprise | ✗ | ✗ |
| Learning curve | Medium | Medium | Low |
| Community | 50K+ users | 30K+ | 100K+ |
| GDPR compliance | ✓ (self-hosted) | partial | partial |
Tool Breakdown
n8n
Recommended for data-sensitive businessesFounded in 2019, $12M in funding. The only tool in this trio with full self-hosting. Runs on Docker, deployed by a specialist in under an hour. Stores all data on your servers — critical for healthcare, finance, legal, and any business where data leaving the company is not acceptable.
Business gets
- +Data stays on your own servers
- +No execution limits — ever
- +Complex business logic: loops, conditions, JS
- +Near-zero subscription cost with self-hosting
- +Full audit trail and compliance capability
Requires
- −A specialist for VPS setup and configuration
- −More integration work (400 vs 5,000 native)
- −Ongoing maintenance as workflows evolve
- −Technical team or reliable integrator partner
Best for: companies with sensitive data, high-volume processes, budget of $10–20/mo.
Make (ex-Integromat)
Czech company, founded in 2012. Acquired by Celonis in 2020, rebranded as Make in 2022. Visual editor that shows the entire data flow on one screen. 1,500+ integrations cover most B2B needs without any server management. Cloud-only — your data lives on Make's servers.
Business gets
- +1,500+ integrations without DevOps
- +3–5× cheaper than Zapier at same volume
- +Visual workflows a non-technical team can understand
- +Router and aggregator support for complex logic
- +Fast deployment — first automation in days
Requires
- −Accepting data stored on Make servers
- −Careful operation budgeting at scale
- −Specialist to avoid silent failure scenarios
- −Planning for operation costs as volume grows
Best for: SMB without an IT team, cloud data is acceptable, mid-complexity automations.
Zapier
Founded in 2011, valued at $5B. The pioneer of no-code automation. 5,000+ integrations — the largest catalog. The "one trigger → one action" linear model makes it the simplest to get started with, but limits what is possible. Paths (branching) only available on Professional+.
Business gets
- +5,000+ integrations — covers any niche SaaS
- +Fastest time to first automation
- +Reliable infrastructure with strong uptime
- +Huge community and documentation
Limitations
- −Most expensive ($20–739/mo)
- −Linear logic hits walls quickly as needs grow
- −Task limits constrain high-volume processes
- −No self-hosting — data always on Zapier servers
Best for: non-technical teams that need a very specific integration or maximum simplicity at low volume.
How an Integrator Selects the Right Tool
The right tool choice depends on factors a business owner rarely has full visibility into: existing tech stack compatibility, data residency requirements, expected execution volumes, team technical capacity, and future automation roadmap. Getting this wrong means rebuilding everything in 3 months — losing both time and data continuity.
An integrator maps your processes, asks the right questions, and recommends the optimal tool before writing a single line of configuration. Then implements end-to-end: setup → integrations → error handling → team training → documentation.
Data is critical (healthcare, finance, legal)
→ n8n self-hosted. The only option with full data sovereignty.
Need complex workflows (loops, custom code)
→ n8n. Make is the second option but less flexible.
SMB without an IT team, cloud is acceptable
→ Make. 2–3× cheaper than Zapier for the same feature level.
Need integration with a niche SaaS
→ Zapier. 5,000+ integrations cover practically everything.
High-volume processes, no execution limits needed
→ n8n self-hosted. No limits, near-zero subscription cost.
Budget is minimal
→ n8n self-hosted ($10/mo VPS). No limits, free platform.
What We Do: Free Analysis → Optimal Tool → End-to-End Implementation
We start with a free audit of your current processes — not to sell you a specific tool, but to understand what your business actually needs. Most businesses we work with have never mapped their manual workflows before. That mapping alone reveals 5–8 automation opportunities they hadn't considered.
After the audit, we recommend the optimal tool for your specific situation. Then we implement everything: server setup (if n8n), workflow design, integration with your CRM and messengers, error handling, monitoring, and team training. Business owners stay focused on their core work — not on configuring integrations.
Implementation takes 2–4 weeks with a professional team vs 3–6 months of trial and error.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better: n8n, Make, or Zapier? ▼
The right choice depends on your tech stack, data sensitivity, team size, and process complexity. Zapier — if speed of getting started matters and you want zero technical complexity. Make — if you need a balance of price and features without self-hosting. n8n — if data sovereignty is important, you need no execution limits, and require complex logic. An integrator determines the optimal tool during a free audit — the wrong choice means rebuilding everything in 3 months.
Can you migrate from Zapier to n8n? ▼
Yes. Most Zapier workflows can be recreated in n8n. A professional migration for a company with 20–30 zaps takes 1–2 weeks with an integrator, including testing and parallel running. Without a specialist, the same migration typically takes 1–3 months and often results in broken workflows that aren't discovered until they miss critical events.
How many integrations does each tool have? ▼
Zapier — 5,000+ integrations (the leader). Make — 1,000+ integrations. n8n — 400+ official integrations + any REST API via HTTP Request. In practice, B2B companies need 20–30 integrations at most, and all of them are available in each tool.
Which tool should a small business choose? ▼
Small businesses without IT resources: Make.com ($9/month) is the best price-to-feature ratio. If data sensitivity is a concern — n8n self-hosted ($10/month VPS). The right answer depends on your specific processes and existing tools — an integrator maps this during a free audit.
Is there a free plan for each tool? ▼
Zapier Free: 100 tasks/mo, 5 zaps, single-step automations only. Make Free: 1,000 operations/mo, unlimited scenarios. n8n: completely free with self-hosting (you only pay for the VPS). n8n Cloud has no free tier.
Not sure what to choose? We'll select and set it up — free audit
Tell us about your business processes — we'll recommend the optimal tool for your specific stack and implement everything end-to-end. No guesswork, no rebuilding in 3 months.
Get a Free Audit →