Zapier vs Make vs n8n: Which Automation Tool Should You Choose?

Zapier, Make and n8n all do the same basic job: when something happens in one app, do something in another. A new website enquiry creates a CRM contact, sends a Slack alert and books a follow-up task. The differences are in how they bill, how complex they let you get and where your data runs. Getting the choice right early saves a painful migration later.

How each one bills (this matters most)

The three tools count usage in different units, which makes headline prices misleading.

So a business running a few simple automations will barely notice the difference, while one running thousands of multi-step workflows a month can see costs vary by several times. Exact limits and prices change regularly; always check Zapier, Make and n8n pricing pages before you commit.

Zapier

Best for: non-technical teams who want to automate common tasks quickly.

Strengths

• The largest library of ready-made app integrations, so most mainstream tools are covered.
• The simplest builder of the three. Most people can build a working "Zap" in minutes.
• Good AI features for drafting steps and adding AI actions.

Watch out for

• Costs scale with every action step, so complex workflows get expensive.
• Complex branching and data transformation are possible but less natural than in Make or n8n.

Make

Best for: teams that need more complex logic without writing code.

Strengths

• A visual canvas that shows the whole scenario, with routers, filters and iterators for branching and loops.
• Strong data mapping and transformation tools.
• Usually better value than Zapier for multi-step workflows.

Watch out for

• A steeper learning curve than Zapier.
• Every module that runs uses credits, including steps that only check or reshape data, so design efficiently.

n8n

Best for: technical teams, high volumes, AI agent workflows and data-sensitive businesses.

Strengths

• Bills per whole execution on its cloud plans, so complex workflows cost the same as simple ones.
• Can be self-hosted, keeping data on infrastructure you control, which helps with data protection requirements.
• Code steps (JavaScript or Python) when visual nodes are not enough, plus strong AI agent building blocks.

Watch out for

• Self-hosting means you own updates, backups, monitoring and security.
• Fewer pre-built integrations than Zapier, although its HTTP Request node connects to almost any API.

Side-by-side summary

How to choose in four questions

1. Who will build and maintain it? If nobody technical, start with Zapier. If a confident power user, Make. If a developer or partner, n8n is often the best long-term choice.
2. How many runs and steps a month? Estimate, then price it in each tool's units. Volume is where the real cost differences appear.
3. Are all your apps supported? Check each integration exists and supports the triggers and actions you need, not just that the app is listed. Niche UK tools such as job management software sometimes need a custom API connection.
4. Where must the data live? If you process sensitive personal data and want it kept on your own servers, n8n self-hosted is the strongest option.

A real example

A website enquiry form for a heating installer:

1. A new enquiry arrives from the website form.
2. An AI step reads the message and scores how serious and urgent it is.
3. Qualified leads are created in the CRM with the score attached.
4. The right person gets a Slack or WhatsApp alert, and the customer gets an instant acknowledgement.
5. Unqualified enquiries get a polite automated reply with useful information.

This is five steps per enquiry. At 1,500 enquiries a month, that is several thousand Zapier tasks, roughly 7,500 Make credits, or 1,500 n8n executions. The right choice depends on who maintains it and how the costs compare at your volume. We built a system like this for a Cardiff installer: read the HeatGlow case study.

Next steps

• New to automation? Read how to automate repetitive business tasks first.
• Connecting two specific apps? See how to connect two business applications.
• Want it designed and built properly, with monitoring and someone accountable when it breaks? That is what Calon AI does. Book a 15-minute call.