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There is no universal cheapest choice between n8n, Zapier, and Make. They meter automation differently: n8n counts full workflow executions, Zapier counts tasks and can charge for overages, and Make counts credits for scenario operations. To find your actual monthly cost, model the same workload on each platform, then add hosting, staff time, and any separate AI or connected-service charges.
Start with the billable unit, not the headline price
A workflow run, a task, and a credit are not interchangeable. A workflow with several steps can count as one n8n execution, multiple Zapier tasks, or several Make credits. Branches, loops, repeated items, and AI features can change the latter two totals. Comparing plan prices without translating your actual workflow into each platform’s meter can produce a misleading result.
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| Platform | Primary meter | What to model |
|---|---|---|
| n8n | Complete workflow executions on the published plans | Monthly workflow runs; the pricing page says complexity does not change the execution count. |
| Zapier | Tasks | Monthly task volume under the rules for your specific triggers and actions, plus possible overages. |
| Make | Credits | Scenario operations, including repetitions across bundles or iterations and any dynamic AI credit use. |
What the published prices show
The figures below are the prices displayed on the vendors’ official pages when accessed on October 7, 2026. Pricing can change; Make’s displayed selection may depend on billing choice and region. Check the current plan page before purchase.
| Platform and option | Published price and allowance | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| n8n Starter | €20/month for 2,500 executions | Annual-billing example; applicable taxes are extra. |
| n8n Pro | €50/month for 10,000 executions | Annual-billing example; applicable taxes are extra. |
| n8n Business | €667/month for 40,000 executions | Annual-billing example; listed as self-hosted; applicable taxes are extra. |
| Zapier | Exact comparable tier prices: not stated (Zapier pricing page) | The page describes plan task limits, over-limit billing, and a maximum task limit; it does not establish a price for a particular business workload. |
| Make Free | Up to 1,000 credits/month | At the displayed 10,000-credit plan selection; minimum interval between runs is 15 minutes. |
| Make Core | $12/month | At the displayed 10,000-credit monthly selection; billing choice and region may affect displayed price. |
| Make Pro | $21/month | At the displayed 10,000-credit monthly selection; billing choice and region may affect displayed price. |
| Make Teams | $38/month | At the displayed 10,000-credit monthly selection; billing choice and region may affect displayed price. |
Sources: n8n pricing, Zapier pricing, and Make pricing.
Calculate each platform’s monthly cost
n8n: count complete workflow runs
For the described n8n plan model, count full workflow executions rather than treating every node as a separate billable step. The published page says plans are based on monthly executions regardless of workflow complexity. If a workflow runs 2,500 times in a month, the execution count is 2,500 even if each run contains multiple nodes.
n8n also offers a self-hosted Community Edition. Self-hosting is not a zero-cost total: include the actual infrastructure bill and the time spent on setup, monitoring, backups, updates, incident recovery, and ongoing maintenance. The appropriate labor estimate depends on who performs that work and how much operational responsibility the business accepts.
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Zapier: estimate tasks and test the overage case
Estimate tasks using the counting rules for the actual workflow. Do not assume every trigger, built-in step, or action is counted identically; verify how the current rules apply to your configuration. Zapier’s pricing page says tasks above the included limit cost 1.25 times the base task cost, subject to a maximum task limit. A high-volume estimate should therefore model both expected task use and what happens if usage exceeds the allowance.
The available published information does not establish an exact comparable Zapier tier price for a specific small-business workload. Use the live plan details and your task estimate rather than inserting an assumed monthly quote.
Make: count operations as credits, including repeats
Most non-AI app operations consume one credit, according to Make’s credits help page. Count actions that repeat for multiple bundles or iterations, not just the modules visible in a simple diagram. Some built-in AI features use dynamic credit amounts, which can depend on tokens, operations, and other usage factors.
If you connect your own AI provider on a paid plan, Make bills for operations while the provider bills you directly for tokens. Keep that provider charge separate from the Make subscription. Make describes its meter this way: “Each action your scenario performs consumes a certain number of credits – most actions consume 1 credit, while some advanced features leveraging Make’s AI Provider may use more.”
Build one workload model that is fair to all three
Use the same business outcome and monthly volume for each estimate. A practical inventory should capture:
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- How many steps or actions it performs on a typical run.
- Whether it branches, loops, or processes multiple records or bundles.
- How often polling checks for new data, and whether that frequency affects the chosen plan or workload.
- How many AI calls it makes, which AI connection is used, and any separately billed provider tokens.
- Which features the business needs for collaboration, execution history, support, and governance.
Then translate those inputs into each platform’s own billable unit. Include the platform subscription, applicable infrastructure, realistic operating labor, and third-party API or AI charges as separate lines. Record currency and billing cadence, and distinguish recurring prices from one-time or annual-commitment terms.
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Infrastructure and operational work
For self-hosted n8n, add the server or other infrastructure charge and estimate the staff time required to keep the service available and maintained. A small subscription or no subscription charge does not automatically mean a low all-in cost. Conversely, a managed service can have higher platform fees while avoiding some infrastructure work. These are cost components to evaluate, not guaranteed savings.
Usage beyond the included allowance
For Zapier, estimate whether your task volume could exceed the included limit and apply the published 1.25-times-base-task-cost overage rule only where it applies. For Make, check whether repeated operations or dynamic AI credit use raise consumption beyond the simple action count. For n8n, compare expected full workflow executions with the selected allowance.
External services and AI
Keep connected apps, APIs, and AI provider bills separate from the automation platform’s plan. This makes it possible to see whether a difference comes from platform usage or from the services the workflow calls. In particular, a Make custom AI-provider connection on a paid plan can involve both Make operation charges and a separate provider token bill.
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- n8n may fit the cost model when execution-based pricing aligns with your run volume and you can account for the infrastructure and operator effort of self-hosting where applicable.
- Zapier needs careful task and overage modeling when a workflow performs many billable actions or could exceed its task allowance.
- Make needs careful credit modeling when scenarios repeat operations across many records or use AI features with dynamic credit consumption.
These are decision criteria, not a universal ranking. The lowest platform fee may not be the lowest all-in cost once labor, reliability needs, infrastructure, and external service charges are included.
Sources and pricing limits
Official pricing pages are the basis for the published plan figures and billing descriptions: n8n, Zapier, and Make. Make’s credit rules are described in its help center. Exact costs for a particular business cannot be determined without its workflow inventory, chosen billing terms, and current plan details.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
