There is no universal cheapest choice between Zapier, Make, and n8n: each bills a different unit. Zapier counts tasks, Make counts credits for module actions, and n8n Cloud counts complete workflow executions. To compare them, estimate your monthly runs and the billable actions inside each run, then match the totals to current plan quotas and prices.
How each platform counts usage
| Platform | Billing unit | What counts | Published plan examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | Tasks | Zap steps and external connector calls can use tasks. Rates may vary with AI model tier, code runtime, and connector type. | Free: $0 for 100 tasks per month. Professional starts at $19.99 per month. |
| Make | Credits | Each module action in a scenario counts as one credit. | Free: up to 1,000 credits per month. Core: $9 per month for 10,000 credits. At the displayed 10,000-credit selection, Pro is $16 per month and Teams is $29 per month. |
| n8n Cloud | Workflow executions | One complete workflow run counts as one execution, regardless of its number of steps or data volume. | Starter: €20 per month billed annually for 2,500 executions. Pro: €50 per month billed annually for 10,000 executions. Both list unlimited steps. |
These are examples shown on the vendors’ official pricing pages, accessed October 7, 2026: Zapier pricing, Make pricing, and n8n pricing. Zapier and Make figures are in USD; n8n figures are in EUR. Plan selectors, selected quotas, and billing cadence affect the offer, so check the live pages before purchasing.
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Do not treat a task, credit, and execution as interchangeable. A single workflow run can consume multiple Zapier tasks or Make credits, while n8n Cloud counts the complete run as one execution. That difference is why “how much does Zapier cost?” or “which automation tool is cheaper?” cannot be answered from entry prices alone.
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- Choose a month and count workflow runs. Estimate how often each trigger fires. If you already use n8n, its pricing guidance recommends reviewing instance execution logs. For a new workflow, list its use cases and estimate their frequency, including scheduled runs and webhook events.
- Count Zapier’s billable activity per run. Identify the Zap steps and external connector calls that use tasks. Check Zapier’s usage rules for actions whose task rates can vary; the pricing page describes a shared task pool across Zaps, AI steps, code, MCP, and SDK.
- Count Make module actions per scenario run. Work out which actions process data and apply any relevant credit rules on Make’s pricing page. Multiply the applicable actions by your expected monthly runs.
- Count n8n Cloud executions. Count full workflow runs, not steps. A workflow with many steps still counts as one execution per complete run under n8n’s definition.
- Match totals to plans. Compare each estimate with a current tier’s quota and price, using the same month and realistic usage assumptions. Add relevant plan features, external API or model costs, and self-hosting expenses separately.
This is a buyer-specific estimate, not a vendor-published benchmark. A useful comparison records monthly runs, billable steps or actions per run, the selected plan and billing cadence, currency, and the date prices were checked.
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Why workflow shape changes the price comparison
A simple workflow may use few billable actions
If a workflow triggers rarely and performs only a small number of actions, its task or credit total may fit comfortably within a lower quota. Compare the expected monthly total with each plan’s allowance rather than assuming the platform with the lowest displayed entry price will remain cheapest as usage grows.
A multi-action workflow magnifies per-action meters
When one run performs many operations, Make’s credit count and Zapier’s task usage can grow with the work done in that run. Zapier’s exact task usage can also depend on action type and other stated usage rules. For these platforms, counting only trigger frequency misses a material part of the estimate.
Execution-based pricing separates run count from step count
For n8n Cloud, adding steps does not multiply the execution count for a completed run. The relevant estimate is how many times the entire workflow runs per month. This makes its meter structurally different, but does not establish that it will be cheaper overall: the monthly execution quota, other costs, and the workflow’s operating requirements still matter.
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Make credits explained, and the scheduling detail to check
Make’s official pricing page says each module action in a scenario counts as one credit. Its listed examples include adding a Google Sheets row and fetching Gmail account data. The Free plan lists a 15-minute minimum interval between runs; Core supports scheduling down to the minute. If your workflow depends on frequent scheduled runs, check whether the plan’s scheduling interval fits before comparing credit totals alone.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What n8n executions pricing does—and does not—mean
n8n describes an execution as one run of the entire workflow, regardless of how many steps it contains or how much data it processes. The published Cloud examples above are annual-billing prices; they should not be read as monthly-billing prices or converted into another currency without a dated exchange-rate method.
n8n also offers a standard self-hosted Community Edition. Its pricing page identifies Business as self-hosted only and Enterprise as available hosted or self-hosted. Those options establish deployment choices, not a zero-cost total: the plan figures do not price a self-hosted server or the operator time needed to run it.
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Choose on more than the meter
Once the usage estimate is in hand, check the requirements that could change the decision:
- Integration fit: Confirm that the apps, triggers, and actions your workflow needs are available on the platform and plan you are considering.
- Plan features: Verify whether you need collaboration, logs, execution priority, or other features included only in particular tiers.
- Operating responsibility: For self-hosted n8n, account for hosting, upgrades, backups, credentials, and monitoring. The subscription figures do not assign a cost to that work.
- Variable and external charges: Check applicable Zapier usage rules and budget separately for API or AI-model charges outside the automation subscription.
- Billing basis: Compare the same usage period, quota, currency, and billing cadence. The displayed prices and plan details can change.
The official pricing descriptions establish different billing models and representative plan figures, but they do not establish a winner for every workflow or buyer. Your run frequency, action count, integrations, plan needs, and willingness to operate infrastructure determine which option makes sense for you.
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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.
