n8n vs Make.com vs Zapier: Which Automation Tool Wins in 2025?

Quick answer: Zapier is easiest but most expensive. n8n is free but requires self-hosting. Make.com balances ease and cost.

Here’s the complete comparison.

TLDR

Zapier:

• Cost: $240-600/year
• Best for: Beginners, need support, don’t want to self-host
• Easiest to use

Make.com:

• Cost: $108-348/year
• Best for: Visual thinkers, need moderate complexity
• Good balance of cost and features

n8n:

• Cost: $0-240/year (self-host $60/year, cloud $240/year)
• Best for: Technical users, custom workflows, budget-conscious
• Most powerful but steeper learning curve

---

Pricing Comparison

3-Year Total Cost

Zapier Professional:

$19.99/month × 36 months = $720

Make.com Core:

$9/month × 36 months = $324

n8n Self-Hosted:

$5/month VPS × 36 months = $180

n8n Cloud:

$20/month × 36 months = $720

Cheapest: n8n self-hosted ($180 over 3 years) Most expensive: Zapier / n8n Cloud ($720 over 3 years)

---

Feature Comparison

Feature	Zapier	Make.com	n8n
Free tier	100 tasks/mo	1,000 ops/mo	Unlimited (self-hosted)
Paid from	$19.99/mo	$9/mo	$20/mo (Cloud)
Integrations	6,000+	1,500+	400+
Custom code	⚠️ Limited	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Visual editor	Linear	Flow chart	Flow chart
Error handling	⚠️ Basic	✅ Good	✅ Excellent
Version control	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes (Git)
Self-hosting	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes
Support	✅ 24/7	✅ Email	⚠️ Community (self-host)
Webhooks	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Database	❌ No	⚠️ Limited	✅ Built-in
Execution logs	7-30 days	30 days	Unlimited

---

Learning Curve

Zapier:

• Setup: 5 minutes
• First workflow: 10 minutes
• Advanced features: 2-3 hours
• Rating: 9/10 (easiest)

Make.com:

• Setup: 5 minutes
• First workflow: 20 minutes
• Advanced features: 5-6 hours
• Rating: 7/10 (moderate)

n8n:

• Setup: 30 minutes (self-host) or 5 minutes (Cloud)
• First workflow: 20 minutes
• Advanced features: 8-10 hours
• Rating: 6/10 (steeper but most powerful)

---

When to Choose Each Tool

Choose Zapier if:

✅ You’re non-technical ✅ You need specific integrations (6,000+ apps) ✅ You want 24/7 support ✅ Budget isn’t a concern ✅ You need it to “just work”

Choose Make.com if:

✅ You like visual workflow building ✅ You want good price/feature balance ✅ You need moderate complexity ✅ You don’t want to self-host

Choose n8n if:

✅ You’re technical (or learning) ✅ You want full control ✅ Budget is priority ✅ You need advanced features (databases, error handling) ✅ You want to own your automation infrastructure

---

Real-World Cost Scenarios

Scenario 1: Basic Automation (500 tasks/month)

Zapier: $19.99/month ($240/year) Make.com: $9/month ($108/year) n8n: $5/month VPS ($60/year)

Winner: n8n self-hosted ($180 savings vs Zapier)

Scenario 2: Growing Business (2,000 tasks/month)

Zapier: $49/month ($588/year) Make.com: $16/month ($192/year) n8n: $5/month VPS ($60/year)

Winner: n8n self-hosted ($528 savings vs Zapier)

Scenario 3: Enterprise (10,000+ tasks/month)

Zapier: $299+/month ($3,588+/year) Make.com: $29/month ($348/year) n8n: $10/month VPS ($120/year)

Winner: n8n self-hosted ($3,468 savings vs Zapier)

---

Integration Quality

Zapier:

• Widest selection (6,000+ apps)
• Quality varies
• Some integrations limited

Make.com:

• 1,500+ apps
• Generally high quality
• Better for visual workflows

n8n:

• 400+ apps
• Can build custom integrations
• HTTP Request node connects to any API

Winner: Depends on your needs. Zapier has most, n8n has most flexibility.

---

My Recommendation

For 90% of users starting out: Start with Zapier or Make.com free tier For technical users: Go straight to n8n For growing businesses: Start with Make.com, migrate to n8n when you hit limits

My setup: n8n self-hosted for everything. Zapier only when client requires it.

---

FAQ

Q: Can I migrate between platforms?

Yes, but manual. Export workflows, rebuild in new platform. Allow 1-2 days per 10 workflows.

Q: Which has best uptime?

Zapier: 99.9%, Make.com: 99.8%, n8n: depends on your hosting (DigitalOcean: 99.99%)

Q: Can n8n do everything Zapier does?

95% yes. Some niche apps only on Zapier. But n8n can connect via HTTP requests to any API.

---

Related: Deploy n8n for Free

---

About: I’m Mike Holownych, automation consultant. I’ve built 500+ workflows across all three platforms. Learn more →