n8n or Make? If you care about control over your data, the option to self-host and advanced AI automations, n8n is usually the better choice. If you want to get started quickly in a friendly visual editor without thinking about servers, Make is simpler at the outset. Zapier works for the simplest connections between popular apps, when time matters more than flexibility.
Each of these tools is good; they differ in who they suit and what for. Below we compare them from the perspective of a small or medium business that wants to automate office work.
What are workflow automation tools?
They are platforms that connect the apps your business uses and pass data between them according to a defined scenario. Example: when an invoice arrives in Gmail, save the attachment to the drive, read the data and add a row to a spreadsheet.
All three tools work similarly: you build a scenario from blocks (a trigger, actions, conditions), and the platform runs it automatically. Increasingly, one of the blocks is an AI model that reads, summarizes, classifies or writes text.
n8n: flexibility and control over your data
n8n is developed under a fair-code model: the source code is publicly available and the tool can be run on your own server. A cloud version maintained by the vendor is also available.
Strengths:
- Self-hosting. Your data can stay on your own server or with a provider of your choice in Europe, which can matter for personal data and financial documents.
- High flexibility. When there is no ready-made block, you can write a piece of code or call any API.
- Advanced AI features. It’s convenient for building AI agents, chains with several models and work on your own documents.
- Predictable costs at scale. With self-hosting you mainly pay for the server and maintenance, not for each execution.
Weaknesses:
- It requires more technical knowledge, especially when self-hosting (updates, backups, security).
- Fewer ready-made integrations with niche apps than Zapier.
- The interface is more “technical,” which can be intimidating for non-technical people.
Make: visual and approachable
Make (formerly Integromat) is known for a clear editor in which scenarios look like a diagram of connected circles. It runs only in the vendor’s cloud.
Strengths:
- A very readable editor. It’s easy to understand what is happening in a scenario, even without technical experience.
- A large number of ready-made integrations with popular business apps.
- Good tools for working with data: filtering, mapping and transforming data without code.
- A quick start. There’s nothing to install or maintain.
Weaknesses:
- No self-hosting option; your data passes through the vendor’s servers.
- A pricing model based on the number of operations means costs grow with the number and complexity of scenarios.
- With very elaborate logic, scenarios become hard to maintain.
Zapier: the simplest to start with
Zapier is the best-known tool of the three. It emphasizes simplicity and a huge catalog of integrations.
Strengths:
- The most ready-made integrations. If an app has connections at all, it almost certainly has them with Zapier.
- A very low barrier to entry. You can set up simple automations in a few minutes.
- Growing AI features and an assistant that helps you build scenarios.
Weaknesses:
- At a high number of executions it can be the most expensive of the three.
- Less flexible for complex logic, branching and processing large volumes of data.
- Cloud only, with no self-hosting option.
n8n, Make and Zapier in one table
| Criterion | n8n | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Cloud or your own server | Cloud only | Cloud only |
| Code model | Fair-code, source available | Closed | Closed |
| Ease of getting started | Medium | High | Very high |
| Complex scenarios | Very good | Good | Fair |
| AI features and agents | Advanced | Good | Good |
| Number of ready-made integrations | Large | Very large | Largest |
| Costs at scale | Usually the most predictable | Grow with the number of operations | Grow with the number of tasks |
What about pricing?
We deliberately don’t quote specific amounts here. Automation tool pricing changes fairly often: thresholds, execution limits and the way operations are counted all shift. It’s always worth checking current prices directly on the vendors’ websites.
When comparing costs, pay attention to:
- the billing unit: do you pay per scenario run, per step or per bundle,
- plan limits: the number of active scenarios, run frequency, execution history,
- AI costs: calls to AI models are usually billed separately by the model provider,
- hidden costs: with self-hosted n8n you add the server, backups and time spent on maintenance.
Which tool should you pick? A few typical scenarios
A one-person business with a few simple connections. For example, a website form goes into a spreadsheet and sends a notification. Zapier or Make is entirely sufficient here.
A service company with several processes and customer data. For example, an accounting firm that wants to read invoices from emails automatically. Make can handle it, but n8n hosted in Europe gives you more control over the data.
A company that wants to build AI agents. If the automation is to carry out several steps on its own, use company documents and escalate cases to a person, n8n is usually the most convenient. You can read more about what an agent is in the article AI agent vs chatbot.
A high number of executions per day. With thousands of runs, costs in operation-based models can climb quickly. Self-hosting n8n may then be the more sensible option.
What else to consider when choosing
Beyond features and price, it’s worth thinking through a few practical matters that only surface after a few months of using the tool.
Personal data and GDPR
Automations often process customer data: names, email addresses, correspondence, invoices. Check where the data is physically processed, whether the vendor offers a data processing agreement and how long it keeps execution history. If you operate under the GDPR or a similar data protection law, this matters. With self-hosted n8n you have full control over it, but also full responsibility.
Who will maintain the automations?
Scenarios need adjusting from time to time: app APIs change, document formats change, processes in the company change. Think about whether someone on your team will do this or whether you’d rather entrust it to an outside person. That determines whether to choose a simpler tool or a more flexible one.
Error handling
Every automation stops at some point, for example when the connection to your email expires. It’s important that someone is notified and that unprocessed data doesn’t vanish. All three tools have error-handling mechanisms, but it’s worth configuring them from day one rather than after the first failure.
The tool is only half the success
Choosing a platform matters, but what you automate and how matters more. A well-described process will work in any of these tools. A poorly described one won’t work in any of them.
Before you pick a tool, it’s worth answering a few questions: which tasks take the most time, what data will be processed and who will approve the results. Our guide how to implement AI in your business will help.
We’ll help you choose and implement
At nbits we fit the tool to the process, not the other way around. Show us what takes your team the most time, and we’ll point out what’s worth automating, choose the platform and connect it to the tools you already use. See what process automation looks like, or get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n free?
n8n can be installed on your own server under the fair-code license, which for internal company use usually doesn’t require license fees. You then pay for the server and maintenance. The cloud version is paid; check the vendor’s website for current terms.
Is Make easier than n8n?
For most non-technical people, yes. Make’s editor is very readable, and the tool doesn’t require you to maintain a server. n8n, in return, offers more flexibility and control over your data.
Can I move automations from Zapier to n8n?
There is no automatic converter, but scenarios can be recreated by hand. It’s often worth simplifying them along the way and merging several smaller automations into one.