If you’re evaluating workflow automation platforms, you’re probably comparing Zapier, Make.com (formerly Integromat), and n8n. Here’s our honest take after years of using all three.
Zapier
Best for: Non-technical users who need simple two-step automations fast.
Pricing: $19-$799+/month. Charges per task execution, which gets expensive fast.
Limitations: Limited logic, no self-hosting, expensive at scale, hard to build complex multi-step workflows.
Make.com
Best for: Technical users who want more power than Zapier at a lower cost.
Pricing: $9-$299+/month. Also charges per operation.
Limitations: Still cloud-only (you don’t control your data). Can get expensive with high volume.
n8n
Best for: Businesses serious about automation that need unlimited scale, full control, and AI integration.
Pricing: Self-hosted = $20-50/month VPS cost for unlimited executions. Cloud plan also available.
Advantages: Open source, self-hostable, no per-task cost, integrates natively with AI models including Claude, active community with hundreds of templates.
Our Recommendation
If you’re doing more than 10,000 tasks per month or need AI integration, n8n is the clear winner. For simple one-off connections, Zapier is fine.