Make vs. Zapier vs. n8n: Which Automation Platform for AI Workflows?
Make vs Zapier vs n8n compared — pricing, AI capabilities, and real costs for AI workflows. Find the BEST automation platform for your needs. Compare now!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheapest at scale — Make, Zapier, or n8n?
n8n is cheapest at scale, especially self-hosted (infrastructure cost only, ~$10–20/month). Make's operation-based pricing is dramatically cheaper than Zapier for complex workflows. A 15-step workflow running 10,000 times costs roughly $30–50/month on Make, $60/month on n8n Cloud, and $1,200+/month on Zapier. See our [workflow automation software guide](/blog/workflow-automation-software/) for a broader comparison.
Which automation tool is best for building AI agents?
n8n leads for technical teams with native LangChain integration, 70+ AI nodes, vector store support, and self-hosted LLM compatibility. Make offers the best AI experience for non-technical users via its Maia AI builder and visual agent debugging. Zapier Agents works best when you need AI across its 8,000+ app catalog with minimal setup. Our [n8n AI agents guide](/blog/n8n-ai-agents/) covers n8n's AI stack in depth.
Is n8n really open source?
n8n uses a "Sustainable Use License" (fair-code), not a standard OSI open-source license. You can self-host it freely for internal business use, but you cannot embed n8n in a SaaS product or resell it as an automation service without an enterprise license. The source code is visible and forkable, but it is not truly open source in the OSI sense.
Which is best for beginners — Make, Zapier, or n8n?
Zapier is the easiest for absolute beginners — trigger-action simplicity with the largest app library. Make requires a bit more setup but rewards with far more flexibility. n8n has the steepest learning curve and benefits from basic JavaScript knowledge and Docker familiarity for self-hosting.
Can I migrate from Zapier to n8n or Make?
Yes, but there is no automatic migration tool. Rebuilding a simple 3-step Zap takes 30–60 minutes in n8n or Make. Complex multi-path workflows can take 2–4 hours. Budget migration time accordingly — especially for large Zapier accounts with dozens of Zaps.