n8n vs Zapier vs Make: which one suits a small business?
n8n vs Zapier vs Make, for small business owners: what each one charges you for, one real job worked through, and who should pick which.
Most n8n vs Zapier comparisons are written for developers. You want to know something simpler: which one will stop you copying enquiries into a spreadsheet at 10pm, and what it will cost when the business gets busy.
All three tools connect your apps so a job runs by itself. Where they differ most is how each one counts your usage, and that decides your bill.
What the three tools have in common
Each one watches for something to happen, like a new web enquiry, and then does a chain of steps: add the details to a sheet, send a reply, ping your phone.
- Zapier is the easiest to start with. You pick apps from a list and fill in boxes.
- Make shows your workflow as a visual map, which helps once a job has branches ("if it's a quote, do this; if it's a complaint, do that").
- n8n is the most flexible and the most technical. You can use n8n's own hosting or run it on a server you control.
How each one charges you
- Zapier counts tasks. Each successful action in a workflow counts as a separate task. Zapier doesn't charge a task for checking whether new data has arrived.
- Make counts credits. For ordinary (non-AI) apps, one operation is one credit, and an operation is one module run, including a run that checks for new data.
- n8n counts executions. One execution is one run of the whole workflow, no matter how many steps are in it.
So the same job can look small on one tool and large on another.
One real job, counted three ways
Say a new enquiry comes in through your website form. Your workflow does four things: adds it to a spreadsheet, emails the customer a "got it, we'll call you today" reply, texts you, and adds them to your customer list. You get 200 enquiries a month.
- Zapier: four actions per enquiry is at least 800 tasks a month. The free plan only runs two-step workflows with 100 tasks a month, and the smallest paid tier includes 750, so this job needs the tier above that.
- Make: five modules (the form check plus four actions) is at least 1,000 credits a month, plus the checks Make runs while waiting for new enquiries.
- n8n: 200 executions a month, well inside the 2,500 a month on n8n's smallest hosted plan.
Plan prices change often. Tools that count every step get dearer as your workflows get longer, and tools that count whole runs get dearer as volume goes up.
n8n vs Zapier vs Make: who should pick which
Pick Zapier if you want it working this afternoon, your jobs are short (two to four steps), and nobody on the team wants to touch anything technical. You pay for that ease as volume grows.
Pick Make if your jobs branch ("if this, then that, otherwise this other thing") and you like seeing the whole flow on one screen. Watch your credit use for the first month, because checks for new data count too.
Pick n8n if your jobs have many steps, run often, or handle data you'd rather keep on a server you control. Self-hosting means someone has to set up the server, update it and fix it when it stops. If nobody on your team can do that, use n8n's hosted plans or pick another tool.
The cost nobody puts on the pricing page
The subscription is usually the small cost. The big one is time: setting it up, testing it on real jobs, and fixing it when an app changes how it works and the workflow stops without warning.
Before you choose a tool, write down the job step by step and decide who checks it each week. Our guide to business process automation covers which jobs to hand over first. Our AI tools shortlist explains why the wiring between apps is where most DIY setups stall.
Questions we get asked
Is n8n better than Zapier for a small business?
It depends on who will run it. Zapier is easier to set up and maintain without technical help. n8n is more flexible and charges per workflow run rather than per step, which suits long or frequent jobs, but self-hosting it needs someone who can manage a server.
Is Make cheaper than Zapier?
Sometimes. Make counts a credit for each module run, including checks for new data, while Zapier counts a task for each successful action and nothing for checks. Count the steps and runs in your own workflow before comparing plans.
Can I use Zapier for free?
Zapier has a free plan that includes 100 tasks a month and two-step workflows. That suits a single small job. Most businesses outgrow it once a workflow runs every day.
Do I need to know how to code to use n8n?
Not always, but it's the most technical of the three, and self-hosting it means looking after a server. If that isn't you, use n8n's hosted plans or a simpler tool.
Which automation tool should I start with?
Write down one task you repeat every week and count its steps and how often it happens. Then pick the tool whose pricing suits that pattern.
Rather not build and babysit the wiring?
Whale Marketing in One is the done-for-you version: it drafts your marketing in your brand voice, and nothing goes out until you approve it. See how our AI automation works
Sources: Zapier pricing page and FAQ — Free plan "100 tasks per month" and "Two-step Zaps"; the smallest Professional tier is "750 tasks /mo"; "Each successful action in a Zap counts as a separate task", "Zapier never charges you a task to check for new data", https://zapier.com/pricing (fetched 2026-10-19, re-checked 2026-10-21). Zapier Help Center, "How is task usage measured in Zapier?" (updated 21 August 2026) — "Only successful actions count toward your task usage"; polling triggers "never use tasks", https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496196837261-How-is-task-usage-measured-in-Zapier (fetched 2026-10-21). Make Help Center, "Credits" — "Non-AI apps: 1 operation equals 1 credit", https://help.make.com/credits; "Operations" — "An operation is a single module run to process data or check for new data", https://help.make.com/operations (both fetched 2026-10-19). n8n pricing page — Starter "2.5K workflow executions with unlimited steps"; "An execution is a single run of your entire workflow"; Community Edition "a standard, self-hosted version of n8n is available on GitHub", https://n8n.io/pricing/ (fetched 2026-10-19, re-checked 2026-10-21). Keyword data (not shown on page): DataForSEO Google Ads search volume, Australia — n8n vs zapier 90/mo, KD 7; zapier vs make 50/mo, KD 0; make vs n8n 30/mo, KD 9 (fetched 2026-10-19).
