n8n vs Make vs Zapier: Complete Comparison Guide for 2026
Comprehensive comparison of the top three workflow automation platforms: n8n, Make, and Zapier. Detailed analysis of features, pricing, performance, and real-world use cases.
TL;DR
- n8n is best for developers and teams needing self-hosted, unlimited automation with custom code support
- Make (formerly Integromat) offers the best balance of visual workflow design and pricing for mid-market companies
- Zapier leads in number of integrations (5,000+) and enterprise features but comes at a premium price
- n8n's self-hosted option provides unlimited operations for a fixed infrastructure cost (~$100/month)
- Make offers the most competitive pricing for moderate volumes (10,000-50,000 operations/month)
- All three platforms integrate seamlessly with AppHighway tools via HTTP Request nodes/modules
Introduction
Choosing the right workflow automation platform can significantly impact your team's productivity and operational costs. In 2026, three platforms dominate the automation landscape: n8n, Make (formerly Integromat), and Zapier. Each offers unique strengths, pricing models, and use cases.
This comprehensive guide compares all three platforms across features, pricing, performance, and real-world scenarios. Whether you're a startup automating your first workflows or an enterprise scaling complex integrations, this guide will help you make an informed decision.
We'll also show how AppHighway's dozens of MCP Tools integrate with each platform, enabling powerful automation capabilities regardless of which tool you choose.
Feature Comparison Matrix
Detailed side-by-side comparison of core features across n8n, Make, and Zapier.
| Feature | n8n | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Integrations | 350+ | 1,500+ | 5,000+ |
| Visual Workflow Builder | Yes (Node-based) | Yes (Scenario-based) | Yes (Step-based) |
| Custom Code Support | Yes (JavaScript/TypeScript) | Yes (JavaScript) | Limited (Code by Zapier) |
| Self-Hosted Option | Yes (Primary offering) | No | No |
| Error Handling | Advanced (try/catch, error workflows) | Advanced (error routes, rollback) | Basic (auto-retry, error notifications) |
| Version Control | Yes (Git integration) | Limited (manual versioning) | Limited (version history) |
| Webhooks | Unlimited | Unlimited | Limited by plan |
| Scheduling | Cron expressions | Interval + advanced scheduling | Interval-based |
| API Rate Limits | Self-hosted: unlimited | Plan-based | Plan-based |
| Concurrent Executions | Unlimited (self-hosted) | 2-10 (plan-based) | Limited by plan |
| Database Support | Direct DB connections | Via integrations | Via integrations |
| Data Transformation | Built-in + code nodes | Built-in functions + tools | Formatter + paths |
| Multi-Step Workflows | Unlimited | Unlimited | Limited by plan |
| Conditional Logic | Advanced (IF/Switch/Merge) | Advanced (Routers/Filters) | Basic (Paths/Filters) |
| Team Collaboration | Cloud plan only | All paid plans | All paid plans |
| Execution History | Configurable retention | 30 days to unlimited | 7 days to unlimited |
| API Documentation | Excellent (open-source) | Good | Excellent |
| AI Features | Via integrations | Via integrations | Built-in AI automation |
Key Takeaways
- n8n offers the most flexibility with self-hosting and unlimited executions
- Make provides the best visual workflow design with advanced routing capabilities
- Zapier leads in number of integrations and enterprise-ready features
- n8n is the only platform with true version control via Git integration
- All three platforms support custom code, but n8n has the most robust implementation
Pricing Breakdown & Cost Analysis
Detailed comparison of pricing tiers, limits, and total cost of ownership for different usage volumes.
n8n Pricing
Self-Hosted (Free)
Unlimited
- Unlimited workflows
- Unlimited executions
- All integrations included
- Custom code support
- No API rate limits
- Full data ownership
Requires infrastructure (~$100/month for production setup)
Cloud Starter
2,500 executions
- Managed hosting
- Automatic updates
- SSL certificates
- Basic support
- Execution history (30 days)
- 2 team members
Cloud Pro
10,000 executions
- All Starter features
- Priority support
- Extended history (90 days)
- 10 team members
- Advanced error handling
- SLA guarantee
- •Self-hosted option provides best value for high-volume users
- •Infrastructure costs: $50-200/month depending on scale
- •No per-operation charges on self-hosted
- •Cloud plans charge $20 per 10,000 additional executions
Make Pricing
Free
1,000 operations
- 2 active scenarios
- 15-minute interval
- 100 MB data transfer
- Basic integrations
- Email support
Core
10,000 operations
- Unlimited scenarios
- 5-minute interval
- 1 GB data transfer
- All integrations
- Priority support
- Advanced functions
Pro
10,000 operations
- All Core features
- 1-minute interval
- 10 GB data transfer
- Team collaboration
- Full-text search
- Custom variables
Teams
10,000 operations
- All Pro features
- Team management
- Priority execution
- Dedicated support
- SSO (add-on)
- •Most competitive pricing for 10,000-50,000 operations/month
- •Additional operations: $9 per 10,000
- •Free tier ideal for testing and small projects
- •Team features available at lower price point than competitors
Zapier Pricing
Free
100 tasks
- 5 Zaps
- Single-step Zaps
- 15-minute update time
- Email support
Starter
750 tasks
- 20 Zaps
- Multi-step Zaps
- 15-minute update time
- Webhooks
- Email support
Professional
2,000 tasks
- Unlimited Zaps
- 2-minute update time
- Advanced features
- Unlimited users
- Premium apps
- Priority support
Team
2,000 tasks
- All Professional features
- Shared workspace
- Premier support
- Advanced admin permissions
- SSO (add-on)
Company
50,000 tasks
- All Team features
- Advanced admin controls
- Custom data retention
- Dedicated support
- Premier support
- 99.9% SLA
- •Highest price per operation among all platforms
- •Enterprise features and support justify premium for large teams
- •Additional tasks: $120 per 10,000
- •Free tier very limited compared to competitors
Cost per 10,000 Operations
Total monthly cost for different operation volumes
When to Use Each Platform
Recommended scenarios and use cases for n8n, Make, and Zapier based on team size, technical expertise, and requirements.
Choose n8n if you:
Development Team with Infrastructure
Your team has DevOps expertise and can manage self-hosted infrastructure. Best value for unlimited executions.
Data Privacy Requirements
GDPR, HIPAA, or industry regulations require full data ownership and on-premise processing.
Complex Custom Logic
Workflows require extensive custom JavaScript/TypeScript code, direct database access, or Git version control.
High-Volume Automation
Processing 100,000+ operations monthly where per-operation pricing becomes prohibitive.
Open-Source Preference
Team prefers open-source tools for transparency, community support, and customization options.
Choose Make if you:
Visual Workflow Designers
Non-technical team members need to build and maintain workflows with intuitive visual interface.
Mid-Market Budget
Need professional features at competitive pricing for moderate operation volumes (10,000-100,000/month).
Advanced Routing Needs
Workflows require complex conditional routing, filters, and data transformation without code.
Fast Implementation
Need to deploy automation quickly without infrastructure setup or technical onboarding.
Growing Integration Needs
1,500+ available integrations cover most tools without requiring custom API calls.
Choose Zapier if you:
Enterprise Features Required
Need SSO, advanced admin controls, dedicated support, and 99.9% SLA guarantees.
Maximum Integration Coverage
5,000+ integrations ensure compatibility with virtually any SaaS tool, including niche applications.
Non-Technical Team
Simplest interface for business users with minimal technical training required.
Proven Reliability
Mission-critical workflows where 99.9% uptime and proven track record are paramount.
AI Automation Features
Built-in AI capabilities for intelligent routing, data extraction, and decision-making.
Quick Decision Matrix
Performance & Reliability Benchmarks
Real-world performance metrics, uptime statistics, and execution speed comparisons.
Average Execution Speed
Time to complete a standard 5-step workflow (trigger → API call → data transform → condition → action)
n8n (self-hosted)
Fastest due to local execution, no queue delays
n8n (cloud)
Dependent on cloud region and current load
Make
Consistent performance, scenario complexity affects speed
Zapier
Slower execution but extremely reliable
- •Benchmarks based on 1,000 test executions per platform
- •Self-hosted n8n offers best performance for latency-sensitive workflows
- •All platforms adequate for non-real-time automation
Uptime & Reliability
Historical uptime statistics and service reliability
n8n (self-hosted)
Reliability controlled by your infrastructure setup
n8n (cloud)
Good uptime, occasional maintenance windows
Make
Strong reliability, rare service interruptions
Zapier
Industry-leading uptime, proven enterprise reliability
Concurrent Workflow Executions
Maximum simultaneous workflow executions allowed
Data Transfer Limits
Maximum data transfer per month
Implementation Examples with AppHighway
Real-world examples showing how to integrate AppHighway tools with each automation platform.
Example 1: CSV Processing with n8n
Automatically convert uploaded CSV files to JSON and store in database
Set up webhook node to receive CSV file uploads from your application
Use HTTP Request node to call AppHighway CSV-to-JSON tool
Method: POST
URL: https://apphighway.com/api/v1/csv-to-json
Headers:
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
Body:
file: {{$binary.data}}
infer_schema: trueUse Function node to process the JSON response
Use PostgreSQL node to insert transformed data
- Self-hosted n8n provides unlimited executions
- Direct database access without third-party storage
- Full control over data processing pipeline
- AppHighway handles complex CSV parsing logic
Example 2: Review Summarization with Make
Summarize customer reviews daily and send reports to Slack
Set up scheduled trigger to run daily at 9 AM
Use HTTP module to fetch yesterday's reviews from your database API
HTTP Request module to AppHighway Review Summarizer
URL: https://apphighway.com/api/v1/review-summarizer
Method: POST
Headers:
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
Body:
reviews: {{map(2.reviews; 'text')}}
summary_length: 'concise'Use Text Parser tools to format summary as Slack message
Use Slack module to post summary to #customer-insights channel
- Visual workflow easy for marketing team to modify
- Built-in Slack integration simplifies notification
- Advanced scheduling handles timezone conversions
- AppHighway provides consistent AI-powered summaries
Example 3: Multi-API Workflow with Zapier
Extract structured data from support tickets and create tasks
Trigger on new ticket with 'bug' tag in Zendesk
Use Webhooks by Zapier to call AppHighway Structify
Action: POST Request
URL: https://apphighway.com/api/v1/structify
Payload Type: JSON
Data:
text: {{ticket_description}}
schema:
bug_type: string
severity: string
affected_feature: string
reproduction_steps: arrayUse Filter to only proceed if severity is 'high' or 'critical'
Use Jira integration to create ticket with structured data
Send Slack notification to #engineering channel for critical bugs
- 5,000+ integrations cover Zendesk, Jira, Slack natively
- No-code setup accessible to support team
- Reliable execution for critical bug workflows
- AppHighway extracts structured data from unstructured tickets
Common Integration Patterns
All platforms support Bearer token authentication for AppHighway tools
Handle insufficient points errors (HTTP 402) gracefully
Process multiple items efficiently to minimize API calls
Parse JSON responses and extract specific fields
Real-World Cost Comparison
E-Commerce Company Automation Needs
Mid-size e-commerce company needs to automate:
- Process 50,000 orders per month (order confirmation, inventory update, shipping notification)
- Daily review summarization (30 reviews/day = 900/month)
- Customer support ticket routing (2,000 tickets/month)
- Abandoned cart recovery (10,000 carts/month)
n8n Self-Hosted
Fixed cost regardless of operation volume. Best for predictable high-volume use cases.
n8n Cloud
No infrastructure management, but higher cost at volume.
MakeWinner
Best value for this volume. Excellent balance of features and cost.
Zapier
Premium pricing but includes enterprise features, SSO, and dedicated support.
Recommendation for This Scenario
- Make offers the best value at $57/month for 62,900 operations
- Visual workflow builder enables marketing team to manage some workflows
- 10x cheaper than Zapier for this volume
- If volume grows beyond 100,000 ops/month, consider n8n self-hosted
- Make's advanced routing handles complex order processing logic
- 5-minute interval sufficient for e-commerce automation needs
Best Practices for Choosing & Using Automation Platforms
Calculate Total Cost of Ownership
Include infrastructure, maintenance, and per-operation costs when comparing platforms.
- Estimate monthly operation volume with 30% buffer for growth
- Factor in developer time for self-hosted solutions
- Consider hidden costs: monitoring, backups, security updates
- Project costs at 2x and 5x current volume
Match Platform to Team Expertise
Choose tools your team can confidently build and maintain without extensive training.
- n8n requires DevOps knowledge for self-hosted setup
- Make balances technical capability with visual design
- Zapier optimized for non-technical business users
- Consider onboarding time in implementation timeline
Start with Free Tiers
Test each platform with real workflows before committing to paid plans.
- Build 3-5 representative workflows on each platform
- Test error handling and edge cases
- Evaluate ease of debugging and troubleshooting
- Involve actual end-users in testing process
Design for Scalability
Build workflows that can handle 10x volume without major refactoring.
- Use batch processing where possible
- Implement proper error handling and retries
- Monitor execution times and optimize bottlenecks
- Plan for concurrent execution limits
Implement Robust Error Handling
Automation failures should be caught, logged, and recoverable without manual intervention.
- Add error notification workflows for critical automations
- Implement retry logic with exponential backoff
- Log failures with context for debugging
- Create fallback workflows for mission-critical processes
Monitor and Optimize Regularly
Track workflow performance, costs, and success rates to identify optimization opportunities.
- Set up dashboards for operation volume and costs
- Review execution logs weekly for patterns
- Identify and eliminate redundant workflow steps
- Optimize high-volume workflows first for maximum impact
Version Control Your Workflows
Maintain workflow versions to enable rollbacks and track changes over time.
- n8n: Use Git integration for true version control
- Make: Export scenarios regularly as backups
- Zapier: Document changes in version history
- Test changes in development environment before production
Secure Your API Credentials
Protect AppHighway tool tokens and other credentials with proper secret management.
- Use platform environment variables for API tokens
- Rotate API tokens periodically
- Grant minimum necessary permissions per token
- Monitor token usage for suspicious activity
Conclusion: Making Your Decision
n8n, Make, and Zapier each excel in different scenarios. The right choice depends on your team's technical expertise, operation volume, budget, and specific feature requirements.
**Choose n8n** if you have DevOps resources and need unlimited automation at scale, especially for 100,000+ operations monthly. The self-hosted option provides unmatched value for high-volume scenarios and complete data control.
**Choose Make** for the best balance of features, pricing, and usability. It's ideal for mid-market companies processing 10,000-100,000 operations monthly who want powerful visual workflow design without premium pricing.
**Choose Zapier** when maximum integration coverage (5,000+ apps) and enterprise features are critical. Despite higher costs, Zapier's reliability, simplicity, and proven track record justify the premium for mission-critical workflows.
Regardless of which platform you choose, AppHighway's dozens of specialized tools integrate seamlessly to provide powerful data transformation, AI processing, and utility functions. Start with a free tier on each platform, build representative workflows, and let real-world testing guide your final decision.
Remember: the best automation platform is the one your team will actually use effectively. Consider not just features and pricing, but also long-term maintainability and team adoption.
Next Steps
- 1Sign up for free tiers on n8n, Make, and Zapier
- 2Create AppHighway account and generate API token
- 3Build 3-5 test workflows representing your key use cases
- 4Calculate projected costs at current and 3x volume
- 5Run pilot workflows for 2 weeks and evaluate results
- 6Make final decision based on real-world testing data