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There is no universal cheapest choice between n8n, Zapier, and Make. They meter automation differently: n8n counts complete workflow executions, Zapier counts tasks and can charge for over-limit usage, and Make counts credits for scenario operations. To compare their real monthly cost, model the same business work on each platform and include infrastructure, staff time, and separate AI or connected-service charges.
Why the headline prices do not settle the comparison
A monthly price only makes sense beside its included billing unit. One business process might be a single workflow execution in n8n, several billable tasks in Zapier, or many credits in Make. Branches, repeated items, polling, and AI features can widen those differences. Equal numbers of business outcomes therefore do not necessarily mean equal billable usage.
The figures below are those displayed on official pricing pages accessed October 7, 2026. Vendors can change prices, billing choices, and plan details; check the linked pages for a current quote. The currencies and billing terms differ, so the amounts are not a direct like-for-like ranking.
| Platform | Published billing basis | Published price or overage detail | Cost point to investigate |
|---|---|---|---|
| n8n | Monthly workflow executions, regardless of workflow complexity, on the described plans | Annual-billing examples: Starter €20/month for 2,500 executions; Pro €50/month for 10,000; Business €667/month for 40,000. Prices exclude applicable taxes. | Business is listed as self-hosted. Add infrastructure and the labor of operating it; Community Edition self-hosting is not zero total cost. |
| Zapier | Plan task limits | Tasks above the included limit cost 1.25 times the base task cost, up to a maximum task limit. The pricing page does not provide a reliable comparable set of exact tier prices here. | Estimate task counts using the rules for the actual workflow, then model over-limit use and the maximum task limit. |
| Make | Credits consumed by scenario operations | At the displayed 10,000-credit/month selection: Core $12/month, Pro $21/month, Teams $38/month. Free offers up to 1,000 credits/month. | Most actions use one credit, but some AI features use more. Free has a 15-minute minimum interval between runs. Price may depend on billing choice and region. |
Sources: n8n pricing, Zapier pricing, and Make pricing.
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How each platform meters the same workflow
n8n: count complete workflow executions
The pricing page describes its plans as based on monthly workflow executions regardless of complexity. For that plan model, a workflow with more nodes is not billed as one separate execution per node. Start with how many times the workflow runs, then compare that total with the plan allowance.
For self-hosted n8n, add the actual infrastructure bill and the work required to set up, monitor, back up, update, and recover the service. Include a realistic estimate of operator time. The Community Edition is a self-hosted option, but its subscription price alone does not capture the cost of keeping an automation running.
Zapier: estimate tasks, then stress-test overages
Zapier’s pricing page describes plan task limits and says that tasks above the included amount cost 1.25 times the base task cost, subject to a maximum task limit. This makes a forecast just below the included quota potentially misleading if normal usage varies or grows.
Count tasks using the current rules for the specific workflow rather than assuming every trigger, built-in step, or action is counted the same way. The exact tier price and maximum task limit should be verified on the live pricing page for the plan under consideration; the published evidence here does not establish a comparable exact plan quote.
Make: count credits across operations and iterations
Make meters scenario actions using credits. The pricing page says, “Each action your scenario performs consumes a certain number of credits – most actions consume 1 credit, while some advanced features leveraging Make’s AI Provider may use more.” A scenario that processes multiple bundles or repeats actions in a loop can use more credits than a simple one-record demonstration suggests.
Make’s help documentation explains that built-in AI usage can be dynamic, depending on tokens, operations, and other usage factors. With a custom AI-provider connection on a paid plan, Make bills for operations while the customer pays the AI provider directly for tokens. Keep both amounts in the estimate where applicable. See Make’s credits explanation.
Build a fair monthly estimate
Use a representative month of actual or forecast business work, not a one-step demo. Record the business outcome and the usage pattern, then translate it into each service’s billing unit.
- Inventory the workflows. For each one, record monthly runs, steps or actions per run, branches, loops or repeated items, polling frequency, and AI calls.
- Estimate each vendor’s meter separately. Convert the same workload into n8n executions, Zapier tasks under its current counting rules, and Make credits, including repeated operations and any dynamic AI usage.
- Check quota and edge cases. Compare estimated use with each plan’s included allowance. For Zapier, include a scenario that crosses the task limit and account for the stated overage rate and maximum task limit.
- Add costs outside the plan. List hosting and infrastructure, operator time, third-party API charges, and any separate AI-provider token charges. Keep these separate from the platform subscription so the source of each cost is visible.
- Normalize the comparison. Use the same currency, monthly period, billing cadence, and business outcome for all three. Label annual-billing prices as annual-billing examples, and do not treat different currencies or commitment terms as directly equivalent.
A simple estimate can use columns for workflow, monthly runs, steps/actions, repeated items, AI usage, platform meter, plan allowance, platform charge, infrastructure, labor, and external services. The totals are only as useful as the workflow assumptions behind them.
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What a small business should include beyond subscription fees
Hosting and operator time
Self-hosting shifts costs from a managed platform bill to infrastructure and operations. Price the server or other infrastructure actually needed, then estimate time for deployment, monitoring, backups, updates, and incident recovery. Compare that time with the business’s real staffing assumptions rather than assigning it a value of zero.
AI and connected services
Automation platforms do not necessarily include the costs of every service an automation calls. Track third-party application or API charges separately. For Make, distinguish credits used by scenario operations from AI-provider tokens when using a custom provider connection; built-in AI credit use may also vary with usage.
Features and reliability requirements
Before comparing plan totals, identify the collaboration, history, support, and governance capabilities the business actually needs. A cheaper plan that does not meet operational requirements is not a valid substitute, and a higher platform fee may be reasonable if it avoids work the business would otherwise perform. Treat this as a cost-model decision, not a promise of measured savings.
How to choose without guessing at a universal winner
- Consider n8n’s execution-based plans when the workflow inventory is best understood as complete runs and the execution allowance fits. If self-hosting, make an explicit infrastructure and labor estimate.
- Model Zapier carefully near the task allowance because over-limit billing is listed at 1.25 times the base task cost and has a maximum task limit. Use the current plan’s task-counting rules and live pricing details.
- Estimate Make by scenario operations when the workflow includes bundles, loops, or AI. Check the selected credit allowance, billing choice, region, and any separate provider charges.
The all-in result depends on workflow volume and shape, feature needs, billing terms, and the cost of the staff time required to operate the system. Without those inputs, naming one platform as always cheapest would overstate what the published prices establish.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
