2026 Head-to-head
Make vs n8n: which should you pick?
Facts last verified · Category: Automation
Make and n8n are the two serious answers to 'Zapier is too expensive,' but they serve different operators. Make is a polished visual canvas — routers, iterators, and 3,000+ app modules — that ops-minded non-developers can genuinely master, with AI agents included even on the free plan. n8n is source-available and developer-shaped: AI agents are first-class nodes with tools and memory, you can drop into code anywhere, and the Community Edition self-hosts free with no execution limits — unique among major automation platforms.
Pricing models diverge meaningfully at scale. Make's credit-based entry tier is cheap (~$10.59/month), but n8n's execution-based pricing means a 50-step workflow costs the same as a 3-step one — dramatically cheaper for long, complex flows. The cost is learning curve: n8n is the steepest of the big three (ease-of-use 3.6 vs Make's 4.0).
Quick verdict
Choose Make if you want powerful visual automation without writing code.
Choose n8n if you're technical, want AI agents as first-class citizens, or need free self-hosting.
Make vs n8n at a glance
| Fact | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | ★ 4.4 / 5 | ★ 4.5 / 5 |
| Best for | Best visual automation builder | Best for AI agent workflows |
| Standout | Drag-and-drop scenario canvas across 3,000+ apps | Native AI agent nodes plus free self-hosting |
| Pricing | Free plan available; from $10.59/month billed annually | Free plan available (self-hosted); cloud from €20/month billed annually |
| Free trial | No | Cloud trial with Pro features, no card required |
| Platforms | web | web, cli |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
| External reviews | 78% positive | 85% positive |
Pricing verified August 2026 · prices as listed by each vendor; check the official sites for current offers.
Editorial scores
Same fixed rubric for every tool in the directory, 0–5. Bold marks the higher score.
| Criterion | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Output quality | 4.2 | 4.5 |
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 3.6 |
| Features | 4.6 | 4.7 |
| Value for money | 4.5 | 4.6 |
Why choose Make
- Visual canvas with routers and iterators handles branching logic Zapier only approximates with paths
- Roughly 10x more automation volume per dollar than Zapier at entry level
- AI agents available on every plan, including free, unlike most rivals' paid gates
Where it falls short
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier — routers, iterators, and mappings take practice
- The 2025 switch from operations to credits made AI-heavy scenarios cost more than the old math suggested
Deal: Free plan with 1,000 credits/month, and annual billing cuts Core from $12 to $10.59/mo
Why choose n8n
- Only major automation platform you can self-host free with no execution limits
- AI agents are first-class nodes with tools and memory, not a bolted-on chatbot
- Execution-based pricing makes long, complex workflows dramatically cheaper than per-task rivals
Where it falls short
- Steepest learning curve of the big three automation tools — expect to think like a developer
- Cloud Starter's 2,500 executions/month evaporates fast with polling triggers, and workflows can pause when you hit the cap
Deal: Community Edition is free to self-host with unlimited workflows and executions
Our verdict
Teams without engineers should choose Make — it delivers most of n8n's power with far less friction, at a lower starting price than Zapier by a mile. Developers and technical teams building AI-agent workflows should choose n8n: self-hosting, code access, and execution-based pricing compound in your favor as complexity grows (we score it 4.5 vs 4.4 overall).