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Why does the pricing unit matter more than the feature list?
Because the features have converged and the meters have not. Each tool counts something different:
- n8n counts executions: one run of a whole workflow, however many steps it has.
- Zapier counts tasks, and its pricing is based on the number of tasks run each month.
- Make counts credits, where each module action in a scenario uses one credit.
Take a typical marketing workflow: a new lead arrives, gets enriched, is scored by an AI model, written to a CRM, posted to Slack and added to an email list. That is one trigger and five actions. Run it 1,000 times a month.
| Unit | That workflow, 1,000 runs | Entry plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud | Per execution | 1,000 executions | €20 a month billed annually, 2,500 executions |
| Make | Per module action | About 6,000 credits | $9 a month, 10,000 credits |
| Zapier | Per task | Several thousand tasks if each action counts | $19.99 a month billed annually, 750 tasks |
The n8n and Make figures follow directly from how each vendor defines its unit. For Zapier, check its pricing page for exactly which steps count as tasks on your plan before you rely on this row. Prices were read on 1 October 2026.
Who should choose Zapier?
Teams with no technical person and a clear, simple need. Zapier's advantage is breadth: it advertises 9,000+ apps, so the obscure webinar tool you use is probably there. It has a free plan and a trial.
What is good
- The widest app catalogue of the three
- Fastest route from idea to a working two-step automation
What is not
- Per-task pricing climbs steeply as volume and step count grow
- Long, branching workflows get expensive and awkward
Who should choose Make?
Marketers who think visually and need branches, filters and loops without a large bill. The Core plan is $9 a month for 10,000 credits, the lowest entry price here. It is hosted only: you cannot run it on your own server or take the code with you.
Who should choose n8n?
Technical marketers, agencies and anyone building workflows with many steps or AI calls in the middle. Because a ten-step workflow costs the same as a two-step one, you stop designing around the meter. Unlimited users and workflows are included, and the Community Edition can be self-hosted for free if you are willing to run a server.
What is good
- Per-execution pricing rewards long, complex workflows
- Self-hosting option, and you can drop into code when a node does not exist
What is not
- A steeper learning curve than either rival
- Self-hosting is free in licence terms only: someone has to maintain it
Is there an open-source alternative worth knowing?
Activepieces is MIT-licensed, self-hostable and has a cloud plan at $20 a month for 10,000 credits. Its catalogue of 760+ integrations is smaller than the others, so check your must-have apps first.
Which one should you choose?
Questions people ask
- Is n8n really free?
- The self-hosted Community Edition is free and open source, but you pay for and maintain the server it runs on. n8n Cloud has a trial and no free plan, starting at €20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions.
- Which is easiest for a non-technical marketer?
- Zapier. It advertises more than 9,000 apps and is designed for a two-step automation to be live in minutes. n8n assumes you are comfortable with data structures and APIs.
- Can these tools run AI agents?
- All three now describe AI agent features. For marketing work the more useful question is whether the tool can call a model with your data in the middle of a workflow and pass the result on, which each of them can.