n8n vs. Zapier vs. Make: which automation tool fits your business?

We get asked this often, so here’s the honest, practical version — not a feature-by-feature spreadsheet.

Zapier

Easiest to start with, huge library of integrations, priced per task. Great for simple, low-volume automations. Costs can climb fast once your workflows get complex or high-volume.

Make (formerly Integromat)

More visual and flexible than Zapier, still no-code, generally cheaper at scale. A good middle ground, though complex workflows can get hard to read.

n8n

Open-source, self-hostable, and the most flexible of the three — you can drop into custom code whenever a built-in node isn’t enough. It has a steeper learning curve, which is exactly why we build most client workflows on it: it doesn’t box you in as your automation needs grow.

Our take

For a handful of simple automations, Zapier or Make are fine. For anything that needs to scale, integrate deeply with AI, or avoid per-task pricing surprises, we default to n8n — and we handle the setup so you don’t have to learn it yourself.

Not sure which fits your case? Get in touch and we’ll give you a straight answer.