Comparison guide ยท Prices checked October 11, 2026
Zapier vs Make vs n8n: what each costs at three workload sizes
The three tools count usage differently, which makes headline prices hard to compare. So we picked one typical workflow (a trigger plus three actions) and priced it at three volumes, using each vendor’s own counting rules.
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Quick answer
- Cheapest at every size on paper: Make for small and medium volumes ($12 a month), and self-hosted n8n at high volume if you can run a server.
- Zapier costs the most per run because each action step is a task: at 15,000 runs a month it is about four times Make’s price in our calculation ($289 versus $72).
- n8n’s cloud plans cap at 10K executions (Pro, €50), so a large workload means self-hosting or the €667 Business tier.
Costs depend on how many steps your workflows have. Fewer steps narrows the gap with Zapier.
How each tool counts usage
| Zapier | Make | n8n | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you are billed for | Tasks (each action step; trigger is free) | Credits (about 1 per module run, trigger included) | Executions (one per workflow run, however many steps) |
| Free option | 100 tasks a month | 1,000 credits a month | Community Edition is free to self-host (you pay for the server) |
| Cheapest paid plan | Professional from $19.99 a month at 750 tasks, annual | Core $12 a month at 10,000 credits, annual ($16 monthly) | Cloud Starter €20 a month at 2.5K executions, annual |
| Source | Vendor page Third-party, verify | Vendor page Third-party, verify | Vendor page |
Cost at three workload sizes
Assumptions: one workflow with one trigger and three actions. Zapier counts the three actions as 3 tasks per run (the trigger is free). Make counts about 4 credits per run (one per module, trigger included). n8n counts 1 execution per run. We rounded up to the next pricing tier each vendor sells.
| Workload | Zapier (annual) | Make Core (annual / monthly) | n8n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small: 500 runs a month | 1,500 tasks → 2,000-task tier: $49 | 2,000 credits → 10,000-credit tier: $12 / $16 | 500 executions → Cloud Starter: €20 (or self-host free) |
| Medium: 1,500 runs a month | 4,500 tasks → 5,000-task tier: $89 | 6,000 credits → 10,000-credit tier: $12 / $16 | 1,500 executions → Cloud Starter: €20 (or self-host free) |
| Large: 15,000 runs a month | 45,000 tasks → 50,000-task tier: $289 | 60,000 credits → 80,000-credit tier: $72 / $97 | 15,000 executions: above Cloud Pro (10K, €50). Self-host Community Edition (free software, your server costs), or Business €667 for 40K (self-hosted) |
Zapier tier prices (2,000 / 5,000 / 50,000 tasks) are from an independent tracker dated October 10, 2026 Third-party, verify; Zapier’s own page showed only the starting price. Make tier prices are from an independent tracker dated October 6, 2026 Third-party, verify; Make’s own page showed the 10,000-credit prices. n8n figures were read on the vendor page Vendor page. Monthly billing costs more: Make Core is $16 and $97 monthly at the 10,000 and 80,000 tiers; Zapier says annual billing saves 33%.
What can change your bill
- Zapier: filter steps count as tasks even when they reject a record, so a filtered Zap uses more tasks than you might expect.
- Make: each polling-trigger check costs 1 credit whether or not it finds data. When a trigger returns many items, every item runs the downstream modules, so one batch can use many credits.
- n8n: self-hosting removes execution limits but adds server cost and upkeep. Business is self-hosted only and, per the vendor page, companies with fewer than 20 employees may get 50% off.
The three tools
Zapier
Simplest to learn, and the most expensive to run at volume. Free plan: 100 tasks a month.
Make
Credit-based and cheapest for step-heavy workflows. Free plan: 1,000 credits a month (about 250 runs of our example workflow).
n8n
Counts a whole run as one execution, which is where it saves money on long workflows. Free to self-host, with a paid cloud option.
How this page was made. It compares published pricing and plan limits. We have not run hands-on tests of these products yet, so nothing here is a performance or usability verdict. See our methodology.
Common questions
Which is cheapest, Zapier, Make or n8n?
In our worked example Make is cheapest for small and medium volumes and n8n (self-hosted) for large volumes. Zapier is the most expensive at every size.
Why does a Zapier workflow cost more?
Zapier bills each action step as a task, so a 3-action Zap uses 3 tasks per run, while n8n counts the whole run as one execution.
Can I use any of them free?
Yes. Zapier Free gives 100 tasks a month, Make Free 1,000 credits, and n8n Community Edition is free if you host it yourself.
How current are these numbers?
Checked October 11, 2026. Tier prices for Zapier and Make came from third-party trackers, so confirm them in the vendor’s plan selector.