n8n vs Zapier vs Make

Facts only, from each tool's official pricing page (checked 16 Oct 2026). Prices change, so confirm on the source before you buy.

	n8n	Zapier	Make
Free option	Community Edition, self-hosted, free (you run the server)	Free plan: 100 tasks/mo, two-step Zaps only	Free plan: 1,000 credits/mo
Entry paid plan	Cloud Starter €20/mo billed annually	Professional $19.99/mo billed annually ($29.99 monthly) for 750 tasks	Core from $9/mo billed annually (our Oct 2026 check)
What you pay for	Executions: one full workflow run counts once, however many steps	Tasks: each successful action step; triggers and built-in tools like Filter/Formatter don't count	Credits: most module actions use 1 credit
Free trial	Cloud trial, no credit card	14-day Professional trial, no credit card	No trial listed; the Free plan has no time limit stated
Self-hosting	Yes (Docker or npm)	No	No
Custom code	Code node (JavaScript/Python)	Code by Zapier (1 s runtime on Free, 30 s on Pro)	Not listed on the pricing page we checked
Webhooks	All plans and self-hosted	Paid plans	Yes

Which fits a small business?

Lowest running cost and full control: self-hosted n8n. You need a server and some technical comfort.
Fastest no-code start with the most app connectors: Zapier. Multi-step Zaps need a paid plan.
Visual builder with a usable free tier: Make.

Sources: n8n.io/pricing · zapier.com/pricing · make.com/en/pricing · n8n hosting docs. We may earn affiliate commissions in future; this never changes the facts above (disclosure).