How each platform charges
This is the difference you notice most on the bill as you grow:
- Zapier charges per task: every step that moves data counts.
- Make charges per operation: every module that runs counts, but the price per operation is lower.
- n8n charges per execution: a complete workflow counts once, however many steps it has. And its community edition is free if you host it on your own server.
Quick comparison
| Zapier | Make | n8n | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | The simplest | Medium, very visual | Medium; more powerful with a little code |
| Integrations | Thousands of apps | Over a thousand | Hundreds of nodes, plus any API |
| Self-hosting | No | No | Yes |
| AI and agents | AI actions | AI modules | AI agent node with tools and memory |
| Cost at high volume | High | Medium | Low |
When each one makes sense
Zapier
For non-technical teams that need to connect less common apps quickly, with linear workflows and low volume.
Make
For workflows with branches, loops and data transformations, when volume starts to grow and you want a lower cost than Zapier.
n8n
For real AI automations: agents that query your data and use tools, high volume, the need to keep data on your own server or in the European Union, and version control.
What we use at Mavagna
We choose according to the project, but in most of our AI automations we work with n8n for its flexibility, its cost and the option of hosting it on your own servers. We use Make or Zapier when the client already has them or the workflow is simple. If you’re not sure what suits you, we’ll tell you in the assessment.
Want to know the total cost? We explain it in how much AI process automation costs.