How do n8n, Make and Zapier measure usage?
All three tools connect your software: something happens (a form is submitted, an email arrives) and a chain of actions follows. They don't measure that work in the same unit, and the unit is what drives the bill.
- Zapier counts tasks. A task is counted each time Zapier successfully completes an action for you. The trigger (the starting event) is not counted, and neither are failed actions.
- Make counts credits. Every time a module (one block in a scenario) performs an action, it uses credits. For non-AI apps, one operation equals one credit. Some AI modules use 2 or 10.
- n8n counts executions. Its pricing page defines an execution as "a single run of your entire workflow", no matter how many steps it has or how much data it processes.
Each tool has exceptions. On Zapier, built-in tools such as Filter, Formatter, Paths and Delay don't use tasks. On Make, the Router module and error handler modules don't use credits.
Lists make a big difference. If one action runs on 5 line items of a quote, Zapier and Make count 5 actions. n8n still counts one execution for the whole run.
What does the same automation cost on each tool?
Take a common case. A quote request comes in through your website form. The automation has 10 steps: the trigger, then 9 actions (create the contact in the CRM, draft the quote, notify the salesperson, add a row to the tracking sheet, and so on). It runs 500 times a month.
- n8n: 500 executions a month. The Starter plan includes 2,500 for €20 a month, billed annually.
- Zapier: the trigger is free, so 9 tasks per run, or 4,500 tasks a month. The 5,000-task tier of the Pro plan costs $89 a month billed annually, or $133.50 billed monthly.
- Make: about 10 credits per run if each module handles a single item, so around 5,000 credits a month. That is five times the free allowance (1,000 credits). For the price of the matching paid plan, see Make's pricing page.
With a short workflow, the gap disappears. A 2-step automation (one trigger, one action) running 500 times a month uses 500 Zapier tasks: the 750-task tier costs $19.99 a month billed annually. On n8n, it's the same 500 executions on the €20 plan.
These prices were checked on the official pricing pages on 10 November 2026. Zapier sets prices in US dollars and converts other currencies at the rate on the day of payment. All three vendors change their pricing regularly, so check again on the day you decide.
Where does your data go with each tool?
With Zapier and Make, your automations run on the vendor's servers, so your customer data passes through them. n8n gives you a choice. Its Starter and Pro plans are hosted by n8n, but a version you install yourself, the Community Edition, is published on GitHub.
Self-hosting n8n keeps your data on your own server or with a hosting provider you pick. The trade-off is that someone has to run that server: updates, backups, monitoring. That cost doesn't appear on any pricing page. For larger volumes, n8n's Business plan (€667 a month billed annually, 40,000 executions) is only available self-hosted.
Who maintains the automation once it's live?
An automation doesn't run untouched forever. A connected app changes how it exchanges data, a field gets renamed in the CRM, a step fails on a Friday evening. The question to ask before choosing a tool: who gets the alert, and who fixes it?
All three tools offer a visual editor where you chain steps as blocks. A 2 or 3-step workflow is often built in-house. A 10-step workflow that touches invoicing needs more care: handling errors, avoiding duplicates, keeping a record of what happened.
That's how NUOPS builds its process automations, often with n8n: every chain is monitored and logged, a failed step sends an alert and the action falls back to manual, and sensitive actions keep a human approval. The automations plug into the tools you already use, with nothing new imposed.
n8n vs Make vs Zapier: which fits your situation?
None of the three is best across the board. The right choice depends on how long your workflows are, how often they run and where your data needs to stay.
- You want to try one or two simple automations: the free plans are often enough. Zapier gives 100 tasks a month, limited to 2-step Zaps. Make gives 1,000 credits a month.
- Your workflows have many steps or run often: n8n's per-execution billing pulls ahead as the step count grows.
- Your data is sensitive or must stay in-house: self-hosted n8n, as long as someone looks after the server.
- Your tools are already chosen: check that your CRM, invoicing software and email are supported by the tool before comparing prices.
To decide, list your automations and, for each one, multiply the number of actions by the number of runs per month. With those two figures, each pricing page gives you a real cost in a few minutes.