AI Tool Comparison
Make vs n8n
A side-by-side breakdown to help you pick the right tool for your workflow.
Make
Visually build automation workflows across 3,000+ apps, wiring AI models, webhooks, and business tools together without writing code. Native custom AI provider connections now compete directly with Zapier Agents.
n8n
Visually connect apps, APIs, and AI models into multi-step automations, free and self-hostable, or run on Cloud with per-execution pricing.
Bottom Line
Last reviewed: August 2026
Make and n8n both compete in Automation, overlapping most directly on automation. n8n carries the higher rating (4.7 vs 4.6), but a gap that size rarely overrides a real workflow fit on its own.
Choose Make if…
Best for technical operations teams who need precise, conditional automation logic that Zapier can't express, and its edge is a visual canvas showing every step and data transformation in a workflow, not a black-box automation. More cost-effective and more powerful than Zapier for complex flows, at the cost of a steeper learning curve.
Choose n8n if…
Best for teams that want automation they can self-host and fully control, and its edge is free and self-hostable, with the same visual workflow builder as the paid competitors. The best choice when you want Zapier's flexibility without the recurring cost.
| Attribute | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation | Automation |
| Pricing | freemium | freemium |
| Pricing Detail | Free (1,000 credits/mo) / $12/mo Core / $21/mo Pro / $38/mo Teams | Free (self-hosted) / €20/mo Cloud Starter / €50/mo Cloud Pro |
| Rating |
Key Features
Make
- Visual workflow builder
- Complex data mapping
- Error handling
- Thousands of apps
- AI module integrations
- Live Search
- Agent Grid multi-agent orchestration
n8n
- 400+ integrations
- AI nodes (LangChain)
- Self-hosting option
- Code nodes (JavaScript/Python)
- Complex branching logic
- Natural-language AI Assistant for building workflows
Pros
Make
- •More cost-effective than Zapier
- •Visual interface is great for complex flows
- •Powerful data manipulation
- •Better free tier
n8n
- •Open source and self-hostable
- •More powerful than Zapier for technical users
- •AI nodes are excellent
- •Great value vs Zapier
Cons
Make
- Steeper learning curve
- Interface can be intimidating
- Debugging can be tricky
n8n
- Higher technical bar than Zapier
- Self-hosting requires maintenance
- Debugging complex flows can be hard