n8n vs Zapier
n8n and Zapier are both workflow automation tools. n8n is aimed at developers and small businesses, while Zapier is aimed at small businesses and freelancers. Both have a free plan.
| Pricing | Open source | Freemium · $30 |
| Starting price | Not published | $29.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Built for | Developers, Small businesses | Small businesses, Freelancers |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | DE · 2019 | US · 2011 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose n8n if
Technical teams and developers who want powerful, affordable automation and are comfortable with Docker or a cloud plan.
- Self-host for free with unlimited runs
- Per-execution cloud pricing is far cheaper than per-task
- Strongest AI/agent tooling among automation platforms
Look elsewhere if: Non-technical users who want plug-and-play templates and premium support; Zapier or Make fit better.
Choose Zapier if
Business teams and small companies automating moderate-volume workflows across many SaaS tools.
- Widest integration coverage anywhere
- Easy for non-technical users
- Reliable, well-documented, strong support
Look elsewhere if: High-volume pipelines or technical teams; Make or self-hosted n8n cost a fraction per run.
n8n vs Zapier pricing
n8n
- Community (self-hosted)€0Self-hosted on your own server; fair-code license
- Starter (Cloud)€24/mo€20/mo billed annually; 2,500 executions, 1 shared project
- Pro (Cloud)€60/mo€50/mo billed annually; 10,000 executions, 3 shared projects
- Business (self-hosted)€800/mo€667/mo billed annually; 40,000 executions, SSO, LDAP
- EnterpriseCustomCloud or self-hosted, unlimited projects, 200+ concurrency
Zapier
- Free$0100 tasks/mo, two-step Zaps
- Professional$29.99/mo$19.99/mo billed yearly; 750 tasks, multi-step
- Team$103.50/mo$69/mo billed yearly; 2,000 tasks, 25 users, SSO
- EnterpriseCustomUnlimited users, advanced admin
n8n · Key features
- Visual node editor with branching, loops, merge and error handling
- 400+ native integrations plus generic HTTP and webhook nodes
- Code nodes in JavaScript and Python
- AI agent nodes with LangChain, vector stores and memory
- Self-hosting with Docker or npm; queue mode for scale
- Credentials management, versioning and environments (Enterprise)
Cons
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier
- Fewer and sometimes less polished integrations
- Self-hosting means you maintain uptime and updates
Zapier · Key features
- 8,000+ app integrations with triggers and actions
- Multi-step Zaps with paths, filters, formatters and delays
- Webhooks, code steps and AI steps (ChatGPT, Claude)
- Tables and Interfaces for lightweight apps and forms
- Zapier Agents for AI-driven automation
- Team workspaces, folders and version history
Cons
- Task-based pricing gets expensive at volume
- Polling delays on lower plans
- Complex branching is clumsier than Make
n8n vs Zapier: FAQ
Do n8n and Zapier have a free plan?
Yes, both n8n and Zapier have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.