Zapier vs Make vs n8n: automation cost per task in 2026
Zapier sells tasks, Make sells credits, and n8n Cloud sells whole workflow executions. Set a monthly volume below to see which entry plan covers it and what the yearly list price looks like before overages.
Volume calculator
A five-step Zap or Make scenario uses about five billable units per run. The same flow on n8n is one execution. Use the volume that matches how you measure work today.
| Plan | Billing unit | Included per month | List price per month, annual billing | Suggested plan for 10,000 units | Yearly list at that plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier Professional | task | tiered | from $19.99 | - | - |
| Make Core | credit | tiered from 10,000 | from $9 | - | - |
| n8n Cloud | execution | 2,500 or 10,000 | from €20 | - | - |
Entry plans at a glance
| Vendor | Entry paid plan | Included units | Per month, annual | Per month, monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | Professional | 750 tasks | $19.99 | $29.99 |
| Zapier | Team (from) | 2,000 tasks | $69 | $103.50 |
| Make | Core (from) | 10,000 credits | $9 | $10.59 |
| Make | Pro (from) | 10,000 credits | $16 | $18.82 |
| n8n Cloud | Starter | 2,500 executions | €20 | see vendor |
| n8n Cloud | Pro | 10,000 executions | €50 | see vendor |
Where each one wins
Zapier is the broadest app catalog and the easiest handoff for non-technical teams, but task pricing rises quickly once multi-step Zaps run often. Make is usually the cheapest hosted option when you measure by module actions, and its visual scenario builder suits complex branching. n8n wins when a single run has many nodes, because one execution covers the whole workflow, and the Community Edition removes the subscription if you can self-host. A practical split for many small teams is Make or n8n for high-volume internal pipelines and Zapier only where a niche app connector is missing elsewhere.
Costs that are not in the plan price
Zapier pay-per-task overages run at a multiple of your base task rate and stop at three times the subscribed tier. Make extra credits cost the plan rate plus about 25 percent. n8n Cloud overages are capped per plan according to n8n. Empty Make trigger checks still spend credits, so polling schedules drive the bill even when nothing new arrived. AI steps on all three platforms can add separate credit or model charges on top of the base unit.
How we checked
Zapier figures come from zapier.com/pricing on 6 November 2026 (USD, Professional and Team task tiers). n8n Cloud figures come from n8n.io/pricing on 6 November 2026 (euro, annual billing) and the n8n Help Center article on adding executions for the 2,500 and 10,000 quotas. Make Core and Pro entry prices at 10,000 credits are the common EU-facing list from make.com/pricing (USD); Make shows different lists by country, so confirm the price on checkout. All figures exclude VAT. Vendors change plans often.
Do Zapier, Make and n8n bill the same unit?
No. Zapier bills successful tasks (one action step), Make bills credits (most module actions use one credit, including empty trigger checks), and n8n Cloud bills workflow executions (one full run, regardless of how many nodes ran). Comparing raw unit prices without converting volume is misleading.
Which is cheapest at 10,000 actions a month?
On annual list prices checked on 6 November 2026, Make Core at 10,000 credits is about 9 dollars a month, n8n Cloud Pro at 10,000 executions is 50 euro a month, and Zapier Professional at 10,000 tasks is 129 dollars a month. The real answer depends on how many steps each run has, because n8n counts the whole run once.
Is self-hosted n8n free?
The Community Edition has no n8n subscription fee, so you pay only for the server you run. You also take on updates, backups, TLS and monitoring. n8n Cloud Starter and Pro are the managed option with execution quotas.
Are prices shown with or without VAT?
Zapier and Make list prices in US dollars excluding VAT. n8n Cloud list prices on n8n.io/pricing are in euro, billed annually in the figures below. A Belgian or other EU company with a valid VAT number is normally invoiced under the reverse charge, so check the invoice before you book it.
For information only, not financial or legal advice. LeanOpsStack.com is published by IWA BV (Belgium). Some outbound links may be partner links, which never change the price you pay or our ranking. Prices checked on 6 November 2026.