The n8n vs Zapier: Which Is Better for Small Business AI Automation?
Choose Zapier if you are not technical and want a managed tool that connects 9,000+ apps without code. Choose n8n if you or someone on your team is comfortable with a technical canvas, want custom code steps, or want to self-host. The pricing models differ: Zapier counts tasks (successful action steps), n8n counts whole workflow runs.
Last checked: against each vendor's own pricing page. Not affiliated with the companies listed. Based on public information — not tested by us. How we check.
Side by side
| Zapier | n8n | Make (third option) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Small teams that want to automate work across many SaaS apps without code. | Technical teams that want to build custom AI agents and automations with full control, including self-hosting. | Small businesses and agencies automating work across many apps without heavy coding. |
| Integrations (vendor) | 9,000+ apps | 500+ prebuilt integrations | 3,500+ apps plus custom API apps |
| What the price is based on | Tasks: successful action steps. Triggers and built-in tools like Filter do not count. | Executions: one full workflow run, however many steps it has. | Credits: most actions use 1 credit. |
| Free option | Free plan, 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps only | Free cloud trial (1,000 executions); self-hosted Community Edition on GitHub | Free plan, 1,000 credits a month |
| Paid plans listed | Professional from $19.99/mo, Team from $69/mo (billed annually) | Starter €20/mo, Pro €50/mo, Business €667/mo (billed annually); Business is self-hosted | Core, Pro, Teams, Enterprise; prices not shown on the pricing page we fetched, see vendor site |
| Self-hosting | No | Yes | Not listed |
| AI agent features (vendor) | Zapier Agents, priced separately from Zaps; Copilot | Agent, multi-agent, RAG and MCP building blocks | AI agents with goals, tools and limits; MCP server |
| Main limit | Free plan is limited to 100 tasks per month; Agents are priced separately from Zaps. | Cloud plans are paid after the trial; more technical than no-code agent tools. | Price rises with credit volume; complex scenarios take time to learn. |
Zapier prices are in USD and n8n prices in EUR, as each vendor lists them; we have not converted them. Prices change, so confirm on Zapier, n8n and Make.
A pricing example with the same workflow
This is an illustration with our own assumptions, not a quote. Assume one workflow that runs 500 times a month, where the first step is the trigger and every other step is a standard app action. On Zapier each successful action is one task; on n8n each run is one execution.
| Workflow size | Zapier tasks a month | Zapier tier that covers it (annual billing) | n8n executions a month | n8n plan that covers it (annual billing) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 step (trigger + 1 action) | 500 | Professional, 750 tasks: $19.99 | 500 | Starter, 2.5K executions: €20 |
| 5 steps (trigger + 4 actions) | 2,000 | Professional, 2,000 tasks: $49 | 500 | Starter: €20 |
| 20 steps (trigger + 19 actions) | 9,500 | Professional, 10,000 tasks: $129 | 500 | Starter: €20 |
The point is the shape, not the totals: on Zapier the bill grows with the number of steps, on n8n it grows with the number of runs. Zapier's Free plan allows only 100 tasks and two-step Zaps, so none of these fits it. Built-in Zapier tools that do not count as tasks, and n8n's saved-execution and concurrency limits, will change real numbers.
Which to pick by business type
- Owner who wants it working this week, no tech help: Zapier, or Make if you want a visual builder with a free plan. Both document a first build you do yourself.
- Agency or team with a developer: n8n, for code steps, AI-agent building blocks and the option to self-host.
- Many steps per workflow, fewer runs: n8n's per-run counting can fit better. Check with your own numbers.
- Many small workflows across lots of SaaS apps: Zapier's 9,000+ app list is the widest the vendors state.
Self-hosting n8n is free to download but not free to run: someone has to host, update and secure it.
The tools
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Easy-Start | Pricing summary (vendor) | Our label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | Small teams that want to automate work across many SaaS apps without code. | Yes | 10/10 | Free forever plan (100 tasks/mo); Professional from $19.99/mo; Team from $69/mo; Agents Pro $400 billed annually ($33.33/mo); Enterprise contact for pricing | Based on public information — not tested |
| n8n | Technical teams that want to build custom AI agents and automations with full control, including self-hosting. | No | 6/10 | Starter €20/mo, Pro €50/mo, Business €667/mo (all billed annually); Enterprise contact sales; free cloud trial; self-hosted Community Edition on GitHub | Based on public information — not tested |
| Make | Small businesses and agencies automating work across many apps without heavy coding. | Yes | 8/10 | Free $0/mo (1,000 credits/mo); paid plans Core, Pro, Teams and Enterprise — current prices: see vendor site (annual billing costs less than monthly; 50% off Business for organisations under 20 employees) | Based on public information — not tested |
When to skip both
If your job is narrower, such as booking or answering calls, a purpose-built agent may be quicker than a general automation tool. See our our workflow automation category and the AI scheduling assistant guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n better than Zapier?
Neither is better for everyone. Zapier is built for people who want to connect apps without code and without running anything themselves. n8n suits people comfortable with a technical canvas, custom code steps and, if they want, running it on their own server. Pick by who will build and maintain the automations.
How much does a Zapier task cost?
Zapier does not charge per task on its own. You pick a monthly task allowance. On the Professional plan, 750 tasks is $19.99 a month billed annually and 2,000 tasks is $49; the Free plan gives 100 tasks. Successful action steps count as tasks; triggers and built-in tools such as Filter and Formatter do not. Rates change, so confirm on zapier.com/pricing.
Is n8n really free?
The self-hosted Community Edition is on GitHub, and you pay only for the server and the time to maintain it. n8n Cloud has no permanent free plan: there is a free trial with 1,000 executions, then Starter is listed at €20 a month billed annually.
What's better than Zapier for AI agents?
It depends on the job. n8n lists multi-agent, RAG and MCP support, and Make lists AI agents with goals, tools and limits. Zapier also has its own Agents product, priced separately from Zaps. We have not tested any of them.
Can a non-technical person use n8n?
Yes for simple flows: n8n documents a first workflow of about 15 minutes. But it supports custom JavaScript and Python steps and is more technical than no-code tools, and self-hosting needs someone to look after the server. If that is not you, Zapier or Make is the lower-effort start.
Sources: zapier.com/pricing, n8n.io/pricing, make.com/en/pricing, all read 2026-10-21; features from our Zapier, n8n and Make listings. Get the weekly newsletter for new tools.
