What is the difference between Make and n8n?

Make is best for Power users who want complex automations at a lower cost than Zapier, while n8n is best for Technical users who want self-hosted automation with code escape hatches. Make starts at $9/mo and n8n starts at Free (self-hosted).

Is Make or n8n cheaper?

Make starts at $9/mo with a free tier. n8n starts at Free (self-hosted) and is free.

Is there a free alternative to n8n?

Both Make and n8n offer free tiers.

Make vs n8n

Make is visual automation platform for building complex workflows with a drag-and-drop builder, while n8n is open-source workflow automation with a visual editor. Self-hostable with code flexibility. The biggest difference up front: n8n is free, while Make starts at $9/mo. Make is built for power users who want complex automations at a lower cost than zapier, whereas n8n targets technical users who want self-hosted automation with code escape hatches.

At a glance

	Make	n8n
Best for	Power users who want complex automations at a lower cost than Zapier	Technical users who want self-hosted automation with code escape hatches
Starting price	$9/mo	Free (self-hosted)
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Branching Logic	✓	—
Custom Code	—	✓
Data Mapping	✓	—
Error Handling	✓	—
Open Source	—	✓
Real-Time Webhooks	✓	—
Self-Hosted	—	✓
Visual Builder	✓	—
Visual Editor	—	✓
Webhooks	—	✓

Make

Strengths

Visual workflow builder is more powerful than Zapier
Significantly cheaper — more operations per dollar
Complex logic: branching, loops, aggregation
Real-time webhooks (not polling)

Weaknesses

Steeper learning curve than Zapier
Smaller app library than Zapier
Interface can be overwhelming for beginners
Documentation not as comprehensive

Try Make → Full review

n8n

Strengths

Open source and self-hostable
Can write custom code within workflows
No per-execution pricing (self-hosted)
Growing integration library

Weaknesses

Requires technical setup if self-hosting
Smaller app library than Zapier/Make
Cloud version is relatively expensive
UI less polished than commercial alternatives

Try n8n → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: n8n is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Make starts at $9/mo, but Free for 1,000 ops/month. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Make offers Branching Logic, Data Mapping and Error Handling that n8n lacks. n8n brings Custom Code, Open Source and Self-Hosted that Make does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target small teams teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Open source: n8n is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Make is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Make's biggest strengths are: visual workflow builder is more powerful than zapier. significantly cheaper — more operations per dollar. n8n's biggest strengths are: open source and self-hostable. can write custom code within workflows.

Watch out for: With Make, users commonly note that steeper learning curve than zapier. With n8n, the main complaint is that requires technical setup if self-hosting.

Choose Make if...

You need a tool built for power users who want complex automations at a lower cost than zapier
You specifically need Branching Logic and Data Mapping
You care about significantly cheaper — more operations per dollar
The free tier works for you: free for 1,000 ops/month

Choose n8n if...

You need a tool built for technical users who want self-hosted automation with code escape hatches
Budget is a hard constraint — n8n is free, Make is not
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Custom Code and Open Source
You care about can write custom code within workflows