n8n vs Make: Pricing, AI Agents and Which to Pick
The two favorite Zapier alternatives, compared on published prices, AI agent features, integrations and who should build with each.
By , research by the BestBots team · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Make is the better pick for business users who want a visual builder, 3,500+ ready made apps and AI Agents on every plan from $16 a month. n8n is the better pick for technical teams: it bills per full workflow run with unlimited steps, supports JavaScript and Python, and is free to self host, which makes it cheaper for long, high volume workflows.
Side by side
| Spec | n8n | Make |
|---|---|---|
| BestBots Score | 4.3 | 4.4 |
| Starting price | €24 per month billed monthly (about $27) | $16 per month billed monthly |
| Pricing model | per workflow execution | per credit |
| Free trial | 14 day free cloud trial with Pro features, 1,000 executions, no credit card | None listed |
| Free tier | Self hosted Community Edition free; 14 day cloud trial with 1,000 executions | 1,000 credits per month |
| Paid from | €24 per month billed monthly, €20 billed annually (about $27 and $22.51) for 2,500 executions | $16 per month billed monthly, $12 billed annually (10,000 credits) |
| Models | Any model, cloud or local; AI models without API keys on cloud plans | Make AI Provider or your own model connection |
| Integrations count | 500+ built in integrations plus any HTTP API | 3,500+ apps |
| Code option | JavaScript and Python | Custom functions on Enterprise; Make API from Core |
| Self host | Yes, Docker, on premises or air gapped | No, cloud only |
The short answer
n8n and Make are the two platforms people usually compare once Zapier gets too expensive. Both have visual canvases, both build AI agents, and both cost a fraction of Zapier at volume. They split on audience.
Make was built for operations and marketing teams. Modules for 3,500+ apps, routers, filters and a Reasoning panel for agents all sit on a canvas you can learn without writing code. It runs only in Make's cloud.
n8n was built for people who are comfortable with data. You see the JSON flowing between nodes, you can drop in JavaScript or Python anywhere, you can choose any model including local ones, and you can run the whole thing on your own servers.
Pricing
| Line item | n8n | Make |
|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Workflow execution, unlimited steps | Credit, most actions 1 credit |
| Free option | Community Edition, self hosted; cloud trial with 1,000 executions | Free plan, 1,000 credits a month |
| Entry plan, billed monthly | Starter about $27 (€24) for 2,500 executions | Core $16 for 10,000 credits |
| Entry plan, billed annually | about $23 (€20) a month | $12 a month |
| Mid tier, billed monthly | Pro $60 for 10,000 executions | Pro $28 for 10,000 credits |
| Team tier, billed monthly | Business about $900 (€800), or about $751 (€667) annually, 40,000 executions, self hosted | Teams $51 for 10,000 credits |
| Extra usage | Upgrade tier | $1.60 per 1,000 credits on Core |
| Users | Unlimited on every plan | Teams and roles on Teams plan |
| Annual discount | 17% | 25% |
The right answer depends on steps per run. Make charges per action; n8n charges per run.
- A 3 step workflow run 2,000 times a month. About 6,000 Make credits, so Core at $16. On n8n it is 2,000 executions, so Starter at about $27 (€24). Make wins.
- A 5 step workflow run 2,000 times a month. About 10,000 Make credits, still Core at $16. n8n is still about $27 (€24). Make wins narrowly.
- A 10 step workflow run 5,000 times a month. About 50,000 Make credits, which is Core plus roughly 40,000 extra credits at $1.60 per 1,000, or about $80 (a higher credit tier may cost less). On n8n it is 5,000 executions, which needs Pro at $60. n8n wins, and the gap grows with every added step.
Those Make figures assume 1 credit per action; AI Provider steps can use more. Self hosting n8n changes the math entirely, since the Community Edition has no subscription and you pay only for hosting and maintenance.
Features
| Feature | n8n | Make |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | 500+ built in, plus HTTP request for any API | 3,500+ apps |
| Builder | Node canvas with visible data | Visual canvas with routers, filters, iterators |
| AI agents | Multi agent, RAG, MCP, human approval, evaluations | AI Agents on all plans, Reasoning panel |
| AI models | Any model, cloud or local | Make AI Provider or your own connection |
| Code | JavaScript and Python | Custom functions on Enterprise |
| Self hosting | Yes: Docker, on premises, air gapped | No |
| Debugging | Inspect each execution, re run single steps | Execution logs, full text search on Pro |
| Security | SSO, SAML, LDAP, RBAC, audit logs on higher plans | SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3, ISO 27001, GDPR |
| Public reviews | Trustpilot 3.0 from 50 reviews | Trustpilot 2.7 from 172 reviews |
AI agents. n8n is the stronger platform if you want to engineer agents: choose models per step, run local models, build multi agent systems with RAG and test outputs with built in evaluations. Make is the stronger platform if you want agents that business users can build and audit, since the Reasoning panel shows each decision and agents run inside ordinary scenarios.
Integrations. Make's catalog is about seven times n8n's built in list. n8n closes the gap with its HTTP request node, but that means reading API docs and handling authentication yourself.
Ownership. n8n is open source with 207,000+ GitHub stars, and the self hosted edition gives you full source access. Make is a managed service with SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, so compliance paperwork is easier, but you cannot move it in house.
Who wins for each scenario
A marketing team automating lead routing and reporting. Make. More ready made modules, an easier canvas, and Core at $16 covers typical volumes.
A developer building AI agents that call internal APIs. n8n. Code steps, model choice and self hosting make it the natural fit.
A company with strict data residency rules. n8n, self hosted or air gapped. Make is cloud only.
A small business owner on a tight budget with no technical help. Make Free or Core. The free plan includes AI Agents, and support comes with paid plans.
Verdict
Pick Make if your builders are business users, your workflows are short to medium length, and you want the most apps and the gentlest learning curve for the money.
Pick n8n if you have technical skills on the team, your workflows run many steps at high volume, or you need to self host. It is the more powerful agent platform and gets cheaper the more you use it.
See where both rank in our best AI agent builders guide, compare each with Zapier in n8n vs Zapier and Make vs Zapier, or read the full n8n review and Make review.
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n better than Make?
For developers and high volume, long workflows, yes: n8n counts a whole run as one execution and can be self hosted. For business users who want a visual builder with more ready made apps and support on paid plans, Make is the better choice.
Which is cheaper, n8n or Make?
It depends on how many steps your workflows have. Make Core is $16 a month for 10,000 credits, where most actions use 1 credit. n8n Starter is about $27 (€24) for 2,500 executions with unlimited steps. Short workflows favor Make; long workflows with 5 or more steps per run tip toward n8n as volume grows, and self hosted n8n has no subscription at all.
Which is easier, n8n or Make?
Make. Its canvas was designed for business users and it ships 3,500+ ready made app modules. n8n shows you more of the underlying data and expects some comfort with JSON and APIs.
Which is better for AI agents, n8n or Make?
n8n offers deeper control: multi agent systems, RAG, MCP, local models and built in evaluations. Make offers a simpler start: AI Agents on every plan, built on the same canvas as scenarios, with a Reasoning panel that shows each decision.
Can Make be self hosted?
No. Make is cloud only. If you need to keep workflows and data on your own servers, n8n's Community Edition or Business plan is the option between these two.
Does Make have a free plan?
Yes. Make Free includes 1,000 credits a month, the visual builder, 3,500+ apps and AI Agents, with a 15 minute minimum interval between runs. n8n has no free cloud plan, only a trial, but its self hosted edition is free.
Should I switch from Make to n8n?
Switch if your bill is driven by long, high volume scenarios or you need self hosting or custom code. Stay on Make if your team is non technical or relies on apps that n8n does not have a built in node for.