n8n
AI Workflow AutomationFreemium
Source-available workflow automation you can self-host for free, with per-execution pricing, native AI agent nodes and full code control.
0 upvotesadvanced
Compare n8n vs Zapier
Both tools in AI Workflow Automation
Zapier
AI Workflow AutomationFreemium
The most connected no-code automation platform, linking 9,000+ apps into multi-step Zaps, AI agents, tables and forms.
0 upvotesbeginner
Add a third tool to compare
Search for an AI tool to add it to this comparison.
Pricing
Pricing Comparison
n8n
Community Edition$0
Self-hosted, unlimited workflows and executions, source available
Starter$20/mo
2,500 executions/month, unlimited workflows and users, AI credits included
Pro$50/mo
10,000 executions, 20 concurrent executions, admin roles, global variables
Business$800/mo
40,000 executions, SSO and LDAP, Git version control, multi-environment
Enterprise$Custom
Unlimited executions, 200+ concurrency, dedicated SLA support, log streaming
Zapier
Free$0
100 tasks/month, two-step Zaps, unlimited Tables and Forms
Professional$19.99/mo
Multi-step Zaps, unlimited premium apps, webhooks, AI fields
Team$69/mo
25 users, shared workflows and connections, SAML SSO, priority support
Enterprise$Custom
Unlimited users, advanced admin controls, observability, annual task limits
Features
Feature Comparison
n8n
Self-HostingPer-Execution BillingNode Graph EditorJavaScript NodesPython NodesAI Agent NodesLangChain SupportVector Stores500+ IntegrationsCustom NodesWebhooksSub-WorkflowsError WorkflowsExecution HistoryGit Version ControlEnvironment StagingCommunity NodesSSO and LDAP
Zapier
Multi-Step Zaps9,000+ IntegrationsZapier AgentsAI ChatbotsZapier TablesZapier FormsVisual CanvasPaths BranchingFiltersFormatterWebhooksCode StepsZapier MCPZapier SDKCopilot BuilderVersion HistoryShared WorkspacesSAML SSO
Fit
Best For & Not For
n8n
✅ Best For
✅Developers and technical operators who want unlimited executions at near-zero cost by self-hosting on a small VPS
✅Companies with data residency, GDPR or compliance constraints that rule out sending workflow data through a third-party cloud
✅Teams building AI agents and RAG pipelines who need vector stores, memory and multiple model providers inside the same workflow canvas
✅High-volume automation users whose complex multi-step workflows would be prohibitively expensive under per-task or per-credit billing
❌ Not For
❌Non-technical users who want a point-and-click experience, since expressions, JSON handling and node debugging assume real technical comfort
❌Teams with no DevOps capacity, because self-hosting means you own updates, backups, SSL renewal and uptime monitoring
❌Anyone needing the broadest connector library, as n8n ships around 500 integrations versus thousands on Zapier and Make
❌Cloud users who rely on community-built nodes, since n8n Cloud disables community node installation for security reasons
Zapier
✅ Best For
✅Non-technical operations and marketing teams who need the widest possible app coverage and want automations live the same afternoon they think of them
✅Small businesses without a dedicated automation engineer, where reliability and support matter more than squeezing out the lowest cost per action
✅Founders and agencies who need to connect long-tail SaaS tools that narrower platforms simply do not have connectors for
✅Teams standardising on one platform for automation, data tables, forms and AI agents instead of stitching four vendors together
❌ Not For
❌Teams running high-volume workflows, because task-based billing charges for every single action and costs climb sharply past a few thousand runs a month
❌Engineers who want to self-host, own their data infrastructure or inspect the source code, since Zapier is closed-source and cloud-only
❌Developers who need long-running compute or heavy custom code, as code steps are capped at short runtimes
❌Anyone needing granular loop, iterator and error-branching control that a node-based canvas like Make or n8n provides
Availability
Platform & Accessibility
n8n
web-baseddesktopapi
Zapier
web-basedapichrome-extension
Use & Audience
Tasks & Who It's For
Integrations
Integrations
n8n
Database
PostgresAirtablePineconeSupabase
Communication
SlackTelegram
Data & Spreadsheets
Google Sheets
Other
OpenAIAnthropic
Development
GitHub
Writing & Docs
Notion
Webhooks & API
HTTP Request
Zapier
Communication
SlackGmail
Data & Spreadsheets
Google Sheets
CRM
HubSpotSalesforce
Writing & Docs
Notion
Database
Airtable
E-commerce
ShopifyStripe
Project Management
Asana
Customer Support
Zendesk
Other
OpenAI
Use Cases
Real-world Use Cases
n8n
1
Arjun, a backend engineer at a fintech startup, moved 40 Zapier automations to self-hosted n8n on a $5 VPS and cut the team's automation bill from $340 a month to under $10 with no loss in reliability.2
Freya runs data ops at a healthcare analytics firm where patient data cannot leave EU infrastructure. She self-hosts n8n in their own cloud and now automates report generation that compliance had previously blocked entirely.3
Ivan built an internal support agent using n8n's AI agent node connected to a vector store of 900 help articles. It now resolves 62 percent of tier-one tickets before a human ever opens them.Zapier
1
Priya runs a 4-person design studio and was losing enquiries in her inbox. She built a Zap that pushes every website form submission into Airtable and posts a Slack alert, and her team now replies to new leads within 12 minutes instead of two days.2
Marcus manages e-commerce ops for a home goods brand. He set up a Zap that watches Shopify for orders over $500, creates a HubSpot deal and assigns a follow-up task, which lifted repeat purchase rate on high-value customers by 18 percent.3
Aisha, a recruiter, connected her Typeform application form to Google Sheets and Gmail through Zapier. Candidates now get an acknowledgement email in under a minute and she stopped losing applicants to slow response times.Keep Exploring