Short answer
For most small businesses the choice comes down to how each tool counts usage. Zapier bills per task (each successful action) and is the simplest to set up; its free plan lists 100 tasks a month. Make bills per credit (most module actions use 1) and lists a free plan with 1,000 credits a month, so multi-step scenarios usually cost less. n8n bills per full workflow run and is the only one of the three you can self-host for free (Community Edition), which suits technical teams.
All 3 at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Free option | Entry paid plan | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| non-technical teams that want to connect their apps quickly | 100 tasks / month | Professional: $19.99/mo billed annually (750 tasks), $29.99 monthly | Visit Zapier ↗Not an affiliate link | |
| teams that want to build complex, multi-step automations visually without coding | Free plan: 1,000 credits / month | Core: $12/mo billed annually, $16 monthly (10,000 credits) | Visit Make ↗Not an affiliate link | |
| technical teams that want flexible automation they can self-host | Community Edition (self-hosted); Cloud free trial | Starter: $20/mo billed annually (2.5k executions) | Visit n8n ↗Not an affiliate link |
Each tool’s section below shows the date its prices were checked on the vendor’s official pricing page. Scores are pending until we test. Want two side by side? Use the compare tool.
How to choose
Count your steps, not your workflows
A 5-step Zap that runs 100 times uses about 500 Zapier tasks (each successful action counts). On Make the same run uses roughly 1 credit per module action. On n8n the whole run is one execution, however many steps it has. Long, frequent workflows favor n8n’s per-run pricing; short, occasional ones are cheap anywhere.
Decide whether you want to host it yourself
Only n8n offers a free self-hosted edition. Self-hosting removes the per-execution bill but you take on the server, updates and security. If nobody on your team wants that job, use a cloud plan.
Check the apps you already use
All three connect to the big SaaS apps, but niche tools may only have an integration on one platform. Search each directory for your must-have apps before you commit.
Start on a free tier, then price your real volume
Build your top workflow on a free plan, read how much usage it consumed in a week and multiply. That estimate beats any comparison table, including ours.
1. Zapier
Zapier is a no-code automation platform that connects thousands of web apps so that an event in one app (a new form entry, email or sale) automatically triggers actions in others. You build these workflows, called Zaps, step by step, and can add AI steps and AI agents to them. It is aimed at automating repetitive work across a business without writing code.
Best for: non-technical teams that want to connect their apps quickly.
| Free option | 100 tasks / month |
|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | Professional: $19.99/mo billed annually (750 tasks), $29.99 monthly |
| Team plan | Team: $69/mo billed annually (2,000 tasks, 25 users) |
| Billing unit | Tasks: each successful action step |
| Self-hosting | Not covered in our guides yet |
Zapier pricing
Visit Zapier ↗Not an affiliate link2. Make
Make is a visual automation platform: you build workflows, called scenarios, by dragging app modules onto a canvas and connecting them, so data moves between your tools automatically. It connects to thousands of apps (and anything with an API), supports branching, filters and error handling, and lets you add AI agents or custom JavaScript/Python when needed. You can also build automations by prompting it in plain language.
Best for: teams that want to build complex, multi-step automations visually without coding.
| Free option | Free plan: 1,000 credits / month |
|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | Core: $12/mo billed annually, $16 monthly (10,000 credits) |
| Team plan | Teams: $38/mo billed annually, $51 monthly (10,000 credits) |
| Billing unit | Credits: each module action (most = 1 credit) |
| Self-hosting | No |
Make pricing
Visit Make ↗Not an affiliate link3. n8n
n8n is a workflow automation platform that combines a visual drag-and-drop builder with the option to drop into code whenever you need it. You can connect hundreds of apps, plug AI models into your own data and build AI agents whose steps you can inspect. It can run in n8n's cloud or be self-hosted on your own servers.
Best for: technical teams that want flexible automation they can self-host.
| Free option | Community Edition (self-hosted); Cloud free trial |
|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | Starter: $20/mo billed annually (2.5k executions) |
| Team plan | Business: $800/mo billed annually (40k executions, self-hosted) |
| Billing unit | Executions: one full workflow run |
| Self-hosting | Yes: Community Edition |
n8n pricing
Visit n8n ↗Not an affiliate linkFAQ
Which automation tool is cheapest?
It depends on your workflows. On listed prices, Make Core starts at $12/mo billed annually (10,000 credits), Zapier Professional at $19.99/mo billed annually (750 tasks) and n8n Starter at $20/mo billed annually (2.5k executions). n8n Community Edition is free if you self-host.
Is there a free automation tool?
Yes. Zapier lists a free plan with 100 tasks a month, Make lists 1,000 credits a month free, and n8n Community Edition is free to self-host (n8n Cloud offers a free trial).
Where did your older head-to-head automation pages go?
We retired our head-to-head pages on Oct 15, 2026 and redirected them here. This page covers all three tools with the same facts, and you can still pick two tools to compare with the compare tool on our home page.
Do these tools have AI features?
All three now market AI steps or AI agents. Feature names and limits change often, so check each vendor’s current plan page for what your tier includes.
Last updated Oct 15, 2026 by TrendingAI Editorial. We list facts from official vendor pages and will add hands-on scores as we test. See how we make money.