Make vs Zapier vs n8n: Which Automation Tool Should You Actually Use?
I've built automations on all three for San Diego businesses — from Solana Beach law firms to Encinitas ecom shops. Here's the honest breakdown, no affiliate fluff.
The 30-Second Answer
- Zapier — pick this if you want something a non-technical person can maintain. 8,000+ apps, fastest to set up, but you'll pay $30–$100/mo quickly once you scale past ~750 tasks.
- Make (formerly Integromat) — pick this for complex multi-step workflows with branching logic. ~10x cheaper per operation than Zapier, visual flow editor, steeper learning curve.
- n8n — pick this if you want to self-host (free forever on your own server) or need custom code nodes. Best for dev-friendly teams, full data ownership, unbeatable for AI workflows.
- For most SD small businesses: start on Make. It's the best price-to-power ratio. Move to n8n self-hosted only when volume justifies a server ($5–20/mo on Hetzner).
Side-by-Side Pricing (Real Numbers, 2025)
| Tool | Free Tier | Starter Paid | 10k ops/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | 100 tasks | $29.99/mo (750 tasks) | ~$103/mo Professional |
| Make | 1,000 ops | $10.59/mo (10k ops) | $10.59/mo Core |
| n8n Cloud | Trial only | $20/mo (2.5k executions) | $50/mo Pro |
| n8n Self-Host | Unlimited | $5–20/mo VPS | $5–20/mo VPS |
Zapier
- 8,000+ app integrations (most of any tool)
- Easiest UI — Grandma could build a Zap
- Best-in-class reliability & uptime
- New AI features (Agents, Canvas) are solid
- Expensive at scale — each step = 1 task
- Limited branching/loop logic
- Data lives on Zapier servers
Make
- Visual scenario builder with real branching
- ~10x cheaper per operation than Zapier
- Handles complex iterators, routers, aggregators
- 1,700+ apps (covers 95% of needs)
- Learning curve — not point-and-click
- Debugging can be frustrating
- No self-hosting option
n8n
- Self-host for basically free on a $5 VPS
- Full code nodes (JavaScript/Python)
- Best AI/LLM integration of the three
- Own your data — HIPAA/compliance-friendly
- Requires technical comfort to self-host
- Fewer prebuilt templates than Zapier
- You maintain updates yourself
Which for What
- Zapier: Lead → CRM → Slack alert (simple, fast)
- Make: Shopify order → inventory check → split shipping logic → invoice
- n8n: AI intake bot → scrape data → GPT-4 summary → database → email
- Zapier: When your team is non-technical
- Make: When you have 5k+ ops/mo
- n8n: When privacy or AI matters most
The San Diego Business Lens
Most North County clients I work with — dental offices in Carlsbad, contractors in Oceanside, coaches in Encinitas — don't need Zapier's premium pricing. They need one or two workflows that just work. That's Make territory, usually under $11/mo.
For clients handling protected data (medical, legal, financial), I push n8n self-hosted on a private VPS. You control the server, the data never leaves, and compliance becomes dramatically simpler. I've migrated two Solana Beach firms off Zapier this way and cut their automation bill 80%.
My Honest Recommendation
Start with Make. You'll hit 90% of use cases at 10% of Zapier's cost. If you grow into needing custom AI workflows, real code, or data ownership, graduate to n8n. Only use Zapier if you have zero technical bandwidth and someone non-technical needs to edit workflows themselves.
Not Sure Which Platform Fits?
Text me your use case and I'll tell you straight up which tool to use — even if it's the one I charge less to build on.
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