How each tool counts your usage
The three tools charge for different things, which is why the same workflow can cost a few dollars on one and hundreds on another.
Zapier: tasks
A task is one successful action step. Triggers never use tasks, and neither do Filter and Paths steps or built-in utility steps like Formatter, Delay and Looping. Steps that fail or never run are free too. So a five-step Zap with one filter uses four tasks each time it runs. Some steps cost more: AI by Zapier depends on the model tier you choose, and Code by Zapier uses more tasks if you extend its run time. If a paid plan runs out of tasks, Zapier switches you to pay-per-task billing, up to three times your plan's task limit.
Make: credits
Make now bills in credits, which replaced operations. Each time a module runs it uses a credit, and most modules use exactly one. The trigger counts as well, once per check, even when a scheduled check finds nothing new. Built-in tools such as text parsers and aggregators count, but routers, filters and error handlers don't. A module runs once for every item it receives, so if a trigger returns ten new rows, every later module runs ten times. This calculator assumes one item per run. If you run out, you can buy extra credits at 25% more than your plan's rate, or move up a tier.
n8n: executions
An execution is one run of a whole workflow, however many steps it has. A 3-step and a 30-step workflow cost the same per run. n8n Cloud's Starter and Pro plans are capped with no overage fees, so when you reach the limit you move up a tier. The self-hosted Community Edition has no licence fee; you pay for the server instead.
Worked example: 2,000 runs a month
Take a workflow with 5 steps after the trigger, one of which is a filter, running 2,000 times a month on monthly billing:
- Zapier: 4 tasks per run, so 8,000 tasks. Cheapest fit: Zapier Professional 10K at $193.50 a month ($129 on annual billing).
- Make: 1 trigger + 4 modules = 5 credits per run, so 10,000 credits. Cheapest fit: Make Core 10K at $16 a month ($12 annual).
- n8n Cloud: 2,000 executions. Cheapest fit: n8n Starter 2.5K at $24 a month ($20 annual).
Worked example: 50,000 runs a month
The same workflow at 50,000 runs a month changes the picture:
- Zapier: 200,000 tasks, which is Zapier Professional 200K at $1,149 a month ($769 annual).
- Make: 250,000 credits, which is Make Core 150K plus extra credits at about $320.83 a month ($236.50 annual). The next tier up costs almost exactly the same.
- n8n Cloud: 50,000 executions, which is n8n Pro 50K at $144 a month ($120 annual). Past 50,000 executions a month, n8n Cloud needs a sales quote.
The more steps your workflow has, the bigger n8n's advantage, because its price doesn't change with the number of steps. At low volume, as in the first example, Make's entry plans can be the cheapest of the three.
When is self-hosted n8n really cheaper?
Self-hosting removes the licence fee, so the bill is just your server. That looks unbeatable on paper, but the server is not the whole cost. Someone has to install updates, take backups, watch for security issues and fix things when the server goes down, and that time is not in this estimate. Self-hosting tends to pay off when you run a lot of executions, already manage servers, or need your data to stay on your own machines. If nobody on your team wants that job, a cloud plan is usually the better deal. n8n also sells a self-hosted Business licence ($960 a month, or $800 a month billed annually, for 40,000 executions) for features like SSO and Git version control, which most small teams don't need.
Where this estimate can be off
- Runs that carry several items at once (Make charges per item, per module).
- AI and code steps, which can use more than one unit on Zapier and Make.
- Taxes, regional prices, discounts and promotions, which we don't include.
FAQ
Which is cheapest: Zapier, Make or n8n?
It depends on how many steps each run has. n8n bills per workflow run, Make bills per module run, and Zapier bills per successful action. For our default example of 2,000 runs a month with 5 steps, the estimates are $16 for Make, $24 for n8n Cloud and $193.50 for Zapier on monthly billing.
Do Zapier filters and formatters use tasks?
No. Zapier's help center says triggers, Filter and Paths steps, and Formatter, Delay and Looping steps do not use tasks. Each successful action step uses 1 task, and failed steps are not counted.
Does Make still charge for operations?
Make now bills in credits, which replaced operations. Most modules use 1 credit each time they run, including the trigger. Routers and error handler modules use none, and some AI modules use more than 1 credit.
What counts as an n8n execution?
One execution is one run of a whole workflow, no matter how many steps it has or how much data it processes. That is why long workflows often cost less on n8n.
What happens if I go over my plan's limit?
On paid Zapier plans you switch to pay-per-task billing, up to 3 times your plan's task limit. On Make you can buy extra credits at 25% more than your plan rate, or your scenarios pause until credits reset. n8n Starter and Pro are capped with no overage fees, so you move up a tier.
Are these prices exact?
No. They are estimates in US dollars before tax, copied from each vendor's official pricing page on November 12, 2026. Vendors change prices and may show different prices by region, so check the vendor's page before you buy.