n8n vs Zapier vs Make: Which to Choose for Automating Your Small Business in 2026

If you are looking to automate processes in your business, three names always come up: Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat) and n8n. All three promise to connect applications without coding, but they work differently, cost different amounts and demand different levels of technical independence. Choosing badly can cost you hundreds of euros a month or leave you stuck on a platform that doesn’t scale with your business.

This article compares the three platforms from the perspective of a Spanish SME: what you can do with each, what it really costs (not just the list price), what technical level you need and when each option makes sense. By the end you will know which one fits your volume, your team and your budget.

This page is for information only and is not binding advice. Each case is tailored after a diagnostic.

TL;DR

• Zapier is the easiest to use and has the most native connectors, but it gets expensive as you scale (€100-300/month at medium volumes) and limits customisation.
• Make (Integromat) offers complex visual logic and pay-per-use pricing (€0.10-0.20 per 1,000 operations), ideal for workflows with many conditional branches.
• n8n is open source and cheaper at high volumes (€20/month cloud or free self-hosted), but it requires more technical knowledge or external support.
• For low volumes (fewer than 5,000 executions/month) and a non-technical team, Zapier or Make are quicker to get started with.
• For medium-to-high volumes, control of sensitive data or custom integrations, n8n tends to be more sustainable in the long run.
• The right choice depends on your current infrastructure, your team and your data strategy (cloud, hybrid, on-premise).

What each platform does (and doesn’t do)

All three are no-code or low-code automation tools: they connect applications through workflows that run when an event occurs (a new email, a row in a spreadsheet, a payment received).

Zapier is the veteran (founded in 2011). It has more than 6,000 native integrations with SaaS applications (Google Workspace, Slack, HubSpot, Stripe, Mailchimp). Its interface is linear: trigger → action → action. It’s perfect for simple workflows (when an email arrives, create a task in Asana). It’s less powerful for complex logic (if X and Y, then Z1, otherwise Z2).

Make (rebranded from Integromat in 2022) has more than 1,500 connectors. Its interface is a visual flowchart: you drag modules, connect them with lines and see the whole flow. It allows conditional branches, loops, error handling and aggregations without writing code. It’s ideal for processes with many decisions or data transformations.

n8n is open source (fair-code, Apache 2.0 with a restriction on large-scale commercial use). It has more than 400 native nodes, but its advantage is the HTTP Request node: you can connect any API even if it has no official integration. Its visual interface is similar to Make. You can deploy it on your own server (self-hosted) or use the cloud version from n8n.io. It lets you inject JavaScript for complex transformations.

None of the three replaces an ERP system or a full CRM. They are glue between applications, not transactional databases. If you need business-critical logic (invoicing, real-time inventory), you are better off with bespoke development or an AI automation solution that integrates workflows into controlled infrastructure.

Real costs: beyond the list price

Public prices are misleading. The real cost (TCO, total cost of ownership) includes the subscription, extra executions, setup time, maintenance and vendor lock-in.

Zapier

Monthly plans (2026, indicative prices in euros):

• Free: 100 tasks/month, 2-step workflows, 15-minute interval between runs. Only useful for testing.
• Starter (€20-30/month): 750 tasks/month, multi-step workflows, webhooks. Not enough for real use in an SME.
• Professional (€60-90/month): 2,000 tasks/month, filters, conditional paths.
• Team (€100-150/month): 50,000 tasks/month, unlimited users.
• Company (€300-600/month): 100,000+ tasks/month, SSO, priority support.

A “task” is each action executed. If a workflow has 5 steps, it uses 5 tasks. A business that syncs 20 orders a day between its online shop and its CRM (2 steps per order: read order + create contact) uses 1,200 tasks/month, already on the Professional plan.

Hidden cost: if you exceed the limit, Zapier charges overage fees or automatically bumps you up a plan. It scales quickly. From 10,000 tasks/month, you’re usually looking at €150-300/month.

Make

Pay-per-use model (operations executed):

• Free: 1,000 operations/month, active workflows limited to 2, runs every 15 minutes.
• Core (€9-15/month): 10,000 operations/month, unlimited workflows, runs every minute.
• Pro (€16-30/month): 10,000 operations/month + additional purchases at €1 per 1,000 ops.
• Teams (€30-50/month): 10,000 ops/month + extra users, execution priority.
• Enterprise: custom, annual billing.

An “operation” is each module executed. The same order-sync workflow (2 modules) uses 2 operations per run. 20 orders/day = 1,200 ops/month, within the Core plan. If you grow to 100 orders/day (6,000 ops/month) you’re still on Core. You scale by buying blocks of 1,000 ops at ~€1.

Advantage: more predictable costs. Disadvantage: if you have workflows with many steps (10-15 modules), operations shoot up.

n8n

Two options:

n8n Cloud (managed by n8n.io):

• Starter (€20/month): 2,500 executions/month, unlimited workflows, runs every minute.
• Pro (€50/month): 10,000 executions/month, development/production environments.
• Enterprise: from €500/month, SLA, SSO, dedicated support.

Self-hosted (you deploy on your own server):

• Free for internal use (fair-code licence). You only pay for the server: a VPS from €5-15/month (Hetzner, DigitalOcean) for low-to-medium volumes.
• If you offer n8n as a service to third parties on a large scale, you need a commercial licence (contact n8n directly).

An “execution” is each time a complete workflow is triggered, regardless of how many nodes it has. The same order-sync workflow (2 nodes, 20 executions/day) uses 600 executions/month, within the €20 Starter plan.

Hidden self-hosted cost: you need to configure, update and monitor the server. If you don’t have a technical team, add 20-50 hours of initial consulting (€500-1,500) + monthly maintenance (2-5 hours/month, €50-150/month). But you keep full control of your data.

TCO comparison (12 months, typical SME scenario)

An SME with 15,000 executions/month, 10 active workflows and a non-technical team:

• Zapier Professional: ~€100/month → €1,200/year.
• Make Pro (10,000 base ops + 5,000 extra ops at €1 per 1K): ~€25/month → €300/year.
• n8n Cloud Pro: €50/month → €600/year.
• n8n Self-hosted: €15/month server + €100/month external support → €1,380/year.

For this SME, Make is the cheapest. But if volume rises to 50,000 executions/month:

• Zapier Team: ~€150/month → €1,800/year.
• Make Pro (10,000 base + 40,000 extra at €1 per 1K): ~€50/month → €600/year.
• n8n Cloud Enterprise: ~€500/month → €6,000/year (overkill; self-hosted is better).
• n8n Self-hosted: €30/month server (more powerful VPS) + €100/month support → €1,560/year.

Now Make and self-hosted n8n are level. From 100,000 executions/month, self-hosted n8n usually wins.

Learning curve and technical independence

Zapier is the quickest to learn. It has a step-by-step guided interface, extensive documentation and a huge community. Someone from sales or admin can build basic workflows in an afternoon. Limitation: when you need complex logic (loops, error handling, JSON transformations), you hit the platform’s ceiling.

Make has a medium learning curve. The visual interface is intuitive, but understanding the data flow between modules, iterators and aggregators takes practice. The official documentation is good and the community is active. Someone with basic knowledge of logic (such as a data analyst or technical product manager) can master it in 1-2 weeks of regular use.

n8n has a steeper curve. It requires understanding concepts such as nodes, expressions, JSON paths and OAuth authentication. For custom integrations (APIs without a native connector), you need to read API documentation and write HTTP requests. A technical profile (junior developer, sysadmin) adapts in days. A non-technical person can build basic workflows, but will need support for complex cases.

Practical recommendation: if your team is 100% sales/admin and you want immediate independence, start with Zapier. If you have an in-house technical person (even part-time), Make or n8n will give you a better long-term return. If you hire external automation, the platform matters less (the provider builds and maintains the workflows).

Integrations and connectors: quantity vs flexibility

Zapier leads on the number of native integrations: more than 6,000 applications, from Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 to niche tools (clinic software, vertical ERPs). Each connector is tested and documented. Disadvantage: if your tool isn’t in the catalogue, you’re stuck (you can use webhooks, but you lose the simplicity).

Make has 1,500+ connectors. It covers the popular applications (CRM, email marketing, e-commerce, accounting). Its advantage is flexibility within each connector: you can map custom fields, handle complex responses and iterate over arrays. If you use less mainstream Spanish or European software (a local ERP, a custom point-of-sale system), it may not have a native connector.

n8n has 400+ nodes. Fewer than the other two, but it includes the tools SMEs use most (Google Sheets, Gmail, Slack, Notion, Airtable, MySQL, PostgreSQL). Its ace up the sleeve is the HTTP Request node: you can connect any REST API even if it has no dedicated node. Example: if your restaurant management system has an API that isn’t publicly documented, you can call it with HTTP Request and parse the JSON response. This gives you infinite flexibility, but demands technical knowledge.

Real case (without naming the client): a logistics SME with custom routing software (no public API). Zapier couldn’t connect. Neither could Make. With n8n we built a workflow that does controlled scraping (login, extract an HTML table, parse the data, insert into Google Sheets). Legal, but impossible without access to the code of the HTTP request.

If your stack is 100% international SaaS (HubSpot, Shopify, Stripe, Intercom), Zapier or Make will cover it. If you use local tools, in-house development or custom APIs, n8n saves the day.

Concrete use cases for Spanish SMEs

Automating lead capture (web → CRM)

Zapier: Typeform form → create contact in HubSpot → welcome email in Gmail. 3 steps, set up in 10 minutes. Cost: the Starter plan is enough if you receive fewer than 20 leads a day.

Make: same flow + a conditional branch (if the lead ticks “interested in product A”, assign to salesperson X; if “product B”, to salesperson Y). Set up in 20 minutes. Cost: Core plan.

n8n: same flow + sending data to your own database (PostgreSQL) for custom analysis + triggering a WhatsApp chatbot if the lead asks for immediate contact. Set up in 1 hour (requires configuring the webhook and credentials). Cost: Starter cloud plan or free self-hosted.

Verdict: Zapier if you want speed. Make if you need assignment logic. n8n if you want to centralise data in your own database or connect to in-house systems.

Syncing orders (e-commerce → ERP → accounting)

Zapier: WooCommerce → create invoice in Holded. 2 steps. Problem: Holded may not be in the Zapier catalogue (it depends on region). Alternative: WooCommerce → Google Sheets → Holded via Zapier. 3 steps, fragile.

Make: WooCommerce → parse order data → create customer in Holded (if they don’t exist) → create invoice → send email with PDF. 5 modules, robust logic. Cost: 10 operations per order. 50 orders/day = 15,000 ops/month, Pro plan with an extra pack (€25/month).

n8n: WooCommerce webhook → validate data → check whether the customer exists in your own database → if not, create in Holded and in the DB → create invoice → upload PDF to Google Drive → notify Slack. 8 nodes, 50 executions/day = 1,500 executions/month, Starter cloud plan (€20/month).

Verdict: Make wins on simplicity and cost at this volume. n8n if you also want traceability in your own database or to integrate with more complex invoicing automation.

Monitoring reviews (Google My Business → Slack)

Zapier: has no native integration with Google My Business (GMB). You need a third-party service (ReviewTrackers, Birdeye) that does integrate with Zapier. Extra cost: the service starts at €50/month.

Make: no native GMB integration either. Same problem.

n8n: HTTP Request node → Google My Business API (requires OAuth and a Google Cloud API key) → parse new reviews → send to Slack. Technical setup (1-2 hours), but no extra cost for an intermediary service.

Verdict: n8n if you have the technical capacity to configure Google APIs. Zapier/Make if you prefer to pay for a third-party service that already integrates GMB.

Automating customer onboarding (CRM → docs → email → task)

New customer in CRM → generate contract in Google Docs from a template → send for signature in DocuSign → on signing, create a folder in Google Drive → assign a welcome task in Asana → send email with access.

Zapier: 6 steps. It works, but your plan must support 6 tasks per customer. 10 customers/month = 60 tasks, so the Starter plan is enough. Problem: contract personalisation is limited (simple fields).

Make: 7 modules + an iterator to generate several tasks in Asana depending on customer type. It allows complex logic (if an enterprise customer, create an extra in-person onboarding task). 10 customers/month = 70 operations, Core plan.

n8n: same flow + storing the onboarding event in your own database + triggering an AI phone agent for an automated welcome call. 9 nodes, 10 executions/month, Starter plan.

Verdict: Make is the sweet spot for this case (complex visual logic, low cost). n8n if you want to integrate with in-house systems or AI.

Security, compliance and data sovereignty

Zapier and Make are pure SaaS. Your data passes through their servers (located in the US and Europe, depending on region). Both comply with GDPR and have DPA (Data Processing Agreement) clauses. But you have no control over where logs or temporary data are stored during executions.

n8n Cloud stores workflows and logs on European servers (n8n is a German company). It complies with GDPR. Encryption at rest is available.

n8n Self-hosted gives you total control. You deploy on your own server (Spain, Germany, wherever you like). No data leaves your infrastructure. Ideal for regulated sectors (health, legal, finance) or sensitive data (payroll, customers’ personal information).

If you process personal data of European customers and want to minimise the risk of international transfers, self-hosted n8n is the safest option. If you work with non-sensitive data (e-commerce orders, marketing leads) and prioritise speed, Zapier or Make are enough.

Important: no platform exempts you from complying with GDPR. You must have a legal basis for processing data, inform users and manage their rights (access, erasure). See the guide on AI and data protection if you automate processes involving personal data.

Vendor lock-in and portability

Zapier and Make are proprietary SaaS. If you decide to switch platforms, there is no automatic export of workflows. You have to rebuild every flow from scratch in the new tool. The more zaps or scenarios you have (20, 50, 100), the more painful the migration. This ties you to the platform and its price rises.

n8n is open source. You can export workflows as JSON and, if n8n.io disappears or changes its pricing model, carry on using your self-hosted instance indefinitely. You can also migrate between n8n Cloud and self-hosted without friction (you export workflows and import them into the new instance).

Real scenario (international market): a mid-sized company with 80 zaps on Zapier and a bill of 400 USD/month. Zapier raises prices by 30%. They consider migrating to Make, but recreating 80 workflows would take 60-80 hours of work (€6,000-8,000 in consulting). They decide to stay on Zapier and absorb the cost. That is vendor lock-in.

With n8n, that risk disappears. You can move your automation infrastructure between cloud providers or to your own server without redoing everything.

Support and community

Zapier: excellent documentation, a “university” with tutorials, email support on paid plans (response within 24-48h). Active community forums. An ecosystem of certified consultants.

Make: good official documentation (in English), an academy with free certifications. Email support on Pro+ plans. Community on Facebook and its own forums. Fewer certified consultants than Zapier, but enough.

n8n: solid technical documentation (GitHub, docs.n8n.io), a very active community on Discord and the official forum. Many contributors create custom nodes. Official support only on Enterprise plans (n8n Cloud) or through external consulting. For self-hosted, you rely on the community or hire third-party support.

Recommendation: if your team isn’t technical and you need guaranteed support, Zapier or Make (Pro+ plans). If you have a technical team or hire automation consulting, n8n with external support is usually more cost-effective.

Decision matrix: which to choose for your case

Choose Zapier if:

• You need to start today, have a non-technical team and simple workflows.
• Your stack is 100% mainstream SaaS and you don’t expect very high volumes.
• Budget isn’t your main constraint (< €200/month).

Choose Make if:

• You need complex visual logic without programming.
• You have medium volume (10K-50K operations/month) and want predictable costs.
• Your team has an analyst or basic technical profile.

Choose n8n if:

• You have high volume (>50K executions/month) or expect rapid growth.
• You need custom integrations, in-house APIs or control of your data.
• You have a technical team or a budget for setup consulting.
• You value data sovereignty and avoiding vendor lock-in.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheapest: n8n, Zapier or Make?

It depends on volume. Zapier and Make cost from €20-30/month on basic plans, but scale quickly with usage (€100-300/month on mid-range plans). n8n cloud starts at €20/month with high limits; self-hosted is free if you have a server. For medium-to-high volumes (more than 10,000 executions/month), n8n tends to be cheaper in the long run.

Do I need to know how to code to use n8n?

Not for basic cases (connecting Google Sheets to email, syncing a CRM). It does help for complex logic, data transformations with JavaScript or connections to APIs without a native connector. Zapier and Make are more visual and require less technical knowledge, but offer less control.

Which is best for connecting with Spanish or local tools?

Zapier has more native connectors for international SaaS. Make has good integration with European platforms. n8n stands out for letting you create custom connectors with HTTP Request, which is useful if you use Spanish software without a publicly documented API or internal systems.

Can I migrate workflows from Zapier to n8n or Make?

There is no automatic migration. Each flow has to be rebuilt manually, because the logic and connectors differ. A typical migration of 10-15 zaps to n8n can take between 1 and 3 days of work, depending on complexity.

What happens if n8n shuts down or stops being developed?

n8n is open source (fair-code Apache 2.0 with a commercial limit). If the company shuts down, you can carry on using and maintaining your self-hosted instance indefinitely. With Zapier or Make, if they shut down or change prices drastically, you lose access immediately.

Which do you recommend at STAKKER for an SME?

It depends on the case. Zapier if you want immediate start-up without IT and have a medium-to-high budget. Make if you need complex visual logic and prefer pay-per-use. n8n if you value control and predictable long-term costs, and have (or hire) technical support to set it up. After the free diagnostic, we recommend the best option for your case.

Next step

If you already know which platform fits your business, you can set it up yourself (they all have free trials) or hire us for the setup and first workflows. If you’re not sure which to choose, the quickest route is an automation diagnostic: we review your current processes, volume of operations and technology stack, and tell you which option has the best return.

For complex automation projects (integrations with ERPs, in-house databases, custom APIs), we work mainly with n8n for its flexibility and long-term TCO. We build the infrastructure, create the workflows, train your team and leave documentation so you can maintain it in-house or with occasional support.

If your case is automating customer service or sales with AI (not just workflows), see the options for AI automation that combine n8n with language models and RAG. You can also start with a specific use case (WhatsApp chatbot, CRM sync, automated onboarding) and scale from there. Get in touch and we’ll take a look.