n8n vs Make vs Zapier: Choosing the Right Automation Platform for Your SaaS

Workflow automation platforms have become essential infrastructure for modern SaaS companies. Whether you're syncing customer data between tools, triggering onboarding sequences, or building AI-powered workflows, choosing the right platform impacts both your bottom line and what you can build.

This guide compares three leading platforms—n8n, Make (formerly Integrabench), and Zapier—from the perspective of SaaS companies building serious automation infrastructure.

Platform Overview

Zapier

The original workflow automation platform. Largest app directory (6,000+ integrations), best-in-class user experience, premium pricing. Built for business users who want reliability over flexibility.

Make

Visual workflow builder with powerful data manipulation. Mid-range pricing, strong API capabilities, growing AI features. Targets users who need more control than Zapier without technical complexity.

n8n

Open-source automation platform. Self-hostable, infinitely customizable, developer-friendly. Designed for technical teams that want complete control and no usage limits.

Pricing Comparison

Let's compare costs for a growing SaaS company processing 50,000 tasks/month:

Zapier:

• Professional Plan: $299/month (50K tasks, multi-step workflows)
• Team features require Team plan: $399-699/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing (starts around $1,200/month)

Make:

• Core Plan: $29/month (10K operations) - not enough
• Pro Plan: $99/month (40K operations) - close
• Teams: $299/month (130K operations) - fits comfortably
• Cost for 50K tasks: $99-299/month

n8n:

• Self-hosted: $0 (infrastructure costs only, typically $20-100/month)
• Cloud Starter: $20/month (2,500 executions)
• Cloud Pro: $50/month (10,000 executions)
• For 50K+ tasks: Self-host for ~$50-100/month infrastructure

Verdict: At scale, n8n is 5-10x cheaper if self-hosted. Make offers middle ground. Zapier is most expensive but requires minimal technical overhead.

AI Capabilities

AI automation is where these platforms diverge significantly.

Zapier AI Features

• Native ChatGPT integration
• AI-powered app suggestions
• Zapier Central (AI agent builder) - beta
• Text analysis and generation via partner integrations
• Limitation: AI features mostly in higher tiers, limited customization

Make AI Features

• OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI integrations
• AI text processing modules
• Image generation workflows
• Vector database connections (Pinecone, Weaviate)
• Strength: Flexible AI workflow building, can combine multiple AI tools

n8n AI Features

• LangChain integration (full library access)
• AI agent creation with memory and tools
• Vector store nodes (multiple providers)
• Custom AI model integration (run your own models)
• RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) workflows
• Strength: Most advanced AI capabilities, can build production-grade AI applications

Verdict: For simple AI automations, all three work. For complex AI workflows, multi-step agents, or custom AI infrastructure, n8n is the clear winner.

Integration and API Flexibility

Zapier:

• 6,000+ pre-built integrations
• API requests limited and expensive (webhook consumption counts as task)
• Custom integrations via CLI (technical setup required)
• Great for common SaaS tools, limited for custom/internal APIs

Make:

• 1,500+ pre-built integrations
• HTTP module included in all plans (unlimited API calls within operation limits)
• Built-in JSON/XML parsing and transformation
• Good balance of pre-built + custom integrations

n8n:

• 400+ pre-built integrations (smaller library)
• Unlimited HTTP requests (no artificial limits)
• Full code node (write JavaScript for custom logic)
• Can build custom integrations and share with community
• Best for companies with internal tools or niche APIs

Verdict: Zapier wins for breadth of pre-built integrations. n8n wins for custom API work and flexibility. Make sits in the middle.

Developer Experience

Zapier:

• Visual builder, minimal technical knowledge required
• Limited debugging capabilities
• No version control or Git integration
• Collaboration via shared accounts
• Target user: Business operations, marketers, sales ops

Make:

• Visual builder with data mapping interface
• Decent debugging tools (execution history, data inspector)
• Scenario templates and cloning
• Team collaboration features
• Target user: Tech-savvy operations teams, citizen developers

n8n:

• Visual builder + code editor when needed
• Full execution debugging with step-by-step data inspection
• Git integration possible (workflows stored as JSON)
• Self-hosted = version control, CI/CD integration
• API to trigger workflows programmatically
• Target user: Developers, technical teams, DevOps

Verdict: For non-technical teams, Zapier or Make. For development teams building automation as product infrastructure, n8n.

Self-Hosting and Data Privacy

Zapier:

• Cloud-only
• Data passes through Zapier servers
• SOC 2, GDPR compliant
• Cannot self-host

Make:

• Cloud-only
• Data passes through Make servers
• SOC 2, GDPR compliant
• Cannot self-host

n8n:

• Can self-host on your infrastructure
• Data never leaves your environment (critical for sensitive workflows)
• Deploy on AWS, GCP, Azure, or your own servers
• Docker support for easy deployment
• Also offers cloud option if you prefer

Verdict: If data sovereignty matters (healthcare, finance, customer data processing), n8n self-hosted is the only option.

Real-World Use Cases

Use Case 1: Customer Onboarding Automation

Scenario: When new customer signs up, create account in CRM, send welcome email, add to Slack channel, trigger onboarding sequence.

• Zapier: Easiest to set up, works perfectly for standard apps
• Make: More control over data formatting and error handling
• n8n: Overkill unless you need custom logic or integration with internal tools

Winner: Zapier or Make

Use Case 2: AI-Powered Customer Support

Scenario: Incoming support ticket → analyze with AI → categorize → route to right team → generate draft response using RAG with your knowledge base.

• Zapier: Possible but limited AI customization
• Make: Can build this with OpenAI integration, moderate complexity
• n8n: Full LangChain support, can build sophisticated AI agents with memory and custom tools

Winner: n8n (Make second)

Use Case 3: Data Sync Between Internal Tools

Scenario: Sync customer data between custom CRM, billing system, and internal analytics database every 15 minutes.

• Zapier: Expensive at scale, API request costs add up
• Make: Better for custom APIs, but operation limits become constraint
• n8n: Self-hosted = unlimited operations, can handle high-frequency syncs

Winner: n8n

Use Case 4: Multi-Step Sales Workflows

Scenario: Lead fills form → score lead → enrich with Clearbit → add to CRM → assign to sales rep → send personalized email.

• Zapier: Built for exactly this, huge integration library
• Make: Very capable, better data transformation options
• n8n: Works well, but fewer pre-built integrations

Winner: Zapier (unless custom integrations needed)

Migration Considerations

From Zapier to Make:

• Moderate effort (rebuild workflows, test integrations)
• Cost savings of 50-70% at scale
• More powerful data handling

From Zapier to n8n:

• Higher effort (technical setup, self-hosting infrastructure)
• Cost savings of 80-90% at scale
• Gain unlimited flexibility

From Make to n8n:

• Moderate effort (similar visual builder concepts)
• Unlock advanced AI and custom integration capabilities
• Requires infrastructure management

Decision Framework

Choose Zapier if:

• Non-technical team managing automations
• Need maximum number of pre-built integrations
• Budget is not primary constraint
• Want zero infrastructure management
• Reliability and support are top priorities

Choose Make if:

• Need more power than Zapier without technical complexity
• Want better API and data transformation capabilities
• Budget-conscious but still want cloud-hosted solution
• Building moderately complex workflows
• Team has some technical capability

Choose n8n if:

• Have technical team or developers
• Building AI-powered automation infrastructure
• Need to integrate with internal/custom tools extensively
• Process high volumes (100K+ tasks/month)
• Data privacy requires self-hosting
• Want automation as code (version control, CI/CD)

The Hybrid Approach

Many companies use multiple platforms:

• Zapier: Quick business automations, connecting standard SaaS tools
• n8n: Complex AI workflows, high-volume data processing, internal tool integrations

This provides best of both worlds: ease of use for business users, power and cost-efficiency for technical workflows.

Conclusion

There's no universal "best" platform. The right choice depends on your team's technical capability, budget, integration requirements, and scale.

For most SaaS companies:

• Start with Zapier if non-technical
• Start with Make if budget-conscious with some technical capability
• Start with n8n if building automation as core infrastructure with a technical team

As you scale, revisit the decision. What works at 10K tasks/month may not make sense at 1M tasks/month.

Want help evaluating which platform fits your SaaS automation needs? We offer free consultation sessions to assess your workflows and recommend the right solution.

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