AI & automationJuly 20267 min read
n8n, Make or Zapier: which one for your company
All three do the same job on paper. The real gap is the cost when volume rises and where your data ends up. Here is how I decide.
What really sets them apart
On paper, all three link your apps and move information from one to the next. The real gap comes down to three things: the actual cost as volume rises, where your data lives while it passes through, and how dependent you are on the vendor. Those three points are what I decide on, not the list of connectors.
Zapier: the simplest, until the bill
Zapier is the most accessible: you assemble an automation in a few minutes, with no technical knowledge. The downside is the pricing model. Billed per task, it gets expensive fast as volume climbs, and your data passes through its servers. I recommend it to start quickly on small volumes, or to validate an idea before investing.
Make: the good power-to-price ratio
Make offers far more flexibility than Zapier for a price often lower at equal volume, with a visual editor that handles complex scenarios. It is a very good compromise when your automations branch out but you do not want to manage a server. Your data still passes through its platform, worth keeping in mind for sensitive cases.
n8n: sovereignty and volume
n8n can be hosted on your own infrastructure: your data never leaves it, and the cost no longer depends on the number of tasks but on your server. At high volume, the bill gap with the other two becomes huge. In return, you have to install and maintain it. It is my default choice as soon as there is volume or sensitive data.
My recommendation, depending on your situation
To test an idea this weekend on a few dozen operations: Zapier. For rich automations without managing a server: Make. For volume, sensitive data or a bill that is spiraling: self-hosted n8n. In practice, many start on Zapier or Make, then move to n8n the day the bill exceeds the cost of a small server.