For an ecommerce brand, Zapier is the easiest of the three to start with and the most expensive at volume, Make is the cheapest for most multi-step workflows on its hosted plans, and n8n is the one to choose when the brand wants to run automation on its own servers or has many long workflows. The main difference is what each one counts: Zapier bills every step, Make bills every module action and n8n bills each complete run. This comparison uses the prices on each tool's own pricing page, read on 26 October 2026, and is from Brand Media Works, an AI consulting and marketing data engineering firm for ecommerce brands.
How do Zapier, Make and n8n charge?
| Zapier | Make | n8n | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Task: each successful trigger or action step uses 1 task | Credit: most module actions use 1 credit | Execution: one full run of a workflow, whatever its number of steps |
| Steps that are free | Built-in tools such as Formatter, Paths, Filters and Delay use 0 tasks | Router and error handler modules use no credits | Every step inside a run is included |
| AI steps | 1, 3 or 5 tasks per AI step depending on the model tier; 2 tasks per tool call | Most actions use 1 credit; some features using Make's AI Provider use more | Agents, MCP and AI nodes included; Assistant credits on Starter and Pro |
| Free option | Free plan with 100 tasks a month | Free plan with 1,000 credits a month | Community Edition, free to self-host |
| Annual billing saving | 33% | 15% | 17% |
The billing unit matters more than the headline price. A workflow that receives a Shopify order, looks up the customer, updates a Klaviyo profile and posts to Slack is four steps. On Zapier and Make that is four tasks or four credits every time it runs; on n8n it is one execution.
What does each cost for an ecommerce workflow?
Take one four-step workflow that runs 2,500 times a month, such as a high-value order alert that updates the customer record and notifies the team. That is 10,000 tasks on Zapier, 10,000 credits on Make and 2,500 executions on n8n, which lands each tool on a plan size its pricing page lists.
| Tool and plan | What the plan includes | Monthly billing | Annual billing, per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier Professional | 10,000 tasks a month | $193.50 | $129.00 |
| Make Core | 10,000 credits a month | $10.59 | $9 |
| Make Pro | 10,000 credits a month, priority execution | $18.82 | $16 |
| n8n Starter, hosted by n8n | 2,500 workflow executions | $24 | $20 |
On this workflow Zapier costs about 18 times Make Core and 8 times n8n Starter at monthly billing (our arithmetic). The gap narrows when a workflow has one or two steps, or relies on Zapier's free built-in tools, and widens as workflows get longer. At higher volumes, Zapier's Professional plan with 50,000 tasks costs $433.50 a month on monthly billing or $289 a month billed annually (our arithmetic from its annual price), while n8n's Pro plan covers 10,000 executions for $60 a month, or $50 billed annually. Make prices other credit volumes on a slider; at 10,000 credits its Core plan works out at $1.06 per 1,000 credits on monthly billing.
For a team, Zapier's Team plan starts at $103.50 a month on monthly billing ($69 billed annually) for 2,000 tasks and up to 25 users. n8n's Business plan, which is self-hosted only, costs $960 a month on monthly billing for 40,000 executions, or $800 billed annually.
Which tool fits which kind of brand?
- Zapier fits a brand whose marketing or operations team will build and maintain the automations themselves, with a small number of short workflows. It is the easiest to use, and the tasks a brand pays for buy that ease.
- Make fits a brand that runs longer, branching workflows on hosted plans and wants the lowest bill. It takes more care to build, because each module is visible and each counts toward credits.
- n8n fits a brand with a developer or an outside partner to maintain it, or one that wants automation to run on its own servers. Self-hosting keeps order and customer data inside the brand's own cloud account, which matters when a workflow sends that data to an AI model.
Many brands end up with more than one: Zapier for a few simple marketing tasks, and Make or n8n for the workflows that run thousands of times a month. Which marketing workflows to automate with AI first covers how to choose the workflows before the tool.
What else adds to the bill?
- Running over the plan. Zapier switches to pay-per-task at a higher rate once the plan's tasks run out, unless that is turned off. Make stops scenarios until credits are added, and lets a brand buy extra credits. n8n charges overage on its Business plan.
- AI model costs. AI steps can use several tasks or credits each, and a brand that brings its own model account also pays the model provider. AI model API prices in 2026 shows what those model calls cost.
- Hosting and upkeep. Self-hosted n8n has no subscription on the Community Edition, but someone has to run the server, apply updates and watch for failed runs.
- Building the workflows. The tool is usually the smaller cost. How much an AI automation agency charges sets out published prices for having workflows built.
AI workflow automation describes how Brand Media Works builds and hands over checked workflows on the tool that fits the brand, including self-hosted n8n where customer data must stay in the brand's own account.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an n8n monthly subscription cost?
n8n's hosted Starter plan costs $24 a month on monthly billing for 2,500 workflow executions, and its Pro plan costs $60 a month for 10,000 executions. Billed annually, the same plans cost $20 and $50 a month. The self-hosted Business plan costs $960 a month on monthly billing for 40,000 executions, or $800 billed annually, and the Community Edition is free to self-host. Prices as shown on n8n's pricing page, read 26 October 2026.
Is n8n cheaper than Zapier?
For multi-step workflows, yes. n8n bills one execution per run however many steps it has, while Zapier bills every step. A four-step workflow running 2,500 times a month costs $24 a month on n8n Starter and $193.50 on Zapier Professional, at monthly billing.
Is Make cheaper than Zapier?
Usually. At 10,000 credits Make's Core plan costs $10.59 a month on monthly billing, against $193.50 for 10,000 tasks on Zapier Professional. Both count each step, so the saving comes from the lower price per unit.
Can n8n run on our own servers?
Yes. n8n's Community Edition is free to self-host, and its Business plan is sold as self-hosted only. Self-hosting means the brand runs and maintains the server.
Which is best for a Shopify brand?
First check that every app the workflow touches, such as Shopify, Klaviyo and the help desk, has a ready-made connector on the tool. After that, the choice depends on how many steps the workflows have, how often they run and who will maintain them.