Side-by-side pricing, features and compliance for any tools in the directory.
Side-by-side comparison of Make, n8n, Zapier: pricing, capabilities, integrations and compliance — from verified HokAI records.
Make (part of Celonis)
Pick it if: Operations Manager optimizing multi-step business processes
Its edge: Advanced visual scenario builder with complex branching, conditional logic, and data manipulation that handles enterprise-grade workflows Zapier cannot match
The catch: Steeper learning curve and credit-based pricing model requiring careful monitoring; smaller integration ecosystem than Zapier (2,400 vs 5,000+ apps)
n8n GmbH
Pick it if: Platform/DevOps Engineers
Its edge: Execution-based billing model combined with code flexibility—allows building infinitely complex workflows at 40-90% lower cost than task-based competitors like Zapier/Make
The catch: Steep learning curve for non-technical users; requires API knowledge and DevOps skills for self-hosting; limited support on lower tiers relies on community forums
Zapier Inc.
Pick it if: Operations managers automating cross-functional processes
Its edge: Unmatched breadth: 8,000+ app integrations with native MCP support for AI agents (Claude, ChatGPT), enabling orchestration across entire tech stacks without custom backend work
The catch: Task-based pricing model that escalates rapidly; high total cost of ownership for volume automation compared to competitors (Make, n8n, Activepieces)
| Entry price | Free to start | Free to start | Free to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | true | true | true |
| Paid tiers | Free — $0/mo; Pro — $9/mo; Business — $0/mo | Community Edition — $0/mo; Starter (Cloud) — $20/mo; Pro (Cloud) — $50/mo | Free — $0/mo; Professional — $29.99/mo; Team — $103.5/mo |
| Hidden costs | Operations overage fees beyond plan limits can accumulate quickly on large-scale automations; Requires understanding of credit consumption model which varies by operation complexity; Legacy system integration may require custom webhooks or | Self-hosting infrastructure costs ($5-40/month for basic VPS, scaling to hundreds for production); DevOps resource investment for maintenance, patching, scaling, and database management; Business plan execution fees can escalate quickly for | Task overages: $0.01-0.03 per task when exceeding monthly limit; high-volume users pay 3-5x more than competitors; Complexity tax: Advanced workflows require field mapping, conditional logic, and custom code—demanding technical expertise; P |
| Budget fit | mid | mid | mid |
| Killer feature | Advanced visual scenario builder with complex branching, conditional logic, and data manipulation that handles enterprise-grade workflows Zapier cannot match | Execution-based billing model combined with code flexibility—allows building infinitely complex workflows at 40-90% lower cost than task-based competitors like Zapier/Make | Unmatched breadth: 8,000+ app integrations with native MCP support for AI agents (Claude, ChatGPT), enabling orchestration across entire tech stacks without custom backend work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary weakness | Steeper learning curve and credit-based pricing model requiring careful monitoring; smaller integration ecosystem than Zapier (2,400 vs 5,000+ apps) | Steep learning curve for non-technical users; requires API knowledge and DevOps skills for self-hosting; limited support on lower tiers relies on community forums | Task-based pricing model that escalates rapidly; high total cost of ownership for volume automation compared to competitors (Make, n8n, Activepieces) |
| Best for | Operations Manager optimizing multi-step business processes; Systems Administrator managing cross-app data flows; Integration Engineer building sophisticated automation architectures | Platform/DevOps Engineers; IT Operations Directors; Solutions Architects | Operations managers automating cross-functional processes; Marketing ops scaling lead capture and nurturing; Sales ops accelerating deal velocity and CRM hygiene |
| Worst for | Complete beginner wanting instant results with no learning curve; Budget-constrained startup with very limited operation volume; Legacy enterprise heavily dependent on on-premise systems | Non-technical marketing teams; Business analysts without API knowledge; End users needing instant deployment | Healthcare IT (not HIPAA-compliant); Finance teams handling regulated data (lacks robust audit controls); On-premise-only organizations (cloud-SaaS only) |
| Minimum skill level | intermediate | intermediate | beginner |
| Defensibility | 7 Strong visual builder UI and advanced branching capabilities create switching costs; acquired by $13B Celonis gives financial backing; 400k+ user base with established integrations; however, open competition from Zapier (larger), n8n (open-source), and Power Automate (Microsoft ecosystem) limits defensibility | 8 Strong moat built on fair-code license (open-source but protected from commercial abuse), massive community (200k+ members, 179.4k GitHub stars), extensive integration ecosystem (400+), and architectural superiority over competitors for complex workflows. AI-first positioning with 75% of customers using AI gives first-mover advantage in AI orchestration space. However, moat weakened by competitors (Zapier, Make, Workato) having stronger compliance certifications and larger enterprise adoption. | 8 Zapier's moat rests on three pillars: (1) Network effects—8,000+ integrations create switching costs as users build Zap dependencies; (2) Brand dominance—70% of Fortune 1000 and 99% of Forbes Cloud 100 use Zapier; (3) AI-first positioning—native MCP integration and Agents feature lock in new agentic workflows. Competitors offer cheaper pricing but cannot replicate breadth or ecosystem maturity. High capital intensity of adding integrations and Zapier's head start in SEO/organic growth create durable competitive advantage despite pricing pressure. |
| Target audience | Operations Manager, Business Analyst, Systems Administrator, Automation Engineer, Integration Developer, Product Manager, Startup Founder | Technical Founders & DevOps Engineers, IT Operations Teams (IT Ops, Sec Ops), Software Developers, Enterprise Architects, Data Engineers, Compliance Officers (regulated industries), Operations Managers, Systems Integrators | Marketing & RevOps Teams, IT Operations & Support, Sales Operations, Product & Engineering Teams, HR & Admin, Solopreneurs & Freelancers, Small to Enterprise Businesses, Developers building AI agents |
| Key features | Visual Scenario Builder; Advanced Data Handling; AI Agent Integration | Hybrid Visual + Code Builder; 500+ Pre-Built Integrations; AI-Native Architecture with MCP Support | Massive App Library; AI Workflows & Agents; Zapier MCP (Model Context Protocol) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | Vision; Function calling | Vision; Function calling | Vision; Function calling |
| Strengths | Handles multi-step, branching automations that trigger-only tools can't build, which is the main reason teams outgrow Zapier or IFTTT for Make; Visual scenario builder makes even intricate automations easier to understand, map, and troubles | The hybrid visual-plus-code approach means workflows are not capped by whatever the built-in nodes happen to support, a real advantage over strictly no-code tools.; Complete data control with self-hosting on your own infrastructure; the Com | Largest integration ecosystem among no-code platforms, covering nearly every major business app category.; Fast onboarding for non-technical users thanks to ready-made templates and guided setup.; Flexible, usage-based pricing that starts f |
| Watch out for | Steeper learning curve than simpler tools like Zapier, especially for complex scenarios and advanced features; Understanding and monitoring credit consumption can be complex and require careful cost management; Better suited for modern clou | Steeper learning curve than pure no-code tools like Zapier: requires familiarity with APIs and basic programming concepts.; Self-hosting requires real DevOps expertise for server setup, maintenance, database administration, and scaling.; Li | Task-based pricing escalates quickly: complex multi-step workflows consume tasks fast.; More expensive at scale than usage-based competitors, which often charge less per equivalent operation volume.; Free plan is severely limited to two-ste |
| Knowledge cutoff | -- | -- | Real-time via connected app APIs |
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