n8n vs Make (2026)
n8n vs Make (Integromat): Open-source power vs visual automation platform
Overall winner: n8n
n8n is the better choice for technical teams who want to self-host or build AI agent workflows. Make is better for users who want a visually intuitive automation builder at a lower cloud cost than Zapier.
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Side-by-side breakdown
Full Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free self-hosted / $20/mo | Free / $9/mo Core |
| Free tier | Yes (self-hosted unlimited) | Yes (1,000 ops/mo) |
| Self-hostable | Yes | No |
| Visual interface | Node-based (technical) | Best-in-class visual flow |
| Integrations | 400+ nodes | 1,500+ apps |
| AI agent support | Yes (native nodes) | Limited |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Data privacy (self-host) | Full control | Cloud only |
| Learning curve | Steep | Moderate |
| Cost at scale | Free self-hosted | Usage-based pricing |
Our verdicts
Who Wins?
Overall winner
For technical teams wanting maximum flexibility, AI agents, and the ability to self-host for free, n8n is the stronger long-term platform despite its steeper learning curve.
Best value
n8n self-hosted is free with unlimited operations. Make's free tier provides 1,000 operations/month, which is more limiting for active automation workflows.
Best for beginners
Make's visual flow builder is more intuitive than n8n's node editor for users without programming experience. The learning curve is meaningfully lower.
Best for professionals
Technical teams who need AI agent workflows, custom code execution, and complete data privacy through self-hosting find n8n's capabilities more aligned with professional needs.
What actually matters
Key Differences
n8n is open source and self-hostable for free. Make is a proprietary cloud platform — you cannot run it on your own infrastructure.
Make's visual interface — with colorful, clearly connected modules — is considered the best visual automation builder available. n8n's node-based interface is powerful but less visually intuitive.
n8n has native AI agent nodes for building LLM-powered automations. Make's AI integration is possible but less natively integrated.
Make has 1,500+ app integrations covering more tools than n8n's 400+ nodes. For niche app integrations, Make often has an existing module while n8n requires custom HTTP nodes.
Make's pricing is operations-based — each action in a scenario counts as an operation. n8n self-hosted has no operation limits.
What you'll pay
Pricing Comparison
n8n self-hosted is free with unlimited workflows. n8n cloud starts at $20/mo for 2,500 executions. Make's free plan provides 1,000 operations/month; Core plan is $9/mo for 10,000 operations; Pro is $16/mo for 10,000 operations with more features. Make is cheaper than Zapier but more expensive than n8n self-hosted at scale. For teams building complex, high-volume automations, n8n's self-hosted option is the most cost-effective by far.
In real-world use
Performance Analysis
Make's scenario execution is reliable and its visual debugging tools are excellent for identifying where automations fail. n8n cloud performance is comparable. Self-hosted n8n performance scales with your infrastructure. n8n handles complex data transformations and branching logic more efficiently for technical workflows. Make's visual interface makes it easier to optimise and maintain workflows visually. Both handle standard automations reliably.
Find your fit
Best Use Cases
- Technical teams who need self-hosted automation for data privacy
- Developers building AI agent workflows with LLM integration
- High-volume automation where cloud pricing becomes expensive
- Open-source advocates who want community-governed infrastructure
- Teams comfortable with server management who want unlimited free automation
- Operations teams who want visual, easy-to-understand automation flows
- Teams needing 1,500+ app integrations
- Non-developers who find Zapier too simple but n8n too complex
- Users who want visual debugging for complex multi-step scenarios
- Teams looking for a Zapier alternative at lower cost without self-hosting
Pros & cons
Strengths & Weaknesses
Our call
Final Recommendation
For technical teams who want the most powerful, free, self-hostable automation platform, n8n is the clear choice. For teams who want a better visual builder than Zapier at a lower cost — without the complexity of self-hosting — Make is the right middle ground. Make is the best option for non-technical users who want more power than Zapier without n8n's technical requirements.
Technical teams and developers who want open-source, self-hosted automation with AI agent capabilities and unlimited free executions.
Operations teams and non-developers who want the best visual automation builder at a reasonable price without managing server infrastructure.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Make (Integromat) easier than n8n?
Yes, significantly. Make's visual module interface is more intuitive and better for non-developers. n8n's node-based editor is more flexible but requires more technical understanding.
Is n8n better than Make for AI workflows?
Yes. n8n has dedicated AI agent nodes for LLM integration, memory management, and tool calling. Make can integrate with AI APIs but lacks n8n's native AI workflow architecture.
Can Make be self-hosted?
No. Make is a cloud-only platform. n8n is the main automation tool that offers both cloud and self-hosted deployment options, which is a decisive advantage for teams with data privacy requirements.
What happened to Integromat?
Integromat was rebranded to Make in 2022. The platform and functionality are the same — if you see references to Integromat in older tutorials, they refer to what is now Make.
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