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Question

Zapier, Make or n8n: which automation hub should I choose?

Verified Oct 17, 2026 Review by Jan 15, 2027 6 sources
Short answer

Pick by who will build and how complex the flows are. Zapier suits non-technical teams who want the quickest setup. Make suits visual builders who need branching and data shaping. n8n suits technical teams who want self-hosting and code steps. They bill in different units (tasks, credits, executions), so compare at your real volume.

What it is

An automation hub connects your apps and runs workflows when events happen. These three are in IonBin’s catalog, and each bills differently.

How it works

  1. List your top five workflows and the apps they touch.
  2. Check that each hub supports those apps and the triggers you need.
  3. Build one real workflow in a trial of your top two choices.
  4. Compare total monthly cost at your expected volume, and who can maintain it.

Pricing units (checked 2026-10-17). Zapier counts tasks. Its Free plan has 100 a month and only two-step Zaps, and Professional starts at $19.99 a month. Make counts credits, and most actions use one, so a ten-step scenario uses about ten credits a run. n8n counts whole workflow executions, however many steps. Its cloud plans start at €20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions. Long, many-step flows favor execution billing. Short, simple flows can be cheaper on task or credit billing.

Benefits

  • A clear choice avoids rebuilding later.
  • All three can be driven by AI agents through MCP.
  • n8n’s self-hosting option keeps data on your infrastructure.

Limits and risks

  • Pricing models differ (tasks, credits, executions), so compare on your real volume, not headline prices.
  • Capabilities vary. Bulk and agent features differ by hub and plan. See each tool page.
  • Self-hosting moves maintenance to you.

Checked specs

Snapshot from official sources on Oct 17, 2026.

Zapier (checked 2026-10-17)Free $0 with 100 tasks/month and two-step Zaps; Professional from $19.99/month (multi-step Zaps, webhooks); Team from $69/month [1]
Make (checked 2026-10-17)Billed in credits (most actions 1 credit); Free plan 1,000 credits/month; extra credits in bundles of 1,000 or 10,000 [2]
n8n cloud, billed annually (checked 2026-10-17)Starter €20/month (2.5K executions); Pro €50/month (10K); Business €667/month (40K, self-hosted only) [3]
n8n billing unitMonthly workflow executions, regardless of complexity; unlimited users and workflows on all plans [3]
MCPAll three document MCP support [4]

Best-fit stacks

Stack 06

Ops & admin automation

Hand repeat admin (receipts, logs, notices, handoffs) to workflows your agent can trigger.

Agent compatibility

Tool in this entryHow agents connect
Zapier Automation hub MCPAPI/CLI
Make Automation hub MCPAPI/CLIBulk import
n8n Automation hub MCPAPI/CLIBulk import

Levels come from each tool's recorded, sourced compatibility. How the levels work.

Sources

  1. Zapier pricing · Zapierofficial accessed Oct 17, 2026
  2. Make pricing · Makeofficial accessed Oct 17, 2026
  3. n8n pricing · n8nofficial accessed Oct 17, 2026
  4. Zapier MCP · Zapierofficial accessed Oct 17, 2026
  5. Make MCP server · Makeofficial accessed Oct 17, 2026
  6. n8n MCP Server Trigger node · n8nofficial accessed Oct 17, 2026

Practitioner views are restated in our words and labeled as views, not measured results. Product facts come from official sources dated above.

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