n8n vs Zapier vs Make — real cost calculator
Live 2026 pricing. Tell it your workflow volume and it shows monthly + 3-year cost across all 4 options. Most teams save $10K–$50K over 3 years by switching to self-hosted n8n.
≈ 150,000 Zapier tasks / Make ops at 6 steps per execution
Assumes running the same workflow volume on the cheapest platform.
How this calculator works
Zapier — priced per task (each step in a Zap = 1 task). We map your total task load to the closest paid plan (2026 pricing).
Make.com — priced per operation (each module = 1 op). Roughly $1 per 1,000 ops at Teams tier.
n8n Cloud — priced per execution (regardless of steps inside). Big win for complex workflows.
Self-hosted n8n — you pay the VPS. A $12/mo Hetzner box handles thousands of executions daily; a $60/mo box handles 100K+/month easily.
This is why n8n usually wins at scale: it doesn't punish you for complex workflows or high volume. The tradeoff is that self-hosting needs someone to maintain the instance — that's what we do.