AI Workflow Builders Compared: n8n vs Make vs Zapier for Business Automation

Choosing the right workflow automation platform can make or break your AI automation strategy. With dozens of options available, three platforms consistently rise to the top for business use: n8n, Make (formerly Integromat), and Zapier. Each has distinct strengths—and understanding these differences helps you invest wisely.

The Quick Verdict

Factor	Zapier	Make	n8n
Best For	Quick wins, non-technical teams	Visual builders, complex logic	Developers, self-hosters
Learning Curve	Gentle	Moderate	Steeper
AI Capabilities	Good	Excellent	Excellent
Pricing	Premium	Mid-range	Free (self-hosted)
Flexibility	Limited	High	Unlimited

"The best automation tool is the one your team will actually use. Sophistication means nothing if workflows never get built."

Zapier: The Gateway Drug to Automation

Zapier pioneered the modern workflow automation space and remains the most accessible option for teams new to automation.

Strengths

• Massive app library: 6,000+ integrations, including niche tools
• Intuitive interface: Build basic automations in minutes
• AI Actions: Built-in GPT-4 integration for text processing
• Reliability: Enterprise-grade uptime and support
• Tables: Native database for storing automation data

Limitations

• Linear workflows only: No branching or complex logic without workarounds
• Expensive at scale: Costs balloon quickly with high-volume workflows
• Limited control: Can't self-host or access underlying code
• AI constraints: Less flexibility in prompt engineering and model selection

Ideal Use Cases

• Marketing automation (email sequences, social posting)
• CRM updates and lead routing
• Simple data sync between apps
• Teams without technical resources

Pricing Reality

Zapier's pricing catches many businesses off guard. A workflow that runs 1,000 times monthly on the Free plan suddenly costs £50+/month on paid tiers. High-volume operations can easily hit £500-£1,000/month.

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Make: The Visual Powerhouse

Make (rebranded from Integromat) offers the most sophisticated visual workflow builder in the market.

Strengths

• Visual scenario builder: Drag-and-drop with branching, loops, and error handling
• Operations-based pricing: More cost-effective for complex workflows
• AI modules: Native OpenAI, Anthropic, and custom API support
• Data transformation: Powerful built-in functions for parsing and mapping
• Webhooks: Create custom triggers and endpoints easily

Limitations

• Steeper learning curve: Visual complexity can overwhelm beginners
• Cloud-only: No self-hosting option
• Debugging challenges: Tracing errors in complex scenarios requires patience
• UK/EU data: Some enterprises prefer on-premise options

Ideal Use Cases

• Multi-step approval workflows
• Data transformation and ETL processes
• E-commerce automation (inventory, orders, fulfilment)
• Document processing with AI extraction

Pricing Reality

Make charges per "operation" (each action in your workflow). A 10-step workflow running 500 times uses 5,000 operations. The Core plan at ~£8/month includes 10,000 operations—significantly cheaper than Zapier for complex automations.

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n8n: The Developer's Choice

n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n") offers maximum flexibility through open-source, self-hosted automation.

Strengths

• Self-hosted option: Run on your own infrastructure, free forever
• Code when needed: Add JavaScript/Python for custom logic
• AI agent capabilities: Build sophisticated AI workflows with tool use
• Data sovereignty: Keep everything on-premise if required
• Community nodes: Extend functionality with community-built integrations
• No vendor lock-in: Export and migrate workflows freely

Limitations

• Technical barrier: Requires comfort with deployment and maintenance
• Smaller app library: ~400 integrations (though most essentials covered)
• Support model: Community-driven unless on paid cloud plan
• UI polish: Less refined than Make's visual builder

Ideal Use Cases

• AI agent orchestration
• Workflows requiring custom code
• Data-sensitive industries (healthcare, finance, legal)
• High-volume automations where cost matters
• Developers building automation products

Pricing Reality

Self-hosted n8n is genuinely free with unlimited workflows and executions. The cloud version starts at ~£18/month with execution limits. For businesses running dozens of workflows, self-hosting delivers extraordinary ROI—assuming you have the technical capability to maintain it.

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AI Capabilities Deep Dive

All three platforms now offer AI integration, but the depth varies significantly.

Zapier AI

• Built-in "AI by Zapier" actions using GPT-4
• Simple prompt → response pattern
• Good for: Text summarisation, classification, extraction
• Limited: No multi-turn conversations, model switching, or advanced prompting

Make AI Modules

• Native OpenAI, Claude, and custom AI API modules
• Support for assistants API and function calling
• Good for: Document processing, conversational flows
• Limited: Building true AI agents requires workarounds

n8n AI Agents

• Full LangChain integration for agent workflows
• Tool use, memory, and multi-step reasoning
• Support for any model via API
• Good for: Autonomous agents, RAG pipelines, complex AI workflows
• Limited: Requires understanding of agent architecture

"If you're building anything beyond basic 'send to AI, get response' workflows, n8n's agent capabilities are currently unmatched in the no-code/low-code space."

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Decision Framework

Choose Zapier If:

• Your team has no technical resources
• You need quick wins to prove automation value
• Most workflows are simple (trigger → action)
• Budget isn't the primary constraint
• You need an obscure app integration

Choose Make If:

• You need complex multi-branch workflows
• Visual building suits your team's style
• You want AI without writing code
• Cost efficiency matters but cloud-only is acceptable
• You're building e-commerce or document automation

Choose n8n If:

• You have developers (or willingness to learn)
• Data sovereignty or self-hosting is required
• You're building AI agent workflows
• Cost must scale predictably
• You want maximum flexibility and control

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Hybrid Approaches

Many organisations use multiple platforms strategically:

• Zapier for marketing team's quick automations
• Make for operations workflows
• n8n for AI-heavy technical workflows

This isn't inefficiency—it's matching tools to teams and use cases.

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Migration Considerations

Already invested in one platform? Here's what migration looks like:

From	To	Difficulty	Notes
Zapier	Make	Moderate	Most apps available, logic needs rebuilding
Zapier	n8n	Moderate	May need custom nodes for niche apps
Make	n8n	Easier	Similar visual paradigm, good migration path
n8n	Either	Hard	Custom code won't translate

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Our Recommendation

For most SMEs starting their automation journey, Make offers the best balance of capability, cost, and accessibility. It's sophisticated enough to handle genuine business complexity while remaining approachable for non-developers.

For businesses serious about AI automation—particularly agentic workflows—n8n is increasingly the platform of choice. The investment in learning pays dividends in flexibility and cost savings.

Zapier remains valuable as a gateway tool and for teams who need maximum simplicity, but its pricing model makes it hard to recommend for scale.

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Getting Started

Whichever platform you choose:

1. Start small: Automate one painful, repetitive process
2. Measure impact: Track time saved and errors reduced
3. Expand strategically: Build on success rather than automating everything at once
4. Document everything: Future you will thank present you

Need help choosing or implementing the right automation platform? Get in touch for a free consultation on your automation strategy.