Make vs n8n Comparison 2026
Make wires apps together on a visual canvas where each step is a node you can watch data pass through, free permanently at a metered operations allowance, then $12 a month billed annually on Core. n8n can be self-hosted free under its own licence, or run on n8n's cloud from $20 a month billed annually, billed by workflow execution rather than by individual step, so a forty-node workflow costs the same as a four-node one. Make is cheaper to start and easier to debug visually. n8n is more technical, with a code node, AI agent nodes and version control on workflows.
At a glance
- Make starts cheaper, at $12.
- Only Make has a free tier.
Side by side
Make | n8n | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $12 | From $20 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Free plan, paid tiers | Free trial, then paid |
| Free tier (they differ) | Yes | No |
| Billing | Not stated | Not stated |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Yes |
Make
Automation you can see as a diagram
Make wires apps together on a canvas where each step is a node you can watch data move through, which is why people who bounced off text-based automation tools tend to stay. Branches, loops and error handlers are all drawable rather than configured in a form. For a creator it is the thing that files a new upload, posts the announcement and adds the sponsor to a tracker without anybody opening three tabs. Billing counts operations rather than seats, so cost follows how much actually runs.
n8n
Automation you can host on your own server
n8n is a workflow automation tool whose source is public and which you may run on your own machine, which matters when the data passing through is a subscriber list or a client's files. Nodes cover the usual services and a code node covers everything else, so a workflow does not stop dead at the first thing nobody built an integration for. Cloud plans are billed by workflow executions rather than by task, so a long chain costs the same as a short one. Self-hosting is free under its own licence.
Why people weigh these two
- n8n instead of Make
- n8n runs the same kind of flow on your own server from $20, for automations you would rather not hand to a hosted service.
- Make instead of n8n
- Make lays the same automation out as a diagram from $12 with a free tier, hosted for you instead of on your own server.
Which one should you pick
Pick Make if you want to see data move through each step on a canvas while building, and a permanent free tier with a cheap $12 a month Core plan billed annually. Branches, loops and error handlers are all drawable rather than configured in a form, which suits anybody who bounced off a text-based automation tool before.
Pick n8n if you are comfortable self-hosting for free, or want workflows billed by execution rather than by step, which matters once a workflow has many nodes. Cloud starts at $20 a month billed annually, pricier than Make's entry tier, but the code node, AI agent nodes and exportable version control are real advantages for a technical builder Make does not match.
Common questions
- Which is cheaper, Make or n8n?
- Make, at $12 a month billed annually against n8n's cloud starting at $20. n8n can also be self-hosted entirely free under its own licence, which undercuts both if you are willing to run the server yourself.
- Does either charge by individual automation step?
- Make does, billing by operations, so a long scenario with many steps costs more than a short one. n8n bills by workflow execution instead, meaning a forty-node workflow costs the same as a four-node one, a real difference for complex automations.
- Can I self-host n8n for free?
- Yes, the community edition can be run on your own machine under its source-available licence at no licence cost, which is the route most technical users take. Make has no self-hosting option and is a hosted service only.
- Which one is easier to debug?
- Make, according to its own listing, since each node on the canvas shows the data that passed through it, making a failed step easier to find. n8n offers a code node for JavaScript or Python, which is powerful but assumes more comfort with code than Make requires.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.