Is Make cheaper than Zapier?

Usually, yes. Make's paid plans start lower and each plan includes more usage. The difference grows with multi-step automations, because Zapier counts every completed action as a task.

The self-hosted Community edition is free for internal business use under n8n's Sustainable Use Licence. You still pay for the server it runs on and the time to look after it. n8n's cloud plans are paid.

Can Zapier or Make handle sensitive data?

They can be used with personal data, but the data passes through their cloud services. Check their data processing terms, record them as processors where needed and avoid sending more data than the automation needs.

When should I replace Zapier with a custom integration?

Consider it when an automation is business-critical, when platform fees have become significant, or when you are building increasingly complicated workarounds to make the platform do what you need.

Comparison

Zapier vs Make vs n8n vs a custom integration: which is right for a small business?

By Greg Wood, Founder, FiveW · Updated 8 November 2026 · 3 min read

The short answer

Zapier is usually the quickest to set up and connects to the most apps. Make is often cheaper and better for complex, multi-step flows. n8n suits businesses that want more control and are comfortable with something more technical, including hosting it themselves. A custom integration is worth it when an automation is critical to the business, runs at high volume, or needs logic the platforms handle badly.

At a glance

Prices are the published entry prices we checked in November 2026, excluding VAT, converted to sterling. Zapier and Make bill in US dollars and n8n in euros, so what you pay moves with the exchange rate. They change often and all three platforms charge more as usage grows.

	Zapier	Make	n8n	Custom integration
Best for	Quick, simple automations between popular apps	Multi-step flows with branching, at lower cost	Technical teams wanting control, or self-hosting	Business-critical, high-volume or unusual processes
Ease of use	Easiest	Moderate, visual canvas	More technical	Built and maintained by developers
Free option	100 tasks a month, two-step automations	1,000 credits a month	Free to self-host (Community edition)	No
Paid from	About £15.30 a month	About £8.50 a month, paid yearly	About £17 a month (cloud, paid yearly)	Development time, typically days not hours
Charged by	Tasks (completed actions)	Credits (most actions use 1)	Executions (whole workflow runs)	Hosting plus maintenance
Data control	Runs on Zapier's cloud	Runs on Make's cloud	Their cloud or your own server	Wherever you choose

Zapier

Zapier is the name most people know, and for good reason. It connects to a very large number of apps, the setup is guided, and a non-technical person can build a working automation in an afternoon.

Watch for: cost at volume. Zapier charges per task, which is each action an automation completes. A five-step automation running 200 times a day uses a lot of tasks. If you go over your limit, Zapier can move you to pay-per-task billing at a higher rate unless you switch that off, in which case automations pause.

Choose it when: you want something working quickly, volumes are modest and the apps involved are mainstream.

Make

Make uses a visual canvas where you can see every step, branch and error route. It handles complex flows well and is often cheaper than Zapier for multi-step automations, depending on volume.

Watch for: a steeper learning curve, and credits that expire at the end of an annual term if unused. Some AI features use more credits per step.

Choose it when: your automation has several steps or decisions, or Zapier's pricing is starting to hurt.

n8n

n8n can be used as a cloud service or installed on your own server. Its pricing counts whole workflow runs rather than individual steps, which can make complex workflows much cheaper. The self-hosted Community edition is free under n8n's Sustainable Use Licence, which allows internal business use.

Watch for: self-hosting means you are responsible for the server, security updates, backups and uptime. Some features such as single sign-on and version control are paid only.

Choose it when: you have technical help available, want data to stay on infrastructure you control, or run complex workflows at volume.

A custom integration

Sometimes the right answer is code written for your process, connecting your systems directly through their APIs.

Watch for: higher upfront cost and the need for someone to maintain it. A custom integration is software and needs the same care.

Choose it when:

The automation is critical. If it fails, customers or cash flow are affected.
Volumes are high enough that platform fees become significant.
The logic is complex, with lots of rules, calculations or exceptions.
You need detailed logging, alerts and audit trails.

The mistake to avoid

The biggest risk with any of these is not the tool. It is automating a process nobody fully understands, then finding out months later that it has been quietly failing. Whichever option you choose:

Write down what the automation does and who owns it.
Make failures visible, with an alert to a named person.
Review it every few months, especially after other software changes.

Not sure which fits?

Our page on connecting business software explains how we approach integrations. If you would like an independent recommendation for your own systems, the FiveW Business Review compares options against your real processes, volumes and budget.

The FiveW Business Review

Want this answered for your own business? The £750 + VAT review looks at up to three important processes and gives you prioritised recommendations covering likely benefit, cost, effort and risk.

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Sources

Prices and figures were checked on 8 November 2026 and can change. Always confirm with the supplier.