n8n vs Make.com — Which Automation Platform Is Right for You?
n8n and Make.com are both strong automation platforms, but they attract different types of users. n8n appeals to technical teams who want control and are comfortable managing infrastructure. Make.com appeals to non-technical teams who want a polished, hosted experience. Here’s how to decide.
What are n8n and Make.com?
n8n (pronounced “n-eight-n”) is an open-source workflow automation platform. You can self-host it for free, or use n8n Cloud. It has a node-based canvas where you chain together integrations, and it supports writing custom JavaScript (or Python via Code nodes) for complex transformations. It currently has ~400 built-in integrations.
Make.com (formerly Integromat) is a cloud-only automation platform with a visual “scenario” builder. It’s known for its polished UI, particularly its ability to visualise data flow between modules. It has 1,000+ app integrations and is especially strong at scheduling, routing, and iterating over arrays.
Pricing comparison
n8n:
- Self-hosted: Free (you pay for infrastructure — typically $10–50/month on a VPS)
- n8n Cloud Starter: $20/month (2,500 workflow executions)
- n8n Cloud Pro: $50/month (10,000 executions)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing (includes SSO, RBAC, audit logging)
Make.com:
- Free: 1,000 operations/month
- Core: $9/month (10,000 operations)
- Pro: $16/month (10,000 operations + unlimited active scenarios, higher priority)
- Teams: $29/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom
Important distinction: n8n counts by workflow executions (one run of a workflow = one execution). Make counts by operations (each module in each run = one operation). A 10-step Make scenario running 1,000 times = 10,000 operations. An n8n workflow with 10 nodes running 1,000 times = 1,000 executions. This makes direct price comparison tricky — but in practice, Make.com’s pricing tends to be more predictable for teams with simple workflows, while n8n’s self-hosted option is dramatically cheaper at high volume.