Comparison
Make vs n8n in 2026: which automation platform fits your team?
Both run production workflows at scale. The right pick depends on whether your team writes code or wants a polished visual builder.
Last reviewed Sep 26, 2026
TL;DR
I've shipped 87 workflows on n8n since 2025 — 24 running daily. I've tested Make but never shipped one to production. Here's the honest comparison. n8n if your team writes code or wants self-hosting; Make if your team is non-technical and you want polish over flexibility. Both run production workflows at scale — pick by team, not by feature list.
REALITY CHECK
This workflow is running on my n8n right now
One of 87 workflows I run daily. Here's why it's on n8n and not Make.
Loop logic
1 splitInBatches node
This workflow loops over 100+ events per run. In Make the same loop needs 2 modules (iterator + bundle) and breaks the moment a record errors. n8n's split-in-batches handles that natively.
Cost model
Flat $20–50/mo infra
Self-hosted n8n = VPS only. Make Teams is $29/mo + $0.008 per operation. Same workflow at 6,000+ ops/mo costs roughly 2× on Make. As of Sep 2026.
Reliability
250+ successful runs in the last 10 days
No glue code, no module-level debugging. If a step fails, the loop pauses and I get one Slack ping. On Make the same setup needs a router + error handler chain.
Real workflow in production · Sync Events Cache · Runs every hour, syncs events to local cache
Comparison
Four criteria that actually decide it.
01
Pricing — what you actually pay
Make bills per operation, so a workflow that fans out to five systems costs five credits per run. Heavy automations scale the bill faster than people expect. n8n is free when self-hosted; the cloud tier starts around $24/month with predictable per-execution pricing. If your team already runs its own infra, n8n is dramatically cheaper at scale.
02
Hosting and data residency
Make runs entirely on Make infrastructure. n8n can run on your laptop, a $5 VPS, or n8n Cloud. For LATAM teams with data residency requirements or sensitive customer data, self-hosting n8n removes a class of compliance questions before they start.
03
Learning curve — who can build workflows
Make is genuinely easier for non-developers; the visual editor is one of the best in the category. n8n rewards teams comfortable with code — JS expressions, HTTP nodes, and a real data flow concept — and is steeper for pure no-code users. Hiring signals matter: if your team is half developers, n8n compounds; if not, Make ships faster.
Comparison
Pick Make when… vs Pick n8n when…
Pick Make when…
- Your team is mostly non-technical and you need to ship automations this week.
- You want a polished UI and the widest catalog of pre-built app integrations.
- You can model the cost as a predictable operations line item.
Pick n8n when…
- Your team writes code and you want full control over logic and data.
- You need self-hosting for data residency, cost, or compliance reasons.
- You plan to integrate with custom APIs or build reusable components.
Comparison
FAQ
+Is n8n really free?
Yes, if you self-host it. The fair-code license lets you run, modify, and keep your workflows without paying n8n. n8n Cloud plans start around $24/month and remove the ops work of hosting it yourself.
+Does Make scale for production workloads?
Yes. Make runs in production at companies processing millions of operations per month. The ceiling is operational cost and governance, not capability — plan your credit budget the same way you would any cloud bill.
+Can I migrate from Make to n8n (or vice versa)?
Yes, but workflows do not port directly. Both tools import and export JSON; plan one to two weeks of rebuild time per major workflow, plus testing. Keep credentials out of the migration scope — export them once and reuse.
Need help deciding?
A 30-minute call is enough to know which platform fits your team, your stack, and your budget. No pitch — just a clear recommendation.
Book a scoping call →Last reviewed Sep 26, 2026
Ready to scale without the chaos?
Stop doing by hand what AI can do in seconds. Let's map your first workflow on a 30-min call.
Book a free strategy call