n8n and Make.com are two of the most powerful automation platforms available in 2026 — but they win in different situations. Make is a polished, hosted visual builder; n8n is an open-source engine you can self-host for total control. We tested both at scale. Here is how they compare.
| Criteria | n8n | Make.com |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self-host or cloud | Cloud only |
| Pricing model | Flat (self-host) / tiered | Per-operation |
| Cost at high volume | Lowest | Low |
| Ease of use | Medium | Easier |
| AI / code | Native AI + full code | AI agents + modules |
When n8n wins
Choose n8n if you care about data privacy, want predictable cost at very high volume, or have developers who value full code access. Self-hosting decouples your bill from your usage entirely — you pay for a server, not per task.
n8n
Best for scale & privacy · Open-source ★★★★★ 9.1
When Make.com wins
Choose Make if you want power without managing infrastructure. Its visual canvas handles complex branching beautifully, and per-operation pricing is far gentler than Zapier as you grow.
Make.com
Best balance of power & ease ★★★★★ 9.4
Bottom line
- Developers / privacy / huge volume: n8n.
- Most teams who want power without ops: Make.com.
Still deciding on your whole stack? See our best AI automation tools and Zapier alternatives guides.
Pricing compared in detail
This is the clearest dividing line between the two. Make is fully hosted and bills by operation — predictable, with no infrastructure to manage. n8n, self-hosted, costs only the price of the server it runs on (often a few dollars a month) with no per-execution fees, which makes it dramatically cheaper at very high volume. n8n also offers a managed cloud plan if you would rather not self-host. In short: Make for convenience, self-hosted n8n for the lowest cost at scale.
Setup & maintenance
Make requires zero setup — sign up and start building. n8n self-hosting means you install and update it yourself, which gives you full control and data privacy but adds a little ongoing maintenance. If no one on your team is comfortable managing a server, Make (or n8n’s cloud plan) is the safer choice.
Integrations and flexibility
Make has more pre-built app integrations out of the box, which suits non-technical users. n8n has fewer native integrations but lets you call any API and write custom code at any step, so a developer can connect virtually anything. Both now ship strong AI features — Make with AI agents and OpenAI modules, n8n with native AI and LangChain nodes.
Migration tips
- Rebuild, do not lift-and-shift. Recreate workflows natively rather than trying to copy them step for step.
- Move one workflow at a time and run both in parallel until you trust the new one.
- Document your triggers and credentials before you start so nothing breaks silently.
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n really free?
Self-hosted n8n is free software — you only pay for hosting. The managed cloud version is paid for the convenience of not running it yourself.
Which is easier for a non-technical user?
Make. Its hosted, visual interface and large integration library make it the friendlier starting point.
Which scales more cheaply?
Self-hosted n8n, because its cost is fixed regardless of how many executions you run. See our scalable automation guide.
Related guides
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