n8n vs Make vs Zapier for UK small businesses
How the three most popular automation platforms differ on pricing model, hosting and flexibility, and which UK agencies work with each.
Published · Updated · By the TrustedAIAgencies editorial team
n8n, Make and Zapier all connect your apps and move data between them without hand-written code. They differ mainly in how they charge, where they run, and how much control they give you. Here is a neutral comparison, using only what each provider publishes.
At a glance
| Zapier | Make | n8n | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Tasks (each successful action step) | Credits (most module actions use 1 credit) | Workflow executions (a whole run counts once) |
| Free option | Free plan, 100 tasks/month | Free plan, 1,000 credits/month | Self-hosted Community Edition |
| Entry paid plan | Professional from $19.99/month billed annually (750 tasks) | See Make’s pricing page | Starter €20/month billed annually |
| Hosting | Cloud service | Cloud, with EU or North America hosting | Cloud (Frankfurt) or self-hosted |
| Style | Simplest to start | Visual, strong for branching scenarios | Most flexible; suits technical teams |
Prices are as published on the providers’ pricing pages in October 2026 and change often. Zapier can bill in GBP; n8n quotes in euros.
Why the billing unit matters
Imagine a workflow with 10 steps that runs 500 times a month.
- On Zapier, each successful action step uses a task, so this can use thousands of tasks.
- On Make, each module action typically uses a credit, so the count is similar in scale.
- On n8n Cloud, the same workflow counts as 500 executions, however many steps it has.
That is why n8n is often chosen for long, complex workflows, while Zapier’s simplicity can win for short ones. Ask your agency to estimate usage on each platform for your workflows.
Which should you choose?
- Choose Zapier if you want the gentlest learning curve and your team will maintain simple workflows themselves.
- Choose Make if you have multi-step processes with branches and filters, and want a visual builder.
- Choose n8n if you need control over hosting (including self-hosting), have long workflows, or want AI agent steps inside your automations.
- Consider Microsoft Power Automate if your business already runs on Microsoft 365.
UK agencies by platform
In our directory, these are the numbers of agencies whose own websites or profiles mention each platform (our detection is conservative, so some agencies use platforms they don’t mention):
Not sure which platform fits? Tell us what you want to automate and we will suggest agencies with the right experience.