n8n vs Make (Integromat) 2026: Which Automation Tool Is Right for Your Team?
Make (rebranded from Integromat in 2022) and n8n are the two most serious alternatives to Zapier for teams that need more than simple two-step automations. Both handle complex workflows, both have strong community support, and both are significantly cheaper than Zapier at scale. The differences matter when you are choosing one to build on for the next few years.
Pricing Comparison
Make charges by operations — each module execution in a scenario counts as one operation. A scenario with 4 modules triggered 500 times per month uses 2,000 operations. The free plan gives you 1,000 operations/month. Paid plans start at $9/month for 10,000 operations.
n8n charges by execution — the entire workflow run counts as one, regardless of how many nodes it contains. On n8n Cloud, the Starter plan gives 2,500 executions/month for $20/month. On managed hosting like n8nautomation.cloud, executions are unlimited from $15/month because you run the open-source Community Edition on dedicated infrastructure.
Example: A 6-node workflow triggered 1,000 times/month
- Make Core ($9/mo): Uses 6,000 operations — fine here, expensive at 10x volume
- n8n Cloud Starter ($20/mo): Uses 1,000 executions — within plan
- n8n managed hosting ($15/mo): Unlimited — no counting needed
Visual Builder Experience
Make's scenario builder is genuinely impressive. The circular flow diagram is visually intuitive, module configuration is clean, and error visualisation — which exact module failed and why — is excellent. For non-technical users, Make is easier to start with.
n8n's canvas is node-based. Less visually polished but more flexible — nodes arrange freely, sub-workflows call inline, and the data inspector shows exactly what each node receives and outputs. For developers, n8n's builder feels closer to writing code, which is a feature, not a bug.
Workflow Complexity
Make handles branching and iteration well — routers, aggregators, and iterators cover most use cases. But when you need custom logic, you are limited to Make's built-in expression functions. There is no way to run arbitrary code inline.
n8n's Code node lets you run JavaScript or Python inline with full access to the ecosystem. This is a fundamental difference — parse a custom date format, call a library, implement complex retry logic, transform data in ways no built-in function supports.
Integrations
Make has over 1,500 native app integrations. n8n has around 400. On paper Make wins — in practice, both cover the business apps teams actually use. n8n's HTTP Request node bridges the gap: any REST API works with full control over auth, headers, and response handling, even without a dedicated node.
Self-Hosting and Data Privacy
Make is cloud-only. All data processed by your scenarios passes through Make's servers. n8n is fully open source and self-hostable — your data never leaves your infrastructure. This matters for healthcare, legal, financial teams, and anyone with strict data residency requirements.
Managed n8n hosting gives you the privacy of self-hosting without the ops burden — dedicated infrastructure, only you have access.
Verdict
Choose Make if: Your team is non-technical, you need a large native app catalogue, and you build straightforward integrations at moderate volume.
Choose n8n if: You have developers, process sensitive data, need the Code node for custom logic, or your execution volume makes per-operation pricing expensive. n8n's ceiling is significantly higher.