Head-to-head · workflow automation tools · facts checked 13 Sept 2026
n8n vs Zapier
n8n scores 8.7 to Zapier's 8.0 among the workflow automation tools we rate, and is the better pick for 2 of the 4 kinds of buyer below.
From
€24/mo — Starter
Free plan
Yes — self-hosted Community Edition only
From
$29.99/mo
Free plan
Yes
The verdict
n8n wins, 8.7 to 8.0
n8n has a self-hosted edition and lets agents work together across nested AI Agent Tool nodes, capabilities not confirmed on Zapier's own pages. Zapier connects to far more apps though, 10,076 against n8n's 2,174. n8n's Starter plan costs $25.92 a month, a little cheaper than Zapier's Professional plan at $29.99. Both support webhook triggers and conditional branching on their paid plans.
Pick n8n if you want self-hosting and agents that work together.
Pick Zapier if you want the widest possible app connector library.
Best for
Who each one suits, decided on the criteria that matter to that buyer and the checked facts where the two differ.
Solo builders and startups
n8n
n8n 9.4 · Zapier 9.1 on building workflows and pricing
- Cost of 1,000 five-step runs a month: $25.92 against $133.5
Ops teams connecting many apps
Too close to call
n8n 9.0 · Zapier 9.0 on apps it connects to and reliability and control
- App connectors: n8n 2174 apps, Zapier 10,076 apps
- Separate test and live environments: n8n yes, Zapier does not say
- Run history kept on the cheapest plan: 60 days against 7 days
AI agent projects
n8n
n8n 10.0 · Zapier 6.5 on ai agents
- What agents can learn from: Files, website, notion, google_drive, database against Files, website
- Agents that work together: n8n yes, Zapier does not say
- Test and evaluate agents: n8n yes, Zapier does not say
Enterprise IT and compliance
Zapier
n8n 4.5 · Zapier 5.2 on hosting and security and support
- Ways to reach support: Email, live_chat, community against Community
- But n8n leads on does not train AI on your data: Yes against unless you opt out
Section 01
How they score
Both are scored the same way, against the other workflow automation tools we rate, from facts on each vendor's own pages. n8n leads on 3 of 7 criteria.
AI agents20% of the score
n8n10.0
Zapier6.5
Building workflows20% of the score
n8n10.0
Zapier10.0
Pricing20% of the score
n8n8.8
Zapier8.2
Apps it connects to15% of the score
n8n10.0
Zapier10.0
Reliability and control10% of the score
n8n7.5
Zapier7.5
Hosting and security10% of the score
n8n5.5
Zapier4.0
Support5% of the score
n8n2.5
Zapier7.5
Section 02
Where they differ
Every point where the two vendors' published facts disagree, with a link to where each fact was read. "Not published" means the vendor does not say either way.
What agents can learn from
n8n
Published by only one of them
Agents that work together
Zapier
Not published
Test and evaluate agents
Zapier
Not published
Separate test and live environments
Zapier
Not published
Self-hosted edition
Zapier
Not published
HIPAA
Zapier
Not published
Section 03
Pricing, plan by plan
Every plan each vendor publishes, monthly and yearly where both are offered.
n8n
Community Edition
Free
Self-hosted only, unlimited workflows, no execution limits enforced by n8n
Starter
$24/mo · $240/yr
2,500 workflow executions/mo, 1 shared project, 5 concurrent executions, 2,300 AI credits/month
Pro
$60/mo · $600/yr
10,000 workflow executions/mo, 3 shared projects, 20 concurrent executions, up to 13,700 AI credits/month
Business
$960/mo · $9,600/yr
40,000 workflow executions/mo, 6 shared projects, SSO/SAML/LDAP, Git version control, different environments
Enterprise
Custom
Custom executions, unlimited shared projects, 200+ concurrent executions, dedicated SLA support, log streaming, external secret store
Zapier
Free
$0/mo · $0/yr
100 tasks/month, two-step Zaps, unlimited workflows, Tables, Forms, Zapier Copilot
Professional
$29.99/mo (up to $5,099/mo) · $/239.88/yr (up to $40,668/yr)
Multi-step Zaps, unlimited premium apps, webhooks, AI fields, email & live chat support, conditional form logic
Team
$103.50/mo (up to $5,999/mo) · $828/yr (up to $47,988/yr)
25 users, shared Zap workflows and folders, shared app connections, SAML SSO, priority support
Enterprise
Custom
Unlimited users, advanced admin permissions, annual task limits, observability, Technical Account Manager, advanced deployment options
Section 04
Pros and cons
From each tool's full review, written from the same checked facts.
n8n
Pros
- The self-hosted community edition is genuinely free with no workflow limits, which is rare among automation platforms.
- Code nodes allow JavaScript or Python to be inserted anywhere in a workflow, so developers never feel constrained by visual node limitations.
- Full infrastructure flexibility — runs on Docker, on-prem, or cloud depending on team preference.
- The visual canvas shows every step of a workflow with execution tracing, giving technical users clear visibility into what happened and why.
- A 200,000+ strong community actively solves real problems, often filling the gap when official support is slow.
- Cloud plans start at just €24/month, making the paid tier accessible compared to competitors that charge significantly more.
- Built without dumbing down the interface, making it a genuinely powerful tool for technical and DevOps teams.
Cons
- Non-technical users tend to bounce off the platform quickly due to its complexity and technical design philosophy.
- The interface is not designed to hide complexity, which creates a steep learning curve for teams without developer resources.
- Support tickets can be slow, pushing users to rely on the community forum rather than official channels.
- The tool is not competing with beginner-friendly platforms like Zapier, so teams expecting that experience will be disappointed.
- Self-hosting requires infrastructure management overhead that smaller or less technical teams may not be equipped to handle.
Zapier
Pros
- Zapier integrates with over 9,000 apps, making it one of the largest integration libraries available on any automation platform.
- The visual workflow builder supports logic branches, conditional paths, and AI processing steps without requiring any coding knowledge.
- A built-in Code step supports JavaScript and Python, giving technical users more flexibility without needing a separate tool.
- The platform has expanded well beyond basic automation, now including AI agents, chatbots, native data tables, form tools, and a canvas builder.
- With 8 million users and over a decade of development since 2011, the platform is mature, stable, and extensively documented.
- Zapier handles simple trigger-and-action workflows extremely well, making it accessible for non-technical users automating everyday tasks.
Cons
- Users tend to stay not out of satisfaction but because rebuilding existing workflows on another platform is too costly and time-consuming.
- Most users only use a small fraction of available features, meaning they are effectively paying for capabilities they never touch.
- The platform has grown so large in surface area that pricing becomes difficult to justify for users with basic automation needs.
- Competitors like Make, n8n, Workato, and Microsoft Power Automate have eroded Zapier's near-monopoly in the no-code automation space.
- The gap between what Zapier has built and where most of its users actually operate suggests the product may be overbuilt for its average customer.
- Advanced features like AI agents and MCP connectivity may exist more on paper than in widespread, reliable real-world use based on community feedback.
Section 05
n8n vs Zapier: common questions
Which is better, n8n or Zapier?
n8n scores 8.7 and Zapier 8.0 out of 10 among the workflow automation tools we rate. n8n is ahead on aI agents, pricing and hosting and security. Zapier is ahead on support.
Is n8n or Zapier cheaper?
n8n's cheapest paid plan is €24/mo — Starter and Zapier's is $29.99/mo. Compare what each plan includes below before going on price alone.
Do n8n and Zapier have a free plan?
Yes, both do.
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