n8n vs Make: The Definitive Comparison for 2026

If you are serious about workflow automation, the decision usually comes down to n8n or Make. Both are powerful visual automation platforms that go far beyond simple trigger-action tools. Both support complex branching, data transformation, and advanced logic. But underneath the surface, they are fundamentally different in philosophy, pricing, and capabilities.

I am Javier, a startup consultant based in Chile who uses n8n every single day. I have built hundreds of workflows for my own projects and for clients across industries — from marketing agencies to fintech startups to e-commerce operations. I have also built extensively with Make (back when it was still called Integromat), and I maintain active accounts on both platforms.

This is not a surface-level comparison. I am going deep into 15 categories, analyzing real costs at different scales, and giving you the honest truth about where each tool wins. By the end of this article, you will know exactly which platform is right for your situation.

Quick Context: The Story Behind Each Platform

Make started as Integromat in 2012 in the Czech Republic. It rebranded to Make in 2022 and has grown into one of the most popular automation platforms in the world. It uses a visual “scenario” builder with circular modules connected by lines. Make is a cloud-only SaaS platform with a freemium model.

n8n was created by Jan Oberhauser in 2019 in Berlin. It launched as an open-source alternative to commercial automation tools and has grown rapidly to over 45,000 GitHub stars. n8n uses a free-form canvas with rectangular nodes and offers both self-hosted (free) and cloud-hosted options. It is backed by significant venture capital funding and has a growing enterprise customer base.

Both platforms were born from the frustration with Zapier’s limitations. But they took very different paths.

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Category 1: Workflow Builder and Visual Interface

n8n’s Approach

n8n uses a free-form canvas where you place rectangular nodes anywhere and connect them with lines. You have complete freedom to arrange your workflow however makes sense — horizontal, vertical, diagonal, clustered by function. This freedom means your workflow layout can communicate logic visually.

The builder supports:
– Free placement of nodes anywhere on the canvas
– Zoom, pan, and minimap for large workflows
– Color-coded nodes by category
– Sticky notes for documentation
– Node grouping and organization
– Inline data preview at every node (click a node to see its data)
– Split-screen view for editing a node while seeing the canvas

Make’s Approach

Make uses a circular module design where modules are connected in a left-to-right flow. The visual style is distinctive and generally considered attractive. Modules are arranged on a horizontal canvas with connections showing data flow.

The builder supports:
– Circular modules with visual connections
– Drag-and-drop placement
– Color-coded connections
– Scenario notes
– Module cloning
– Data mapping panel on the right side

The Real Difference

n8n’s free-form canvas handles complex workflows better. When a workflow has 50+ nodes with many branches, n8n lets you organize them in a way that remains readable. Make’s scenarios can become visually cluttered with many modules because the horizontal layout stretches workflows across a wide canvas.

However, Make’s builder has a more polished aesthetic for simple to medium workflows. The circular modules and clean connections look elegant and are intuitive for new users.

Winner: n8n for complex workflows. Make for visual polish on simpler scenarios.

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Category 2: Pricing and Cost at Scale

This is where the comparison gets really interesting. The pricing models are fundamentally different, and the implications are significant at scale.

n8n Pricing

n8n charges by workflow executions (each time a workflow runs). A single execution can process hundreds of items within that run without additional cost.

Make Pricing

| Plan | Monthly Cost | Operations | Key Features |
|——|————-|————|————–|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 | 2 active scenarios |
| Core | $10.59 | 10,000 | Unlimited scenarios |
| Pro | $18.82 | 10,000 | Advanced features |
| Teams | $34.12 | 10,000 | Collaboration |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | SSO, governance |

Make charges by operations (each module that processes data counts as one operation). A scenario with 10 modules processing one item uses 10 operations.

Real Cost Analysis at Different Scales

Let me show you what this means in practice with real scenarios.

Scenario: Daily CRM sync processing 100 contacts

A workflow that fetches contacts from a form, enriches them, checks for duplicates, and updates a CRM. Runs once daily, processes ~100 contacts, uses 8 steps/modules.

– n8n Cloud Pro: 1 execution/day = 30 executions/month. Cost: $60/month (plan minimum, using 0.3% of capacity).
– n8n self-hosted: $0 software + ~$10 server = $10/month total.
– Make Core: 100 contacts x 8 modules = 800 operations/day = 24,000 operations/month. Need Core plan: $10.59/month, but need to buy extra operations at ~$9/10,000 = ~$23/month total.

Scenario: High-volume webhook processor

A workflow triggered by webhooks, processing 5,000 events per day through 6 steps.

– n8n Cloud Pro: 5,000 executions/day = 150,000/month. Need Enterprise plan (custom pricing, estimated $200-400/month).
– n8n self-hosted: $0 software + ~$50 server = $50/month total.
– Make Pro: 5,000 events x 6 modules = 30,000 operations/day = 900,000 operations/month. At ~$9/10,000 operations = ~$810/month.

Scenario: Agency managing 20 client automations

20 different workflows running various schedules, averaging 500 total executions per day.

– n8n Cloud Pro: ~15,000 executions/month. Pro plan covers this: $60/month.
– n8n self-hosted: $0 software + ~$20 server = $20/month total.
– Make Teams: Depends on module count, but typically 100,000+ operations/month = ~$90+/month.

The Critical Pricing Insight

The operation-based model (Make) punishes complex workflows. A workflow with 15 modules costs 15 operations per run, while n8n counts that as 1 execution regardless of how many nodes it has. This difference becomes dramatic at scale.

Self-hosted n8n is in a completely different cost category. For any volume beyond hobby use, self-hosting saves hundreds or thousands per month.

Winner: n8n decisively, especially self-hosted. The execution-based model is more predictable and dramatically cheaper at scale. You can test n8n’s pricing advantage with a free account to see how your specific workflows translate in cost.

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Category 3: Integrations and Connectors

n8n Integrations

n8n has over 400 native integrations (nodes) covering:
– CRMs: Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Copper
– Communication: Slack, Discord, Telegram, Teams, email
– Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Supabase
– AI: OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, Ollama
– Marketing: Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit
– Project management: Notion, Airtable, Asana, Monday
– E-commerce: Shopify, WooCommerce, Stripe
– Developer: GitHub, GitLab, Docker, AWS, Google Cloud
– Plus HTTP Request for any API

Make Integrations

Make lists 1,500+ integrations (apps), covering similar categories with particular strength in:
– Marketing tools (strong coverage)
– Google Workspace (deep integration)
– Social media (broad coverage)
– E-commerce platforms
– CRMs and sales tools

The Real Comparison

Make has more listed integrations, but many are community-built with varying quality and maintenance. n8n has fewer native integrations but they tend to be more thoroughly maintained, and the HTTP Request node effectively gives n8n unlimited integration capability.

The key differentiator is that n8n’s HTTP Request node is more powerful than Make’s HTTP module. In n8n, you can handle complex authentication, pagination, and response processing within a single node. Make’s HTTP module works well but is slightly less flexible for advanced API work.

Another factor: n8n allows you to build custom nodes that can be shared with the community or kept private. This is not possible in Make.

Winner: Make by count of listed integrations. n8n by depth and flexibility, especially for custom API work.

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Category 4: Data Transformation and Processing

n8n’s Approach

n8n provides multiple ways to transform data:

– Expressions: Use JavaScript expressions anywhere in node parameters to transform data inline. Access previous node data, use built-in functions, and write complex transformations.
– Set node: Map and restructure data between nodes with a visual interface.
– Code node: Write full JavaScript or Python code for complex transformations.
– Merge node: Combine data from multiple sources with join, append, and merge operations.
– Split In Batches: Process large datasets in configurable batch sizes.
– Item Lists node: Transform arrays, sort, limit, and deduplicate data.

n8n’s expression system

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