Comparison
Make vs n8n
Both connect your apps and automate the steps between them, including an app you built with an AI app builder. Here is how they compare on price, free plan, ease for non-coders and hosting, using the same sourced approach as our tracker.
Side-by-side comparison
| Attribute | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Tool | Make | n8n |
| Category | No-code automation | Workflow automation (low-code) |
| Starting price | $16 /mo ($12 billed annually) | €20 /mo billed annually (Starter) |
| All plans |
|
|
| How you are billed | Credits: most actions cost 1 credit, so every step counts | Executions: one full workflow run counts once, however many steps |
| Free plan | Free plan, 1,000 credits/month, runs every 15 minutes at most | No free cloud plan; free trial (1,000 executions) or free self-hosted Community Edition |
| Ease for non-coders | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| Hosting | Hosted by Make (cloud only) | n8n Cloud (EU, Frankfurt) or self-host on your own server |
| Best for | Operators connecting apps without a technical partner | Teams with technical help, high volumes or a need to self-host |
| Source | make.com | n8n.io |
| Last checked | 2026-10-16 | 2026-10-16 |
Make prices are USD per month at 10,000 credits; n8n prices are EUR per month billed annually as listed on its pricing page. Data last checked 2026-10-16; vendors change terms often.
Differences
Where they differ
- Price: Make is cheaper to start, with a real free plan and Core from $16 a month. n8n Cloud starts at €20 a month billed annually.
- Billing model: Make charges per step (credits); n8n charges per full run. A 10-step workflow that runs 1,000 times uses about 10,000 Make credits but only 1,000 n8n executions.
- Ease: we rate Make 3/5 and n8n 2/5 for non-coders. n8n's power features (code steps, JSON, self-hosting) assume technical comfort.
- Hosting: Make is cloud only. n8n can run in its cloud or on your own server, which matters if data must stay in-house.
Decision
Which to pick
When Make is the better pick
Best fit: operators connecting apps without a technical partner.
- You want to start free and pay little while volumes are low.
- Nobody on the team wants to run a server.
When n8n is the better pick
Best fit: teams with technical help, high volumes or strict data rules.
- Your workflows have many steps and run thousands of times a month.
- You need to self-host for compliance.
Our default
For a non-technical exec wiring an AI-built app into the rest of the business, start with Make on the free plan and move to n8n only if volume or data rules force it.
Affiliate link: signing up through it gives you a free month of Make Core, and we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It does not affect our assessment; see disclosure.
Related
Related pages
Full profile: Make.
Need the app first? See all app builders ranked for non-coders or the full guide index.