We get the question once a week: why do you only swear by n8n? Honest answer: we only swear by n8n… in certain cases. Zapier and Make (ex-Integromat) have their place, and in certain contexts, we recommend them without hesitation. Here's our internal decision grid.
Zapier — the simplest, the most expensive
The strengths
- The largest integration library on the market (6,000+ apps)
- Ultra-accessible interface: even your accountant uncle can create a workflow
- Excellent documentation, huge community, responsive support
- Managed SaaS: zero infra to handle, it works on Monday morning
The weaknesses
- Price that explodes fast: a 10-step sequence run 5,000 times/month = €200-400/month easily
- Basic conditional logic (Paths are expensive in credits)
- No proper versioning, no Git, no advanced debugging
- You don't own your workflows: if Zapier disappears, everything falls
When we recommend it
For a freelancer or micro-business that needs 2-3 simple workflows and doesn't want (or need) to manage infra. If you consume less than 1,000 runs per month total, Zapier remains unbeatable in simplicity/cost.
Make (ex-Integromat) — the middle ground
The strengths
- Aggressive pricing: about 3× cheaper than Zapier at equal volume
- More powerful visual editor than Zapier (loops, filters, aggregations)
- Good integration library (~1,500 apps)
- More complex scenarios possible without too much friction
The weaknesses
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier (not monstrous, but real)
- Interface that can become unreadable on large workflows (100+ nodes)
- Also SaaS: same remark as Zapier on dependency
- Less polished documentation than Zapier
When we recommend it
For an SME that needs 5-15 workflows, runs between 5,000 and 50,000 executions per month, and has a tech-friendly person in-house. This is Make's sweet spot. We use it with several clients where switching to n8n wouldn't bring enough advantages to justify the migration.
n8n — the most powerful, the most demanding
The strengths
- Open-source and self-hostable: you own your workflows, forever
- Unbeatable price at volume: about €15/month of VPS can run 500,000+ executions/month
- Native JavaScript/Python nodes: you can literally do anything
- Git versioning possible, advanced debugging, full logs
- Exploding ecosystem: AI agents, RAG, vector databases, all native
The weaknesses
- You manage the infra (or someone does it for you)
- Fewer "native" integrations than Zapier (but HTTP request covers 95% of cases)
- Real learning curve — it's not Zapier
- Community support rather than editor (with paid Enterprise option)
When we recommend it
For any SME or agency that exceeds 50,000 executions/month, wants to keep control of their workflows, or has specific needs (AI, sensitive data, compliance). It's our default choice for 80% of our projects.
The decision grid we use
The real question we ask clients
In 3 years, where will your workflows be? On your side, or on a SaaS that can change its prices, terms, or shut down?
It's often this question that tips the scale toward n8n for structural projects. Long-term control is worth the initial learning cost.