Make vs n8n

Make and n8n both offer visual workflow builders and over 500 integrations, but they diverge significantly in flexibility and target audience. Make excels with a drag-and-drop no-code interface, conditional logic (routers, filters), data transformation tools (aggregators, iterators), and error handling with rollback. It's ideal for building complex multi-app automations without code, and features real-time logs, scheduling, and sub-scenarios. However, Make lacks AI-native features and code nodes, and is cloud-only. n8n, on the other hand, provides a visual builder with traceable AI agent steps, multi-agent support with RAG systems, and human-in-the-loop approvals. It includes native JavaScript/Python code nodes that can be inserted anywhere, enabling limitless customization. n8n supports self-hosting via Docker with full source access, Git-based version control, and step-level debugging (re-run single steps, replay/mock data). For AI, n8n natively integrates multiple cloud and offline AI models, while Make has no such capability. n8n's feature set is clearly aimed at technical users (IT Ops, SecOps, DevOps) who need code control, AI, and self-hosted security.

Both Make and n8n offer freemium models, but their paid tiers target different needs. Make's pricing scales with operations (executions) and features like data storage, with paid plans starting around $9/month for 10k ops, suitable for SMBs. Its pricing can escalate quickly for high-volume automation. n8n's cloud plans start at $20/month for 5k workflow executions, but its self-hosted community edition is free with unlimited operations (subject to your infrastructure). n8n also offers enterprise plans with advanced features like SSO and audit logs. Since n8n is open-source, self-hosting eliminates per-operation costs, making it more cost-effective for high-volume or AI-heavy workloads, but incurs infrastructure and maintenance overhead. For non-technical users who prefer a fully managed cloud solution, Make's lower entry price and simpler pricing may be more appealing. Ultimately, n8n's pricing favors technical teams willing to self-host, while Make is simpler for those who want a managed service.