Make vs n8n

Make and n8n take fundamentally different approaches. Make excels in visual complexity: you get routers, filters, aggregators, iterators, and sub-scenarios to model intricate data flows without writing code. Its 3,000+ pre-built connectors make it a powerhouse for marketing and ops teams juggling multiple SaaS tools. Error handling with rollback and real-time execution logs are strong for monitoring. n8n, by contrast, lets you inject JavaScript or Python anywhere in the workflow, giving developers total freedom. Its AI agent builder shines with multi-agent and RAG support, plus every step of an agent's reasoning is traceable on the canvas—a differentiator for teams needing transparency. n8n also offers human-in-the-loop approvals, MCP support for legacy systems, and Git-based version control with diffs, which is unusual for a visual tool. For security, n8n provides SSO/SAML/LDAP, encrypted secrets, RBAC, and audit logs streaming to SIEM, while Make counters with SOC 2/3 and GDPR compliance. Make's AI agents are more of a black box, but n8n's agent traceability aligns with the AI Act transparency push. In short: Make is the friendlier but broader platform, n8n is the engineer's playground with better governance.

Both are freemium, but the pricing philosophies diverge. Make scales on usage (operations or tasks), which can climb quickly with high-volume workflows—a known pain point. n8n charges per execution, not per step or user, which is more predictable for complex, branching workflows that rack up steps. On the free tier, Make gives you a taste of its visual power, but you'll hit limits fast if you're automating at scale. n8n's open-source nature means you can self-host for zero license fees—just pay for your infrastructure—making it a favorite for cost-conscious DevOps teams. However, n8n Cloud adds a fee, and high-volume production flows may hit execution caps, forcing you up tiers. Make's enterprise plans include compliance features out of the box, whereas n8n may require extra work to achieve SOC 2/HIPAA compliance on self-hosted setups. If you need enterprise-grade compliance without effort, Make's price may be justified; if you have the technical chops, n8n self-hosting can save you budget.