The short answer: if you want a managed, no-maintenance platform and you’re not technical, choose Make. If you’re comfortable running a server (or have a developer), n8n — especially self-hosted — is dramatically cheaper at scale and more powerful for complex, AI-heavy work. The deciding question isn’t features; it’s who maintains it.
Verified 16 July 2026 against the vendors’ official pricing pages. This category changes often; we date every figure and update the page when it moves.
Related: Make pricing plans — how each Make plan is priced.
Two billing models: credits vs executions
This is the heart of the difference. Make bills per credit — most steps (“modules”) in a scenario consume one credit each, so a workflow with many steps costs more per run (Make pricing). n8n bills per execution — one complete workflow run counts as a single execution no matter how many steps it contains (n8n pricing). For short, simple workflows the two are close; for long, multi-step workflows n8n’s model is far cheaper.
Cost at scale (where n8n pulls away)
Cloud for cloud: Make’s free plan gives 1,000 credits/month and Core starts at $9/month billed annually ($10.59 monthly) for 5,000 credits; n8n Cloud starts at $20/month for 2,500 executions (Starter) and $50/month for 10,000 executions (Pro). On the surface Make looks cheaper — and for low-volume, simple flows it is.
But two things flip the maths as you grow: n8n’s per-execution billing (a 20-step workflow costs the same as a 2-step one), and its self-hosted Community Edition — free, with unlimited executions, running on a ~$15–25/month VPS. For complex, high-volume automation, n8n can be 10–20× cheaper than Make. Make has no self-hosted option; it is a cloud-only SaaS (Make’s own comparison).
Who maintains it?
This is the real decision. Make is fully managed — you never touch a server; updates, uptime and security are Make’s problem. Self-hosted n8n is your responsibility — patching, backups, uptime. Budget 3–4 hours/month. If nobody on your team will own that, self-hosting’s savings are a mirage and an unmaintained instance is a liability. n8n Cloud removes the maintenance but gives back much of the price advantage.
Not technical and want it managed? That’s exactly where Make wins. Start Make free →
AI & extensibility
n8n has pulled ahead on AI through 2025–2026: a native AI Agent node for building autonomous LLM-driven agents, plus deep extensibility — custom JavaScript, vector-database integrations, and near-unlimited API control. Make bundles capable AI features across its paid plans and is far easier to start with, but for building custom AI pipelines n8n gives you more room.
Data control & compliance
Self-hosted n8n keeps every workflow and credential on your infrastructure — decisive if you handle sensitive medical, financial or legal data, or have strict data-residency needs. Make stores workflows and credentials on its own cloud. For most small businesses Make’s managed security is a feature, not a risk; for regulated data, n8n self-hosted is the safer architecture.
You want zero maintenance
Your volume is low-to-moderate
You need the lowest cost at scale
Your work is complex or AI-heavy
Which should you choose?
- Choose Make if: you’re non-technical, you want zero maintenance, your volume is low-to-moderate, and a managed cloud is a feature not a compromise.
- Choose n8n (self-hosted) if: you (or a developer) can run a server, you have complex or high-volume workflows, you want maximum AI/extensibility, or you need data on your own infrastructure.
- Choose n8n Cloud if: you want n8n’s power and per-execution economics without owning a server — a middle path.
Our verdict
For most non-technical solopreneurs and small teams, choose Make — managed, easy, and well-priced for moderate volume. For technical users, high volume, AI-heavy pipelines, or data-control needs, choose n8n — self-hosted it is 10–20× cheaper at scale and more powerful, provided someone owns the maintenance. The tools barely compete on features; they compete on who runs the server.
Disclosure: The Make button below is an affiliate link — if you start a paid Make plan through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Make is our pick for non-technical users on its own merits; our verdict is never for sale. How we make money →
Try Make free → Free plan available — and via our link you get a free month of Make’s paid plan.
Comparing across all three? See our Zapier vs Make vs n8n decision guide, our Zapier vs Make head-to-head, and Best Zapier Alternatives.
FAQ
Is n8n really cheaper than Make? For complex, high-volume workflows, yes — often 10–20× cheaper, because n8n bills per execution (not per step) and self-hosting is free with unlimited runs. For simple, low-volume flows, Make’s managed cloud is competitive and easier.
Does Make have a self-hosted option? No. Make is cloud-only. If self-hosting matters, n8n is the only option of the two.
Which is better for AI workflows? n8n, as of 2026 — its AI Agent node and extensibility (custom code, vector DBs) go further than Make, though Make is easier to start with.
Is self-hosting n8n worth it? Only if someone will maintain the server (patching, backups, uptime — ~3–4 hrs/month). If not, n8n Cloud or Make is the saner call.
Related comparisons
Related: n8n pricing explained (2026) — plans, execution costs, and self-host vs cloud.
Not sure which automation tool fits you? Get our free Automation Decision Kit — a one-page framework to pick between Make, Zapier and n8n based on your budget and skills.
Reviewed by Perinah Yaduvanshi — Editor, Auto Decision Hub
At Auto Decision Hub we test AI & automation tools and verify every price against the vendor’s official source, dated. Recommendations are by real use case, never paid placement. How we work →
