# Zapier vs Make vs n8n: which automation tool to start with > Zapier vs Make vs n8n for a small office: how each one charges, what the free plans include as of October 2026, and which to learn first. Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/compare/zapier-vs-make-vs-n8n · Updated 2026-10-02 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com) By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) · Published October 2, 2026 · Prices and features checked as of October 2026 Start with **Zapier** if you want the gentlest setup for simple two-step automations, **Make** if you want a visual builder with a low entry price, and **n8n** if you plan to build AI agents or longer workflows, because n8n charges per workflow run instead of per step. All three connect Gmail, Google Sheets and hundreds of other apps without code. This guide is for office managers, operations staff and small-business owners choosing their first automation tool. Prices are as listed on each vendor's pricing page as of October 2026. Every free Stepthrough automation lesson today uses n8n, starting with the [AI Social Media Idea Agent lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-ai-agent-tutorial-google-sheets). ## How do they compare at a glance? **Zapier, Make and n8n at a glance (as listed on each vendor's pricing page, October 2026)** | | Zapier | Make | n8n | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What one automation is called | A Zap | A scenario | A workflow | | How usage is counted | Tasks: each action Zapier completes; triggers don't count | Credits: each module action counts as one credit | Executions: one run of the whole workflow, however many steps | | Free plan | Free: 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps only | Free: 1,000 credits a month, 2 active scenarios, 15-minute minimum interval | Free self-hosted Community Edition; cloud plans have a free trial | | Entry paid plan | Professional: $19.99 a month billed annually ($29.99 monthly) for 750 tasks | Core: $12 a month for 10,000 credits | Starter (n8n Cloud): €20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions | | Next plan up | Team: $69 a month billed annually ($103.50 monthly) for 2,000 tasks, up to 25 users | Pro: $21 a month for 10,000 credits; Teams: $38 | Pro (n8n Cloud): €50 a month billed annually for 10,000 executions | | Can run on your own server | No | No | Yes (Community Edition) | | Free Stepthrough lesson | Coming | Coming | Yes, several | Prices and features as listed on each vendor's own pages, as of October 2026. Plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. Sources are at the end of this page. ## What is the main difference between Zapier, Make and n8n? The main difference is how each tool counts what you use, which decides what a busy workflow costs. Zapier counts tasks, meaning each action it completes. Make counts credits, one for each module action. n8n counts executions, one per run of the whole workflow no matter how many steps it has. Here is a made-up example to show the math. Say a workflow is triggered by a new form entry and then does four things: an AI step, a Google Sheets row, an email and a Slack message. If it runs 500 times a month, Zapier counts roughly 2,000 tasks (four actions, 500 times, with the trigger free), Make counts roughly 2,000 to 2,500 credits depending on how the trigger module is counted, and n8n counts 500 executions. Higher-tier actions and AI features can count for more on Zapier and Make, so check each vendor's page for your case. ## Which automation tool is easiest for a beginner? Zapier is usually the easiest first step for a simple "when this happens, do that" automation, because its free plan is built around two-step Zaps. Make and n8n both use a visual canvas where you see every step as a box joined by lines, which takes a little longer to learn but makes longer workflows easier to follow. n8n has a reputation as the technical option because it can be self-hosted, but n8n Cloud runs in your browser like the others. The free [Find and Use n8n Templates lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/find-and-use-n8n-templates) shows how to start from a ready-made workflow instead of a blank canvas. ## Which tool is best for AI agents? All three now offer AI features, but n8n is the one Stepthrough teaches for agents, because its AI Agent node lets you add a chat model, memory and tools such as Google Sheets in one place, and its per-execution pricing doesn't climb with each extra step. n8n lists agents, MCP and AI nodes on its Starter plan. Remember the second bill: the AI model. In the Stepthrough n8n lessons, the agent uses an OpenAI API key, which is billed separately from any ChatGPT plan, pay as you go. The [AI Receipt Extractor lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-receipt-extractor-n8n-google-sheets) and the [AI Email Responder lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-email-responder-gmail-drafts-n8n) both use that setup. ## Can I switch tools later? Yes, but you rebuild the automations rather than export them, because Zaps, scenarios and n8n workflows use different formats. The good news is that the skills carry over: triggers, actions, mapping fields from one step to the next, and testing with sample data work the same way in all three. Learn the ideas once and the second tool is much faster. ## Who is each one for? ### Zapier Best for a busy office manager who wants a few simple automations running this week, like copying form entries into a spreadsheet, and is happy to pay more per step once volume grows. A free Stepthrough lesson for Zapier is coming. ### Make Best for people who like seeing the whole flow on a canvas and want a low entry price with a generous credit allowance. A free Stepthrough lesson for Make is coming. ### n8n Best for teams that want AI agents, longer workflows, or the option to self-host later. It is the tool behind every free Stepthrough automation lesson today, including versions for [sales](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-ai-agent-sales-deal-follow-ups), [marketing](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-ai-agent-content-calendar), [operations](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-vendor-follow-up-agent-n8n) and [finance](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-ai-agent-categorize-business-expenses-google-sheets). ## Which of these tools have a free Stepthrough lesson? - **Zapier:** a free Stepthrough lesson is coming. - **Make:** a free Stepthrough lesson is coming. - **n8n:** free lesson: [n8n AI Agent Tutorial: Save Social Media Ideas to Google Sheets](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-ai-agent-tutorial-google-sheets) ## Practice it free, step by step **n8n AI Agent Tutorial: Save Social Media Ideas to Google Sheets**. Build an AI agent for BrightPath Marketing that generates social media post ideas and saves them to Google Sheets — chat trigger, AI Agent, system prompt, model, memory, and the Sheets tool. You do every step yourself in a practice copy of n8n, it checks your work as you go, and “Do it for me” finishes any step you get stuck on. Free, and nothing touches your real accounts. [Start the free lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/n8n-ai-agent) [Or read the full step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-ai-agent-tutorial-google-sheets) ## Key takeaways - Zapier counts tasks (each action), Make counts credits (each module action) and n8n counts executions (each full run), so long workflows cost the least on n8n. - As of October 2026, Zapier's free plan includes 100 tasks a month with two-step Zaps, and Make's free plan includes 1,000 credits a month with 2 active scenarios. - n8n Cloud Starter is listed at €20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions, and the self-hosted Community Edition is free. - AI steps need a model behind them, and the OpenAI API is billed separately from ChatGPT plans. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is n8n free? The self-hosted Community Edition is free to download from GitHub, but you pay for the server and look after it yourself. n8n Cloud, which n8n hosts for you, is a paid plan with a free trial. ### Is Zapier or Make cheaper? It depends on how many steps your automations have and how often they run. Make's entry plan includes more units than Zapier's, but the two count usage differently, so price your own workflow on both pricing pages before you decide. ### Do I need to know how to code to use n8n? No. You build n8n workflows by adding and connecting nodes on a canvas, and every free Stepthrough n8n lesson is clicks and plain English. Code is optional for advanced steps. ### Which tool should I learn first? Pick the one you will actually use at work. If you have no preference, start with n8n, because the free Stepthrough lessons let you practice it step by step in a copy of the real tool before you build in your own account. ## Where do these prices and features come from? Every price and feature on this page was checked against the vendor's own page, as of October 2026. No numbers here are estimates or third-party figures. The example businesses in the Stepthrough lessons are made up. - [Zapier pricing](https://zapier.com/pricing) - [Make pricing](https://www.make.com/en/pricing) - [n8n pricing](https://n8n.io/pricing/) ## Free lessons mentioned on this page - [n8n AI Agent Tutorial: Save Social Media Ideas to Google Sheets](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-ai-agent-tutorial-google-sheets): Build an AI agent for BrightPath Marketing that generates social media post ideas and saves them to Google Sheets — chat trigger, AI Agent, system prompt, model… - [Find and Use n8n Templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/find-and-use-n8n-templates): Skip the blank canvas. Find a ready-made workflow in the n8n template gallery, import it into your workspace, connect Google Sheets and Gmail, test it with a real form… - [AI Receipt Extractor: Receipts to Google Sheets with n8n](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-receipt-extractor-n8n-google-sheets): Drop a photo of a receipt into an n8n chat. An AI agent reads it, pulls out the date, vendor and amount, picks a category, and adds a row to Google Sheets. - [AI Email Responder: Draft Gmail Replies Automatically with n8n](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-email-responder-gmail-drafts-n8n): Build an n8n agent that watches your Gmail, reads each new customer email, and writes a reply as a draft in the same thread, ready for you to check and send. ## Related posts - [OpenAI API vs ChatGPT Plus: What You Pay For](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/openai-api-vs-chatgpt-plus): OpenAI API vs ChatGPT Plus: why your ChatGPT plan doesn't power n8n, how pay-per-request API billing works, and how to set up a… ## Related terms Plain-English definitions, each with an example from a free lesson. [Zap (Zapier)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/zapier-zap) · [Scenario (Make)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/make-scenario) · [n8n](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/n8n) · [Execution](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/execution) · [Trigger](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/trigger) · [Workflow](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/workflow) [The full AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) ## Related prompts - [Automation candidates prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/automation-candidates-prompt): Rank your repetitive tasks by which to automate first, using only your own counts and minutes, with a first workflow sketched… - [Automation time savings estimate prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/automation-time-savings-estimate-prompt): Estimate what one automation saves from your own numbers only: minutes before and after, setup and upkeep, costs you look up… [All free prompt templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts) ## More tool comparisons - [n8n Cloud vs self-hosted n8n: which one should you use?](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/compare/n8n-cloud-vs-self-hosted-n8n): n8n Cloud vs self-hosted n8n: what each costs as of October 2026, what self-hosting asks of you, and why most offices should start on n8n Cloud. - [AI agent vs chatbot vs automation: which fits each office task?](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/compare/ai-agent-vs-chatbot-vs-automation): Ten common office tasks matched to an automation, a chatbot or an AI agent, with costs, risks and a free lesson for each approach. As of October 2026. - [AI email drafts: Gmail filters vs an n8n agent vs ChatGPT](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/compare/ai-email-drafts-gmail-filters-vs-n8n-vs-chatgpt): Gmail filters, an n8n AI agent or ChatGPT for email replies? What each one does, the real costs as of October 2026, and which suits your inbox. [All tool comparisons](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/compare) · [All free tutorials](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content)