Make.com vs n8n: Which Should You Choose in 2026?

I've been building automations professionally for 3 years. My current split is roughly 60% Make.com, 40% n8n. This isn't a theoretical comparison — it's based on real production systems running for real clients.

Both platforms are excellent. The question isn't "which is better" — it's "which is better for YOUR situation."

The Quick Comparison

Pricing: The Real Numbers

This is where most comparisons get it wrong. They show you the starting prices without explaining how the costs actually work in production.

Make.com Pricing

Make charges per operation. An operation is any action: reading a row, sending an email, making an API call. A single workflow execution can consume dozens of operations.

• Free: 1,000 ops/month
• Core: $9/mo for 10,000 ops
• Pro: $16/mo for 10,000 ops + advanced features
• Teams: $29/mo for 10,000 ops + team features

Additional operations: ~$0.001 per operation on higher tiers.

n8n Pricing

n8n charges per workflow execution. No matter how many nodes run, you pay once per trigger.

• Free (self-hosted): Unlimited
• Starter (cloud): €20/mo for 2,500 executions
• Pro (cloud): €50/mo for 10,000 executions
• Self-hosted: Free forever (you pay for hosting)

Real Cost Comparison

Let's say you have a workflow that:

1. Triggers on new form submission
2. Enriches data with an API call
3. Creates a CRM record
4. Sends a Slack notification
5. Sends a confirmation email

That's 5 operations in Make.com, but 1 execution in n8n.

If this workflow runs 1,000 times/month:

• Make.com: 5,000 operations → $9/mo (Core tier, half your quota)
• n8n cloud: 1,000 executions → €20/mo (Starter tier, 40% of quota)
• n8n self-hosted: ~$5-10/mo for a small VPS

When to Choose Make.com

I use Make.com for most client work because the handoff is cleaner. When the project is done, clients can see their automations, understand the logic, and even make small changes themselves.

Make.com Strengths

• Visual debugging: You can see exactly where a workflow failed and what data was in each step
• Scenario history: Every execution is logged with full data visibility
• Built-in scheduling: Cron-like scheduling without any setup
• Teams/Organizations: Easy to manage access for multiple clients

When to Choose n8n

I use n8n for my own internal systems. The self-hosted version runs on a $6/month VPS and handles unlimited executions.

n8n Strengths

• Code nodes: Write JavaScript or Python when visual nodes aren't enough
• Self-hosting: Full control over your data and infrastructure
• Open source: You can inspect the code, contribute, or fork
• Execution data: Store and query historical execution data
• Sub-workflows: Better support for modular, reusable components

The Dealbreakers

Make.com Dealbreakers

• No self-hosting: If you need data residency or on-prem, it's not possible
• Operation costs at scale: Complex workflows with 20+ steps get expensive fast
• Limited code flexibility: When you need custom logic, you hit walls

n8n Dealbreakers

• Steeper learning curve: Non-technical users struggle with the interface
• Fewer native integrations: You'll build more custom HTTP connections
• Self-hosting overhead: Cloud is simpler but more expensive; self-hosting needs DevOps knowledge

My Recommendation Framework

START
│
├─ Do you need self-hosting?
│  └─ Yes → n8n
│
├─ Is this for a client who'll manage it?
│  └─ Yes → Make.com
│
├─ Do you need complex code logic?
│  └─ Yes → n8n
│
├─ Are you running >100K operations/month?
│  └─ Yes → n8n (cost)
│
├─ Do you need a specific native integration?
│  └─ Check both → Pick whoever has it
│
└─ Default → Make.com (easier)

What About Zapier?

You might be wondering why I didn't include Zapier. Simple: for production automation work, it's rarely the right choice.

• Pricing: Most expensive of the three at scale
• Flexibility: Less than both Make and n8n
• Power: Fine for simple "if this then that" but struggles with complex workflows

Zapier is great for non-technical users doing simple automations. For professional automation work, Make or n8n are better choices.

Final Verdict

There's no universal winner. My setup:

• Client projects: Make.com (90% of the time)
• Internal systems: n8n self-hosted
• High-volume processing: n8n cloud or self-hosted
• Quick prototypes: Make.com

Both platforms are actively developed and improving. You can't go wrong with either — just pick the one that matches your constraints.