Side-by-side comparison
Make vs n8n: which automation platform fits creator workflows?
Make (formerly Integromat) and n8n both automate multi-app workflows, but they target different operators: Make is visual and no-code, n8n is node-based and self-hostable. Both catalog records below were source-checked on August 13, 2026.
Comparison table
The same five fields are shown for both products so the comparison does not quietly favor one side.
| Decision | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Business teams and non-developers who want to visually automate multi-app workflows and build AI agents without writing code. | Technical teams and developers who want flexible, self-hostable workflow automation and AI agent orchestration with full control over logic. |
| Core uses | Multi-app workflow automation with 3,000+ pre-built apps, Building AI agents and agentic automation, Social media posting and content creation workflows, Lead management and email marketing automation, Sales, finance, and HR process automation, Data integration between SaaS tools via scenarios | Workflow automation between apps and services, Building AI agents and RAG pipelines, IT operations and security operations automation, Lead and CRM automation, Backend prototyping and embedding n8n into products (OEM), Custom integrations with code steps (JS/Python), webhooks, and API calls |
| Pricing note | Free plan: US$0/mo with up to 1,000 credits/month and no time limit. Paid plans (price for 10,000 credits/month, per make.com/en/pricing): Core US$12/mo, Pro US$21/mo, Teams US$38/mo, Enterprise custom pricing. Credit tiers range from 10k up to 8M+ credits/month, and paying annually saves 15% or more compared to monthly billing. | n8n offers a free self-hosted Community Edition (source-available, on GitHub with 200,415 stars). Cloud and self-hosted paid plans (prices billed annually, per n8n.io/pricing): Starter $20/mo (2.5K workflow executions/mo), Pro $50/mo (10K executions/mo), Business 667€/mo (self-hosted, 40K executions/mo), Enterprise contact sales. Annual billing saves 17%, all plans include unlimited users and workflows, and a Start-up Plan offers 50% off Business for companies under 20 employees. Free trials for Starter and Pro require no credit card. |
| Main checks | Free plan is limited to 1,000 credits/month with a 15-minute minimum interval between runs Each module action in a scenario counts as one credit, so usage costs scale with workflow complexity Advanced features (custom functions, enterprise app integrations, 24/7 support, overage protection) are Enterprise-only Paid plan prices are quoted per 10,000 credits/month and scale with the credit volume selected | Cloud plans are limited by monthly workflow executions (2.5K on Starter, 10K on Pro, 40K on Business) and concurrent executions (5/20/200+) The AI Assistant is an early preview on cloud plans with monthly credit caps (2,300 on Starter, up to 13,700 on Pro) and unused credits do not roll over The Business plan is a self-hosted license billed in euros (667€/mo) and requires your own infrastructure Advanced governance and security features (SSO/SAML/LDAP, log streaming, unlimited shared projects, external secret store) are Business/Enterprise-only Self-hosting the Community Edition requires technical setup and ongoing maintenance |
| Pricing checked | Aug 13, 2026 | Aug 13, 2026 |
The short answer
Choose Make when you want a hosted, visual automation platform with 3,000+ pre-built app integrations and no infrastructure to run — and when your team is non-technical.
Choose n8n when you want full control: self-hosted Community Edition is free, workflows live on your own infrastructure, and the node-based editor suits developers building AI agents and RAG pipelines.
Pricing model
Make (verified 2026-08-13): Free plan at US$0 with up to 1,000 credits/month and a 15-minute minimum interval between runs. Paid tiers start at Core $12/month and scale by credits (10,000 credits per tier).
n8n (verified 2026-08-13): free self-hosted Community Edition; cloud plans from Starter with 2,500 monthly executions and 5 concurrent executions, up to Business with 40,000 executions. Business is a self-hosted license billed in euros (667€/mo) on your own infrastructure.
Biggest differences
Make is SaaS-first: you pay for credits, and each module action in a scenario consumes one credit, so cost scales with workflow complexity. There is no self-hosting option.
n8n is source-available (fair-code) and runs anywhere; cloud plans cap monthly executions and concurrent runs, and the AI Assistant on cloud is an early preview with monthly credit caps.
Which creator should choose Make?
Creators and channel operators who want to automate publishing, social posting, and content pipelines without code — and who prefer a hosted service where they never touch infrastructure. The 3,000+ pre-built apps cover YouTube, social platforms, and creator tooling out of the box.
Which creator should choose n8n?
Technical creators, developers, and small teams already running servers or Docker, who want AI agent orchestration and RAG pipelines with no per-credit metering on the free self-hosted tier. Budget only infrastructure and maintenance time.
When neither is ideal
If you only need one simple zap (e.g. new YouTube video → post to X), a single-purpose integration inside your existing tool (or a lighter automation service) beats both. If you need deep AI-native agent behavior with hosted simplicity, evaluate dedicated AI agent platforms instead.
How to choose
Choose Make if…
Business teams and non-developers who want to visually automate multi-app workflows and build AI agents without writing code.
Choose n8n if…
Technical teams and developers who want flexible, self-hostable workflow automation and AI agent orchestration with full control over logic.
Questions creators ask
- Is Make free?
- Yes — Make's free plan is US$0/month with up to 1,000 credits and a 15-minute minimum interval between runs (verified August 13, 2026).
- Is n8n free?
- Yes — the self-hosted Community Edition is free; cloud plans are paid from Starter (2,500 executions/month). Verified August 13, 2026.
- Can I use Make or n8n commercially?
- Both are automation platforms, not content generators — commercial use is governed by each connected app's terms and the platform's plan. n8n's Business self-hosted license and Make's paid tiers are designed for commercial workloads.
Sources
Verify changing features, pricing, and usage rights before purchasing.