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Zapier is the easiest automation tool with the most integrations. n8n is more flexible and far cheaper at scale (free to self-host and billed per workflow execution) but it assumes technical comfort.
| n8n | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 4.4/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Value | 4.7/5 | 3.9/5 |
| Features | 4.6/5 | 4.8/5 |
| Ease of use | 3.8/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Output quality | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Category | Automation & scheduling | Automation & scheduling |
| Free plan | Yes: free to self-host | Yes: 100 tasks a month |
| Cheapest paid plan (monthly) | - | $19.99/mo |
| Same plan billed yearly | - | - |
| Top plan | - | Team: $69/mo |
| Seats | Priced by workflow executions, not tasks | Professional individual; Team for shared workspaces |
| Trial / refund | Free trial of n8n Cloud | Free plan; trial of paid features |
| Platforms | Web (cloud) or self-hosted | Web |
| Best for | Technical teams building complex automations and AI agents | Non-developers automating work across many apps |
| n8n | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Self-host free | 100 tasks/month |
| Paid from | €20/mo (yearly, cloud) | $19.99/mo |
| Billing | Per workflow execution | Per task (each step) |
| Integrations | Hundreds + any API | 8,000+ apps |
| Best for | Developers, AI agents | Non-technical teams |
Non-technical team, many SaaS apps: Zapier. Complex or high-volume workflows and AI agents: n8n.
The self-hosted version is free; n8n Cloud is paid.
It charges per workflow execution, while Zapier charges for each task step.
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