Short answer
Pick Zapier if the people building automations are not technical: it connects 9,000+ apps, a Zap takes minutes to set up, and there is nothing to host. Pick n8n if you have someone technical and care about cost or control: it counts one execution per workflow run however many steps it has, it runs code in JavaScript or Python, and the Community Edition is free to host yourself. The longer and busier your workflows get, the further the bill tilts toward n8n.
n8n vs Zapier at a glance
| n8n | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Technical teams that want control | Anyone who wants an automation running today |
| Free option | Community Edition, self-hosted; a trial on the cloud | Free plan: 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps |
| Paid from | €20 a month billed annually, 2,500 executions | $19.99 a month billed annually, 750 tasks |
| What is counted | Executions: one per complete run of a workflow, whatever the number of steps | Tasks: each successful action; triggers, filters and paths are free |
| Going over the limit | Capped on Starter and Pro | Pay per task at 1.25x on annual plans or 2.5x on monthly, up to 3x the plan |
| Hosting | Your own server, or n8n Cloud | Cloud only |
| Integrations | 1,000+, plus community nodes and an HTTP request node | 9,000+ apps |
| Code steps | JavaScript and Python in the Code node | Code by Zapier, with 30 seconds of runtime per step on paid plans |
| Seats | Unlimited users on every plan | 1 on Professional, 25 on Team, unlimited on Enterprise |
| AI agents | AI Agent and LangChain nodes inside workflows; local models through Ollama | Zapier Agents, counted in activities and billed separately; AI steps in Zaps |
| MCP | An MCP trigger turns a workflow into an MCP server | Zapier MCP on every plan; one tool call uses 2 tasks |
| License | Sustainable Use License; source available | Proprietary |
Pricing
n8n
- Community EditionFreeSelf-hosted, so you pay for your own server. Business and Enterprise features need a license key.
- Starter€20/moBilled annually, hosted by n8n. 2,500 executions a month, 5 at a time, 1 shared project.
- Pro€50/moBilled annually, hosted by n8n. 10,000 executions a month, 3 shared projects, 7 days of insights.
- Business€667/moBilled annually, self-hosted only. 40,000 executions, 6 shared projects, SSO.
- EnterpriseCustomHosted or self-hosted. 200+ concurrent executions, log streaming, audit logs.
Checked Nov 11, 2026 on n8n.io
Zapier
- Free$0100 tasks a month. Two-step Zaps only, checked every 15 minutes.
- ProfessionalFrom $19.99/moBilled annually; $29.99 monthly. 750 tasks. Multi-step Zaps, webhooks, premium apps, 1 seat.
- TeamFrom $69/moBilled annually; $103.50 monthly. 2,000 tasks, 25 seats, shared connections, SAML SSO.
- EnterpriseCustomUnlimited seats, SCIM, annual task limits.
Checked Nov 11, 2026 on zapier.com
The two count different things, so compare a real workflow. A Zap with one trigger and five actions that runs 1,000 times a month uses 5,000 tasks, which is the $89 a month Professional tier on annual billing. The same workflow in n8n is 1,000 executions and fits the €20 Starter plan. Zapier's filters, paths and formatter steps are free, and failed actions do not count. Self-hosting n8n trades the subscription for a server and someone to look after it.
Executions against tasks
The pricing models are the first thing to understand, because they decide the bill.
n8n counts executions. One execution is a single run of your entire workflow. n8n's own example: a simple two-step workflow and a 200-step agent each count as one. Starter includes 2,500 a month and Pro 10,000.
Zapier counts tasks. A task is counted each time Zapier successfully completes an action. Triggers do not count, and neither do built-in tools such as Filter, Paths, Formatter, Delay and Looping. Failed actions are free. So a Zap with a trigger and five actions uses five tasks per run.
For a short Zap that runs a few times a day, the difference is small. For a long workflow, or one that loops over rows, it grows fast: Zapier's 5,000-task Professional tier is $89 a month on annual billing, and 50,000 tasks is $289.
Hosting and control
Zapier is cloud only. That is the point: there is nothing to install, update or back up.
n8n gives you a choice. n8n Cloud is hosted for you. The Community Edition runs on your own server for free, which keeps the data inside your network and removes the per-execution price, in exchange for running it yourself. Business and Enterprise features, such as SSO and log streaming, need a license key. The Business plan is self-hosted only.
n8n's source is public under the Sustainable Use License. It is not a standard open source license, so read it if you plan to offer n8n to your own customers.
Building workflows
Zapier's builder is a list: a trigger, then steps. Copilot helps you build from a description, with unlimited use on paid plans. Most people have a working Zap in minutes, and the 9,000+ app catalog means the connector you need probably exists.
n8n's builder is a canvas of nodes with branches, merges and loops. It asks more of you and gives more back: a Code node that runs JavaScript or Python, an HTTP request node for any API, and community nodes beyond the 1,000+ built-in integrations. Every plan includes unlimited users and workflows.
AI agents and MCP
Both have moved toward AI.
- n8n builds agents inside workflows, with an AI Agent node and LangChain nodes, built-in evaluations and local models through Ollama. An MCP trigger turns a workflow into an MCP server that other AI tools can call.
- Zapier has Zapier Agents, which are counted in activities and billed apart from tasks, and AI steps inside Zaps. Zapier MCP is on every plan and lets an AI client use your connected apps. One MCP tool call uses two tasks.
Limits to know
- Zapier's Free plan checks for new data every 15 minutes, Professional every 2 minutes and Team every minute.
- With pay-per-task on, Zapier keeps running past your limit at 1.25 times the task price on annual plans and 2.5 times on monthly plans, and stops at three times your plan.
- n8n Starter runs 5 executions at the same time, and higher plans run more.
Which to pick
Pick n8n if
- Your workflows have many steps or run thousands of times a month.
- You need the data to stay on your own server.
- You want code steps in JavaScript or Python.
- You want unlimited users without a per-seat price.
Pick Zapier if
- Non-developers will build and maintain the automations.
- You need an app that only Zapier connects.
- You want nothing to host, patch or back up.
- Your volume is low: a few hundred tasks a month.
Also consider
- BriefkinWe make thisWhatever runs the automation, its result tends to land in a channel nobody reads. A workflow can post its result as a card on a Briefkin board with one HTTP request, next to your coding agents' sessions, so the weekly report and the agent that is waiting on you sit on the same screen.See how it works
- MakeA visual canvas for branching scenarios, with a larger free plan. See Make vs Zapier.
- A scheduled AI agentFor jobs that need judgment, such as a weekly summary, a prompt on a schedule can replace a long workflow. See our Claude Code routines guide.
- More n8n alternativesActivepieces, Windmill, Pipedream and scheduled AI agents, compared in one list.
Questions
Is n8n cheaper than Zapier?
Usually, once workflows get long or busy. n8n counts one execution per complete workflow run, however many steps it has, and the Community Edition is free to self-host. Zapier counts each successful action as a task, so a Zap with ten actions uses ten tasks per run.
Is n8n free?
The Community Edition is free to run on your own server. n8n Cloud has a trial and then starts at €20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions, as of November 2026.
Is n8n open source?
n8n's source is public, but it is released under the Sustainable Use License, not a standard open source license. You can self-host it for your own business. Check the license before you resell it or host it for others.
Does Zapier have a free plan?
Yes. It includes 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps, checked every 15 minutes. Multi-step Zaps, webhooks and premium apps start with Professional, from $19.99 a month billed annually.
Which has more integrations?
Zapier, by a wide margin: it says it connects 9,000+ apps. n8n says it has 1,000+ integrations, plus community nodes and an HTTP request node for any API.