n8n vs Zapier

n8n

Pros

• The free self-hosted Community Edition has no execution caps and includes most integrations
• Mixing visual nodes with real code covers cases pure no-code tools can't reach
• Open source, so nothing about the workflow is locked into a vendor's cloud

Cons

• Self-hosting means owning the uptime, updates and security of the instance yourself
• The node-based canvas has a steeper learning curve than Zapier's linear Zaps
• Enterprise features like SSO and advanced RBAC are pricey relative to the free tier's generosity

Zapier

Pros

• The largest integration catalogue of any automation tool, so almost anything connects
• Genuinely usable by non-developers — most Zaps take minutes to build
• Reliable execution with clear error logs for diagnosing a broken step

Cons

• Task-based pricing gets expensive fast once workflows run at real volume
• Multi-step branching logic is harder to reason about than a visual canvas like Make's
• Premium app connections and advanced features are locked behind higher tiers

n8n is the better fit for:

• Self-hosting an automation platform to keep sensitive data off a third-party cloud
• Writing a custom JavaScript step where a pre-built integration doesn't exist
• Building an AI agent workflow that also needs to touch conventional business apps
• Running high-volume workflows on your own infrastructure without per-task pricing
• Reusing one workflow as a step inside several others
• Moving an automation off a per-task SaaS bill once the volume stops making sense

Zapier is the better fit for:

• Pushing new form submissions into a CRM and Slack in one automated step
• Syncing data between apps that have no native integration with each other
• Building a simple internal tool from a Table, a Form and a few connected Zaps
• Branching a workflow on a condition without building two separate Zaps
• Standing up a chatbot on your own documentation without writing code
• Automating a process nobody wants to own without waiting on engineering