n8n vs Make vs Zapier: We Tested the Same Workflow

AutomateWisely Editorial Team · Last reviewed October 30, 2026 · How we research

Most comparisons of n8n, Make and Zapier repeat each vendor’s feature list. We did something simpler: we built the same workflow in all three, ran the same rows through it on the same day, and wrote down what happened, including the parts that went wrong.

17 minto build the workflow in Zapier, our first attempt

15 minminimum schedule on Make’s free plan, so rows can wait that long

3executions used by n8n to copy about 10 rows, against 9 tasks in Zapier

Short answer. Zapier was the most guided and the easiest to trust on day one, but it counts every row you move, so cost grows fastest with volume. Make was quick to set up and the cheapest paid entry point, but its free plan only checks every 15 minutes and it uses credits even on checks that find nothing. n8n was the fastest to react and the most economical when many rows arrive together, because it counts runs, not rows, but it asks you to think more like a developer.

If you want something working this afternoon, start with Zapier. If you run many small workflows on a budget, look at Make. If volume or control matters most, n8n.

How we tested

We wanted a test that anyone can repeat on a free or trial account, so we picked one of the most common small business automations: when a new lead lands in a Google Sheet, copy it to a second tab. No AI step and no paid apps, so the three tools start from the same place.

The workflowTrigger: new row in a “Leads” tab. Action: add the same name, email and message to a “Log” tab, plus the tool’s name.

The accountsZapier on its 14 day Pro trial, Make on the free plan, n8n Cloud on its 14 day trial. All created the same evening.

What we measuredMinutes from sign up to a working workflow, delay before each row appeared, usage after the test and anything that confused us.

The dateOctober 30, 2026. Interfaces and plans change often, so check the vendors’ pricing pages before you buy.

One honest caveat: we built them in the order Zapier, Make, n8n. By the third tool we knew exactly what we wanted, which helps n8n’s setup time. The other results do not depend on order.

Zapier editor showing a two step Zap: new Google Sheets row, then create spreadsheet row — Zapier: two steps, published and switched on.

Make scenario with Watch New Rows and Add a Row modules, scheduled every 15 minutes and active — Make: two modules, scheduled every 15 minutes.

n8n workflow with a Google Sheets trigger node connected to an Append row in sheet node, both successful — n8n: trigger node and action node, 2 items passed.

The results side by side

What we measured	Zapier	Make	n8n
Time to build	17 min 25 s	12 min 39 s	9 min 31 s
Delay before a new row was copied	About 2 to 3 minutes	Up to 15 minutes	Under 2 minutes
Rows copied in the clean test	3 of 3, no duplicates	3 of 3, no duplicates	3 of 3, no duplicates
Order of rows	Not always in order	In order	In order
Where new rows were written	After the last row	In the first empty row it found	After the last row
Usage after the whole test	9 tasks for 9 runs	17 credits for about 10 rows	3 executions for about 10 rows
Usage unit	Task: each successful action	Credit: each module action	Execution: each full run

Setup: who holds your hand

Zapier

Zapier walks you through each step in a side panel: pick the app, pick the event, connect the account, choose the sheet, test. Every step shows a check mark when it works, which makes it hard to get lost. Our only stumble was choosing “New or Updated Spreadsheet Row” instead of “New Spreadsheet Row”, two events with very similar names that behave differently.

Make

Make shows the workflow as circles on a canvas, which makes the data flow easy to see. Two things slowed us down. It asked where to start processing data and offered no clear “from now on” option; the option we chose also processed the sample row we had selected. And it refused a 1 minute schedule on the free plan:

n8n

n8n uses nodes and shows the actual data entering and leaving each one, which is great for spotting mistakes. You map fields by dragging them into expressions such as {{ $json.Name }}, which feels technical at first but is very precise. It was also the only tool that let us check for new rows every minute during the trial.

What the test taught us about cost

This was the most useful finding. The three tools count usage in completely different ways, and the difference grows with volume.

Zapier counts a task for each successful action. Triggers and checks for new data are free, so our 9 runs used exactly 9 tasks.
Make counts credits for module actions. We used 17 credits to copy about 10 rows over roughly 90 minutes of scheduled checks, which matches about one credit per scheduled check plus one per row written. Check the scenario history on your own account, because the exact count depends on your modules.
n8n counts an execution for each full run of the workflow, however many steps or rows it handles. When several rows arrived together, one execution copied them all, so about 10 rows used just 3 executions.

Usage counters after the test: Zapier 9 of 1000 tasks, n8n 3 of 1000 executions, Make 983 of 1000 credits left — Usage after the test: Zapier 9 tasks, n8n 3 executions, Make 17 credits (983 of 1,000 left).

The practical consequence for Make: if its count of one credit per scheduled check holds for your scenario, a single workflow checking every 15 minutes, day and night, uses about 2,880 credits a month before it moves any data. That is far more than the 1,000 free credits, so on the free plan it makes sense to schedule checks only during working hours or use an instant webhook trigger where the app supports it.

Estimate your monthly usage in each tool

Enter one workflow. The estimate uses the counting rules above and the patterns we saw in our test.

New items per month (rows, emails, orders)

Action steps after the trigger

Make checks for new data every

Hours per day the workflow is switched on

Zapier0 tasks

Make0 credits

n8n0 executions

Estimates only, based on a 30 day month. Real usage depends on your apps, filters, errors and how items arrive. The bars compare each figure with the free or trial allowance we saw: 100 tasks on Zapier Free, 1,000 credits on Make Free and 1,000 executions on the n8n Cloud trial.

Three things that went wrong, and what they teach

Copying a row and editing it later

In our first round we created test rows by copying the first one and then changing the text. All three tools picked up the copies before we finished editing, so the Log filled with duplicates of “test1”, and later edits were never sent.

Lesson: “new row” triggers read a row once, when it first appears. Add complete rows in one go (paste them or use a form), and never build automations on rows that people edit afterwards. For that, use an “updated row” trigger instead.

Zapier run details showing row number 7 received with the copied values test1 and hello 1 — Zapier received row 7 while it still held the copied values, before we edited it.

Make writes into the first gap it finds

Make’s Add a Row placed its rows in an empty gap near the top of the Log tab, while Zapier and n8n wrote at the bottom. If your sheet has blank rows in the middle, Make’s data can end up in an unexpected place.

Lesson: keep destination sheets free of empty rows, or write to a dedicated tab.

Zapier processed rows out of order

When three rows arrived together, Zapier copied the second and third first and the first one a minute later. All three arrived, just not in sequence.

Lesson: if order matters, add a timestamp column and sort the destination, rather than relying on arrival order.

Prices, checked on October 30, 2026

Plans change often, so treat these as a starting point and confirm on each pricing page before you buy.

Zapier: the Free plan includes 100 tasks a month, two step Zaps and checks every 15 minutes. Professional starts from $19.99 a month with multi step Zaps and 2 minute checks; Team starts from $69 a month. Our account showed 1,000 tasks during the Pro trial.
Make: the Free plan includes 1,000 credits a month. Paid plans are sold by credits; for 10,000 credits a month, Core was listed at about $9 a month billed annually or $10.59 monthly when Jet Admin checked prices in September 2026.
n8n: n8n Cloud Starter is 20 euros a month billed annually for 2,500 executions, and Pro is 50 euros a month for 10,000. The Cloud trial needs no credit card and allows 1,000 executions. The self-hosted Community edition is free to download, but you pay for and maintain the server.

Which one should you choose?

Choose Zapier if

you want the gentlest learning curve, need apps that only Zapier connects, or run a modest number of tasks. Watch the task count as volume grows.

Choose Make if

you like seeing the whole flow on a canvas, run many small workflows and want a low paid entry price. Plan schedules carefully so checks do not eat your credits.

Choose n8n if

items arrive in batches or volumes are high, you want fast checks, or you need self hosting for data control. Expect a more technical interface.

Already on Zapier and paying too much? See our guide to Zapier alternatives. Choosing your first tool for a small team? Start with workflow automation software for small business. For deeper looks at each platform, read our Make review and n8n review, and see a real use case in automating invoice processing.

Questions readers ask

Is n8n really free?

The self-hosted Community edition is free to download and use, but you need a server and the skills to keep it updated and secure. n8n Cloud, the hosted version, is a paid subscription after the trial.

Do triggers count toward usage?

On Zapier, no: triggers and checks for new data do not use tasks. On Make, credits are counted for module actions, and in our test the scheduled checks themselves appeared to use credits. On n8n, you pay per execution, whatever the trigger does.

Which tool reacted fastest?

In our test, n8n copied new rows in under 2 minutes, Zapier in about 2 to 3 minutes during its Pro trial and Make in up to 15 minutes, the minimum schedule on its free plan. Instant webhook triggers, where available, avoid these delays in all three tools.

Can I move a workflow from Zapier to Make or n8n?

Not automatically. You rebuild it in the new tool. For simple workflows like ours that takes 10 to 20 minutes; complex ones with filters and paths take longer, so migrate one workflow at a time and run both in parallel for a few days.

Why did our test create duplicate rows?

Because we copied rows and edited them afterwards. The tools read each new row once, when it appears, so they captured the copied values. Pasting complete rows in one go fixed it in all three tools.

The bottom line

All three tools did the job once we fed them clean data. The real differences are in how they count usage, how fast they react on cheaper plans and how much they guide you. Build one real workflow on each free plan or trial, as we did, and look at the usage counter after a week: it will tell you more about your future bill than any feature list.

Sources

Zapier, Plans and Pricing (checked October 30, 2026)
Zapier, What is a task in Zapier?
Make, Pricing and Subscription Packages (checked October 30, 2026)
Make Help Center, Cancel your subscription (free plan credit allowance)
n8n, Plans and Pricing (checked October 30, 2026)
Jet Admin, Make.com Pricing in 2026 (prices checked September 26, 2026)
AutomateWisely hands-on test, October 30, 2026: screenshots in this article

AutomateWisely is independent and is not paid by Zapier, Make or n8n. We used free plans and trials for this test and have no affiliate links in this article. Results reflect one simple workflow on one day; your results will vary with your apps and volumes.

n8n vs Make vs Zapier: We Built the Same Workflow in All Three