Zapier vs Make vs n8n - Which Automation Tool Is Best?

Key Takeaways

• Zapier, Make, and n8n are the top workflow automation platforms with different strengths.
• Zapier has the most number of integrations, Make for visual power, and n8n for fair-code flexibility with self-hosting options.
• Pricing differs: Zapier is costly at scale, Make is affordable, and n8n is free if self-hosted.
• Parseur has a native integration with Zapier, Make, and n8n.

Choosing the right automation platform can make or break your workflows. In fact, Gitnux found that 67% of business leaders say workflow automation is essential for their digital transformation efforts. With so many apps and processes to connect, the decision often comes down to three popular tools: Zapier, Make, and n8n. Each platform offers powerful automation features but differs in pricing models, usability, flexibility, and scalability. With studies from PS Global Consulting showing that workflow automation can cut repetitive tasks by up to 95% and save teams as much as 77% of their time, selecting the right platform is more critical than ever.

In this article, we’ll compare Zapier, Make, and n8n across their features, integrations, pricing, and best use cases. Whether you’re a small business looking for simple automation, a scaling startup needing cost-efficient workflows, or a technical team seeking full control, this guide will help you decide which tool fits your needs.

As part of the comparison, we’ll also highlight how Parseur integrates with these automation platforms. It makes extracting data from emails, PDFs, and documents easy and pushes it into your workflows without extra development effort.

Zapier vs Make vs n8n: Comparison Table

Before diving into detailed reviews, here’s a quick side-by-side view of Zapier vs Make vs n8n. This overview highlights the core differences in pricing, integrations, hosting, and usability so you can spot which tool might align with your needs immediately.

This table gives a snapshot of the three platforms. Next, we’ll dive deeper into each tool to understand how it works, its unique strengths, and potential limitations.

Zapier: Features, Strengths, And Limitations

Zapier is one of the most well-known automation platforms. It is designed to connect apps and services without requiring technical expertise. Over 3 million businesses rely on Zapier’s nearly 8,000 app integrations, making it a powerful choice for teams of all sizes. Its simplicity notably pays off: 93% of users say Zapier has improved their jobs.

How Zapier works

Zapier uses a “trigger and action” model. A trigger is an event in one app (for example, receiving a new email in Gmail) that automatically acts as another app (such as creating a task in Trello). These automated workflows are called Zaps.

• Example: “When a new lead fills out a form, send the data to a CRM and notify the sales team on Slack.”
• No coding required, and each workflow can be built through a drag-and-drop editor.

Key strengths

• 8,000+ integrations: Zapier supports the most extensive library of apps in the automation space, covering marketing, CRM, productivity, and more.
• Ease of use: Designed for non-technical users, with templates and ready-to-use Zaps.
• Scalability for SMBs: Perfect for small to medium businesses that want automation without hiring developers.
• Extensive documentation and community: Zapier has detailed tutorials and a large community for troubleshooting and workflow inspiration.

Limitations

• Pricing: Task-based billing means costs can multiply for businesses with high-volume workflows.
• Less control over data: Cloud-only hosting with no self-hosting option may be a drawback for teams with strict compliance requirements.
• Limited workflow complexity: While Zapier is great for straightforward automations, advanced scenarios can become difficult to manage compared to Make or n8n.

Make: Features, Strengths, And Limitations

Make (formerly known as Integromat) is a powerful automation platform that allows users to design, build, and automate workflows using a highly visual editor. In 2021, Make users automated the equivalent of 331 years of manual work, demonstrating how much time this platform can save teams. Its integration library is constantly improving, expanding from around 629 to over 1,073 supported apps in a single year, so you’re gaining more ways to connect tools as Make evolves. Unlike Zapier, which focuses on simplicity, Make is built for users with more flexibility and control over their automations.

How Make works

Make uses a visual workflow builder where you connect different apps and services through a drag-and-drop canvas. Each step in the workflow is called a module, and workflows are known as scenarios.

• Example: “When a new order comes in from Shopify, add the order details to a Google Sheet, send a confirmation email to the customer, and update inventory in Airtable.”
• Users can branch workflows, add conditions, and even include error handling for more advanced automations.

Key strengths

• Flexible visual builder: Makes a canvas-style editor that allows for detailed, multi-step workflows with branching paths.
• Cost efficiency: Its pricing model is based on operations (credits consumed per action), often making it more affordable than Zapier for complex workflows.
• Advanced features: Built-in error handling, routers, and scheduling allow highly customized automations.
• Great for scaling: Make is often the choice for growing businesses that need more than simple “if this, then that” automations.

Limitations

• Learning curve: While powerful, Make is less intuitive for beginners than Zapier.
• Fewer integrations: Around 2,000 apps compared to Zapier’s 8,000+, though it covers most major business tools.
• Cloud-only: Make does not offer self-hosting, which may limit data control for enterprises with stricter compliance needs.

n8n: Features, Strengths, and Limitations

n8n (short for “nodemation”) is a fair-code automation platform designed for developers and technical teams. It supports a rapidly growing user base, according to Tech Funding News, with over 230,000 active users, highlighting its appeal for customizable, compliant automation. Unlike cloud-only platforms, n8n offers flexible deployment: download the code, run it on your own server (with licensing fees), or use their managed cloud solution.  Financial Times’ report shows that in mid-2025, n8n’s valuation reached $1.5 billion, driven by its rapid ARR growth and expanding enterprise user base.

Its diverse deployment models and growing traction make it a strong contender for teams requiring deep control and enterprise-grade flexibility.

How n8n works

n8n uses a node-based editor where each node represents an app, service, or logic step. Workflows can be as simple as connecting two apps or as complex as building multi-step, conditional automations with custom JavaScript.

• Example: “When a new lead is added in HubSpot, check the lead’s status against an internal database, enrich the record with third-party data, and then trigger a Slack notification to the sales team.”
• Developers can also create custom nodes or extend existing ones, making n8n extremely flexible.

Key strengths

• Source-available under a “fair-code” license: n8n isn’t fully open-source in the OSI sense; it’s published under the Sustainable Use License (SUL). That means the source code is visible and modifiable for self-hosted use, but with restrictions on offering n8n itself as a competing SaaS. This gives businesses transparency and control without losing sustainability for the vendor.
• Self-hosted or cloud: Organizations can deploy n8n on their own servers for maximum data control, compliance with regulations (GDPR, HIPAA-sensitive workflows, finance), and custom security setups. Cloud hosting is also available for teams that don’t want the overhead of managing infrastructure.
• High customization: Ability to write custom code, create unique nodes, or extend workflows beyond the built-in library.
• Community-driven: Hundreds of community-built nodes, plugins, and best practices are actively shared.
• Enterprise-friendly: Enterprise plan adds features like SAML SSO, audit logs, support, and uptime SLAs for teams with strict security or compliance requirements.

Limitations

• Learning curve: More technical compared to Zapier/Make—better suited to developers or technical ops teams.
• Setup and maintenance (self-hosted): Running your own instance means managing updates, patches, scaling, monitoring, and backups.
• Cloud vs self-hosted differences: Cloud offers managed scaling, automatic updates, and enterprise features out of the box. Self-hosted gives full control, but some features (e.g., certain enterprise security/governance modules) are gated to the paid Enterprise tier.
• Community Edition (free) is powerful but lacks advanced governance (SSO/SCIM, audit trails, premium support).
• Fewer prebuilt integrations: n8n has hundreds of nodes, but its official library (~350–400+) is smaller than Zapier’s 8,000+ and Make’s ~2,800+. Extensibility via HTTP modules and custom code mitigates this gap.

Feature Comparison: Key Capabilities In Detail

Choosing the right automation platform isn’t just about how many apps it connects to. Businesses must evaluate how workflows are built, how fast automations run, and how each tool supports governance, scalability, and community resources. Here’s a deeper look at how Zapier, Make, and n8n compare in these key areas.

According to Deloitte’s Workflow Automation Outlook, 79% of CEOs are seeking efficiency gains through automation, while more than 50% are looking to capture data and unlock new growth opportunities.

Workflow building

• Zapier simplifies automation with a trigger-and-action model, where each workflow is a linear chain. This makes it beginner-friendly but limits advanced branching.
• Make uses a visual canvas that allows users to map out entire workflows, with branching logic, error handling, and parallel paths. It’s better suited for complex business processes.
• n8n goes further with its node-based builder, supporting app integrations, custom functions, and code. This enables developers to design enterprise-grade automations without constraints.

Triggers and latency

• Zapier offers near-instant triggers for premium users, but on free and starter plans, triggers may be delayed by 1–15 minutes due to polling.
• Make provides more consistent latency across plans, though performance depends on the number of operations in a workflow.
• n8n allows teams to define their own trigger schedules and latency if self-hosted. This means organizations can fine-tune execution to match mission-critical needs.

Governance and compliance

• Zapier and Make operate as cloud-only platforms. While this reduces IT overhead, it limits data governance and may not satisfy industries with strict compliance requirements.
• n8n offers self-hosting, giving organizations full control over data residency, security, and compliance alignment. This makes it appealing to enterprises and regulated industries.

Community and support

• Zapier has the largest user community, backed by extensive documentation, ready-to-use templates, and responsive support for paid users.
• Make provides detailed tutorials and a growing global community, offering a balance between official support and peer collaboration.
• n8n thrives on its fair-code model, with a highly active developer community that builds plugins, custom nodes, and workflow examples. However, support often requires more technical know-how.

Scalability

• Zapier works well for SMBs, but scaling thousands of tasks monthly can get costly. Its simplicity also makes enterprise-level automations harder to manage.
• Make scales more affordable thanks to their monthly or annual pricing and ability to handle advanced workflows without massive costs.
• n8n scales according to your infrastructure. Businesses can run unlimited workflows on self-hosting, but must manage server performance and maintenance internally.

Integrations: How vast is the ecosystem?

• Zapier: With over 8,000 integrations, Zapier dominates in breadth. It covers virtually every popular SaaS tool, making it the easiest choice for diverse stacks.
• Make: Supports 2,000+ integrations, covering major CRM, marketing, productivity, and business apps. While smaller than Zapier’s ecosystem, it still covers most mainstream needs.
• n8n: Provides 350+ prebuilt nodes, but its extensibility sets it apart. Developers can build custom integrations or extend workflows with APIs, giving them virtually unlimited potential for tech-savvy teams. n8n came to rise with the rise of LLMs and AI and has connectors for major AI platforms.

Pricing And Value For Money

Choosing the right automation tool often comes down to cost and scalability. Each platform has a different pricing model; Zapier bills by tasks, Make uses credits, and n8n charges by executions (cloud) or allows free self-hosting. Here’s how their pricing structures compare:

Zapier Pricing

Zapier uses a task-based model, where every action in a workflow counts toward your monthly quota. It’s easy to start with, but costs can climb quickly as workflows scale.

Overview of plans:

• Free: $0/month — 100 monthly tasks, unlimited Zaps, 2-step Zaps, AI power-ups.
• Pro: $19.99/month — Multi-step Zaps, premium apps, webhooks, live chat support.
• Team: $69/month — 25 users, shared folders, SAML SSO, shared app connections.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing — Unlimited users, advanced permissions, observability, and a technical account manager.

Make Pricing

Make uses a monthly or annually pricing, giving more flexibility for advanced workflows. Each operation (a module action, trigger, or function) consumes credits.

Overview of plans:

• Free: $0/month — 1,000 credits, 15-minute minimum run interval, 2,000+ apps.
• Core: $9/month — 10,000 credits, unlimited active scenarios, access to Make API.
• Pro: $16/month — Priority execution, custom variables, execution log search.
• Teams: $29/month — Team roles, scenario templates, better collaboration tools.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing — Enterprise apps, custom functions, 24/7 support, advanced security.

n8n Pricing

n8n offers the most flexibility: it’s free to self-host but provides a cloud option with an execution-based model.

Overview of plans:

• Free (Self-hosted): $0 — Full platform, fair-code, only infra costs.
• Cloud Free: $0/month — 500 executions, two active workflows, one user.
• Starter: $20/month — 5,000 executions, 10 active workflows, two users.
• Pro: $50/month — 20,000 executions, 20 workflows, advanced features.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing — Higher execution limits, enterprise security, priority support.

How Zapier, Make, and n8n Compare on Common Ground

While Zapier, Make, and n8n differ in complexity, pricing, and target audiences, they share fundamental strengths that explain why they dominate the automation space. These shared traits make them go-to platforms for individuals, startups, and enterprises.

1. Accessible automation for all skill levels

Each platform empowers non-technical users to build automations without needing deep programming expertise. Zapier offers a trigger-and-action model, Make provides a visual workflow canvas, and n8n uses a node-based interface. Different approaches, same outcome: they lower the barrier to entry for automation.

2. Broad connectivity across popular apps

Whether it’s Gmail, Slack, Trello, HubSpot, or Salesforce, all three tools integrate with core business apps. Beyond native integrations, they also support webhooks and APIs, giving teams flexibility to connect less standard or custom systems.

3. Built to scale with business growth

From simple one-step automations to enterprise-level workflows, these platforms grow with you. SMBs can start with basic processes, then scale to thousands of operations, cross-department workflows, and enterprise use cases without switching platforms.

4. Active communities and learning resources

All three platforms foster active communities where users share templates, troubleshoot issues, and exchange best practices. Combined with official tutorials, documentation, and forums, this ensures that new and advanced users can find the support they need.

5. Low-risk entry points with free tiers

Each platform offers a way to test automations before investing: Zapier provides 100 monthly tasks, Make includes 1,000 operations, and n8n is free if self-hosted. This lowers the barrier for adoption and allows businesses to experiment without upfront costs.

6. Flexibility for developers and advanced users

While friendly for beginners, all three tools also support advanced customization. Developers can use APIs, custom integrations, or scripting to extend workflows beyond the drag-and-drop interface. This makes them versatile enough for both teams and technical power users.

When to Use Zapier, Make, or n8n: Industry Examples

Choosing the right automation tool often depends on your industry and workflow needs. Below are common real-world scenarios showing where Zapier, Make, and n8n are the best fit.

Marketing & sales teams → Zapier

• Best for non-technical marketers who need fast results.
• Common use cases: syncing leads from Facebook Ads into a CRM, adding webinar sign-ups to Mailchimp, or sending Slack alerts when a new customer signs up.
• Why Zapier? Its massive app library and ready-made templates mean marketing teams can automate campaigns in minutes without IT support.

Small & mid-sized businesses (SMBs) scaling → Make

• Best for growing teams needing advanced workflows without high costs.
• Common use cases: multi-step order processing, routing support tickets to the right department, syncing data across inventory, CRM, and accounting tools.
• Why Make? The visual canvas allows more complex branching, error handling, and bulk data processing, all at affordable monthly or annual pricing.

Developers, enterprise IT & regulated industries → n8n

• Best for enterprises requiring full control over data and infrastructure.
• Common use cases: connecting internal systems with strict compliance needs, building mission-critical workflows with custom logic, or handling millions of records securely.
• Why n8n? Its fair-code, self-hosted model gives enterprises unlimited scalability and governance flexibility, making it ideal for healthcare, finance, or government industries. You can download the code, run it on your own server, and pay licensing fees to n8n.

How Parseur Integrates With Zapier, Make, and n8n

While Zapier, Make, and n8n handle workflow automation, Parseur focuses on data extraction, turning unstructured content like emails, PDFs, and documents into structured data. By pairing Parseur with these automation platforms, you can automatically capture information (like leads, invoices, or order details) and send it to the right apps without manual copy-paste.

In this section, we’ll explore how Parseur integrates with each platform, what workflows you can build, and where to find our detailed guides for step-by-step setup.

Zapier integration with Parseur: Turn documents into automated workflows

Parseur shines when paired with Zapier; it turns unstructured documents (like emails or PDFs) into structured data and sends it directly into Zapier workflows. This integration enables seamless automation with thousands of apps.

How Parseur works with Zapier

• Extract data from emails, PDFs, and other documents using Parseur.
• Send structured data directly into Zapier via the Parseur export option.
• Build workflows in Zapier using the “trigger and action” model (Zapier calls these workflows Zaps).
• Automate tasks such as updating a CRM, logging details in spreadsheets, or notifying teams on Slack.

Benefits of using Parseur with Zapier

• Effortless automation: Eliminate manual data entry by automatically routing parsed data into Zapier workflows.
• Extensive ecosystem: Leverage Zapier’s 8,000+ integrations to connect Parseur data to virtually any business tool.
• User-friendly setup: No coding required, simply link Parseur to Zapier and start building workflows.
• Scalable automation: Ideal for SMBs and growing teams that need reliable, task-based automation.

Example of use cases

Parseur is a powerful email and PDF parsing tool that automates data extraction from emails and documents. With its native Zapier integration, parsed data can be sent to thousands of applications in real time.

Many teams use Parseur + Zapier to:

• Automatically update spreadsheets or databases from incoming email alerts
• Add new leads directly into their CRM from form submissions or emails
• Send invoice details from PDFs straight into accounting tools
• Trigger project or business workflows whenever a new document arrives
• Skip manual copy-pasting by delivering structured data directly into apps

Learn more about the integration

Learn more about the step-by-step guide for setting up the Parseur–Zapier integration here: Extract text from emails and PDFs in Zapier

Make integration with Parseur: Automate document data to any app

Make is a powerful automation platform that utilizes a drag-and-drop interface to connect apps and design workflows, known as scenarios. Combined with Parseur, it becomes even more effective, turning unstructured documents into clean, structured data that can be imported directly into Make.

How Parseur works with Make

• Parseur extracts data from emails, PDFs, and other documents in real time.
• The parsed data is sent to Make, which can then trigger scenarios across 2,000+ supported apps.
• Users can build advanced workflows without writing code with filters, routers, and conditional logic.

Benefits of using Parseur with Make

• Automated lead management: Capture leads from emails and instantly route them into your CRM, spreadsheets, or Slack.
• Invoice and order processing: Extract order data and send it to ERP or finance tools for faster back-office operations.
• Content and project workflows: Automatically organize alerts, project updates, or reports into tools like Notion, Airtable, or Google Sheets.
• Scalable automations: Ideal for SMBs and enterprises that need complex workflows with high-volume data.

Example of use case

One popular workflow with Parseur + Make is sending Google Alerts into Notion. For example, if you manage a book club and receive Google Alerts for “Harry Potter,” Parseur can automatically extract article details from those alert emails and send them to your Notion board. This saves you from manually copying links and lets you focus on reviewing and sharing the content.

This is just one scenario. Parseur and Make can be combined to enhance processes across industries, such as real estate, recruiting, e-commerce, and more.

Learn more about the integration

Learn more about the step-by-step guide for setting up the Parseur–Make integration here: Send Data Extracted from Emails and PDFs to Make

Parseur + n8n: Automating workflows with intelligent data extraction

n8n is a powerful, fair-code automation platform offering cloud and self-hosted options. Combined with Parseur, it transforms unstructured data from emails and PDFs into structured JSON that powers complex workflows, which is ideal for developers, technical teams, and enterprise use cases.

How Parseur works with n8n

• Parseur intelligently extracts key data such as names, dates, line items, and totals from documents in near real-time.
• Parsed data is delivered to n8n as structured JSON via the native Parseur node (or via webhook for self-hosted setups).
• n8n then processes the data through visual workflows, complete with branching, custom logic, and code. It lets you integrate with databases, CRMs, spreadsheets, Slack, and more.

Benefits of using Parseur with n8n

• Full data control: Ideal for organizations that need on-premises hosting or tighter compliance, n8n self-hosting combined with Parseur keeps all data in your infrastructure.
• Real-time automation: As soon as Parseur processes a document, n8n workflows can respond instantly via document, table, or error-triggered events.
• Scalable and maintainable: Parseur handles complex parsing so your n8n workflows stay clean, no regex, fewer decision logic triggers, and easier updates as data formats change.
• Flexible integration options: Use the official Parseur connector for cloud workflows or opt for webhook-based setups for full self-host flexibility.

Example of use case

A common workflow with Parseur + n8n is automating invoice processing. For instance, Parseur can extract details like vendor name, invoice date, totals, and line items from incoming PDF invoices, and then n8n can push that data directly into Google Sheets or an ERP system. This eliminates hours of manual entry and ensures records are always accurate and up to date.

Other workflows include routing order emails into databases, sending shipping updates to Slack, or syncing customer details from attachments into a CRM.

Learn more about the integration

Learn more about the step-by-step guide for setting up the Parseur–n8n integration here: Send Data Extracted from Emails and PDFs to n8n

Automation tools are moving toward AI-driven, scalable, and secure solutions. Whether you choose Zapier, Make, or n8n, each platform is investing heavily in staying relevant to the next generation of business needs.

And with Parseur’s seamless integrations across all three, your business is future-proofed, ensuring that no matter which platform evolves fastest, your document parsing and data extraction workflows will continue to work flawlessly.

Choosing The Right Automation Tool For Your Business

Zapier, Make, and n8n all solve the same problem: automating repetitive tasks and connecting your business apps, but they shine in different areas. Zapier is the go-to for beginners and small businesses that want a simple solution with thousands of integrations. Make stands out for its flexibility, affordability, and ability to handle complex workflows through its visual builder. Meanwhile, n8n is best for developers and enterprises that need full control, fair-code customization, and the option to self-host.

No matter which platform you pick, pairing it with Parseur unlocks even greater value. By turning emails, PDFs, and documents into clean, structured data, Parseur feeds directly into Zapier, Make, or n8n workflows, saving time, reducing errors, and scaling your automation further.

In the end, the best tool is the one that matches your technical skills, budget, and long-term business goals. With automation at the core of modern operations, investing in the right platform will help your team move faster, smarter, and more efficiently tomorrow.

Frequently Asked Questions

When evaluating workflow automation tools, it’s common to have specific questions about cost, ease of use, and integrations. This FAQ addresses the most frequently asked comparisons between Zapier, Make, and n8n to help guide your decision.

Which automation tool is best for beginners?

Zapier is the most beginner-friendly option, thanks to its simple drag-and-drop interface, templates, and vast library of ready-made integrations.

Can I use these tools for free?

• Zapier: Free plan includes 100 tasks/month.
• Make: Free plan includes 1,000 operations/month.
• n8n: Free when self-hosted; cloud version has a free tier with limited executions.

Which tool is best for advanced workflows?

Make and n8n are better suited for complex workflows. Make offers a visual editor with conditional logic and routers, while n8n provides fair-code flexibility, self-hosting, and advanced customization.

Do these tools support real-time automation?

Yes, all three tools support real-time or near real-time triggers, though latency can vary: Zapier usually runs within minutes, Make can go down to 1-minute intervals on paid plans, and n8n depends on your hosting setup.

Which tool is the most cost-effective?

• Zapier: Can get expensive at scale due to task-based pricing.
• Make: More affordable for complex workflows, with transparent monthly or annual pricing that scales by operations.
• n8n: Most cost-effective if self-hosted (you only pay infrastructure costs).

Can Parseur work with Zapier, Make, and n8n?

Yes! Parseur integrates seamlessly with all three, sending structured data from documents into your chosen automation platform. You can then route that data into CRMs, spreadsheets, or thousands of apps.

Last updated on September 16th, 2025