Comparing n8n vs Zapier vs Make in 2026? We break down pricing, Microsoft 365 support, and scalability so you can pick the right tool and stop second-guessing.
Author
Team Nocturna
Published
27 April 2026
Reading time
6 min read
Most comparison articles about automation tools read like vendor marketing copy in disguise. They refuse to pick a winner, pad every section with "it depends," and leave you exactly where you started. This one will not do that.
If you are choosing between n8n vs Zapier vs Make for your mid-market business in 2026, here is a direct breakdown of what each tool actually costs, where each one falls short, and which one you should use depending on your situation.
| | n8n | Zapier | Make | |---|---|---|---| | Starting price | Free (self-hosted) | $19.99/month | $9/month | | Free tier | Unlimited (self-hosted) | 100 tasks/month | 1,000 ops/month | | Self-hosting | Yes | No | No | | Microsoft 365 | Strong | Strong | Moderate | | Technical complexity | Medium | Low | Medium | | Scales cheaply | Yes | No | Partially | | Custom code | Yes (JS + Python) | Very limited | Yes (visual) |
n8n is open-source and self-hostable, which fundamentally changes its economics. Running it on a $6/month server gives you unlimited workflow executions with no per-task fees. The n8n Cloud plan starts at $20/month for 2,500 executions if you prefer managed hosting.
What separates n8n from the other two is the Code node. Drop into JavaScript or Python mid-workflow and you can handle transformations, conditional logic, and API responses that no-code tools simply cannot deal with. For businesses with complex data shapes or non-standard APIs, this is not optional. It is the whole point.
The trade-off is a steeper learning curve. Building an n8n workflow takes longer than clicking through a Zapier setup. If your team has no one comfortable debugging a JSON payload, that matters.
For businesses on Microsoft 365, n8n has native nodes for SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, Outlook, and the Power BI REST API. It is the strongest of the three for deep M365 integration. You can read how we use it to automate lead capture in our n8n lead capture and Notion guide.
Zapier is the easiest of the three to use. The interface is polished, the documentation is thorough, and connecting two apps takes about five minutes. For a small operations team that needs to automate a handful of standard workflows without any technical help, it delivers.
The problem is cost at scale. Zapier's pricing is task-based and it escalates quickly. The Professional plan at $49/month covers 2,000 tasks. A busy team running multiple high-volume workflows can clear that in a week. Enterprise contracts run into hundreds of dollars per month before long.
Zapier has solid Microsoft 365 coverage with integrations for Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive. The integrations are shallower than n8n's native nodes though. You can trigger on a new email or post a Teams message, but complex SharePoint operations or Power BI dataset refreshes require workarounds.
Verdict: Zapier is fine for simple, low-volume workflows where technical simplicity matters more than cost. It is the wrong choice if your automation needs are growing.
Make (formerly Integromat) sits between n8n and Zapier in almost every dimension. Its pricing is more generous than Zapier, its visual scenario builder is excellent for complex multi-step flows, and it handles branching logic better than Zapier does in the base interface.
The Core plan is $9/month for 10,000 operations. That is significantly better than Zapier at comparable volume. The visual canvas also makes it easier to build and review complex workflows compared to Zapier's linear Zap format.
The weaknesses: Microsoft 365 support is patchier than n8n or Zapier. SharePoint integration exists but is limited, and Power BI connectivity requires the generic HTTP module rather than a native node. For a Microsoft-heavy stack, that is a meaningful gap.
Make also lacks self-hosting, so you are permanently on their pricing model with no escape valve as your usage grows.
Pick n8n if:
Pick Zapier if:
Pick Make if:
For most mid-market businesses, yes. n8n covers the same integration surface as Zapier and handles more complex cases that Zapier cannot. The only reason to stay on Zapier is if your team is non-technical and no one wants to manage n8n. Our n8n automation guide covers what it looks like in practice.
Power Automate is deeper inside the Microsoft ecosystem but more limited outside it. n8n is more flexible when you need to connect non-Microsoft tools alongside your M365 stack. We cover the full comparison in our n8n vs Power Automate breakdown.
Make's visual builder genuinely is better than n8n's for non-technical users who need to build complex scenarios independently. If that describes your team and your stack is not Microsoft-heavy, Make is a reasonable choice. For technical teams or Microsoft-focused operations, n8n wins on almost every axis.
Running n8n on a basic cloud server costs around $6 to $10 per month in infrastructure and gives you unlimited executions. We help clients set this up regularly and it is straightforward for most mid-market IT environments.
Not sure which tool fits your specific stack? Reach out to Nocturna Tech. We have built production automations on all three and can tell you in under 30 minutes which one makes sense for your situation.
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