Zapier vs Make vs n8n for Business Automation
By CodexierPublished 6 min read
Zapier, Make and n8n all connect one system to another so that a new order, form entry or invoice triggers work somewhere else. Feature lists barely separate them any more. What separates them is how they charge for a run, where the data is processed under GDPR, and what happens when a step fails at three in the morning. This guide compares them on those three things and gives you a rule for choosing.
The short answer
We build automations on all three and on custom code, so this is not a vendor comparison. It is the checklist we run with a client before we pick a tool for a workflow automation project.
How each platform prices a run
The unit you pay for is the thing that decides your bill two years from now, and the three platforms count different units. Zapier counts tasks: every action step that runs, whether it does anything useful or not. Make counts operations, which are similar but its plans include far more of them per krona. n8n on its cloud plan counts workflow executions, so a run with thirty steps costs the same as a run with three, and self-hosted n8n has no per-run cost at all beyond the server.
| Platform | Billing unit | What drives the bill | Where it gets expensive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | Task (each action step) | Steps × runs; filters that stop a run are free | Multi-step flows on busy systems, polling triggers every few minutes |
| Make | Operation (each module run) | Modules × runs; iterators multiply fast | Loops over large arrays, scenarios that run on a short schedule |
| n8n cloud | Workflow execution | Number of runs, not steps | Very high run counts with tiny payloads |
| n8n self-hosted | Server cost only | Hosting, updates, someone on call | Hidden: the person who maintains it |
Hosting location and GDPR
Every run passes the data through the platform's servers, so the automation tool is a processor under GDPR and you need a data processing agreement with it. Zapier and Make are US companies; both offer EU data residency on some plans and rely on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and standard contractual clauses for the rest. n8n can be run on a server you control, in Sweden or elsewhere in the EU, which removes the transfer question entirely.
- Personal data in the flow (names, phone numbers, health-related bookings): prefer EU data residency or self-hosting, and sign the processor agreement before go-live.
- Accounting data from Fortnox or Visma: check retention. Platforms keep execution logs, and logs contain the payload. Shorten log retention where you can.
- Credentials: each platform stores your API keys. Use scoped keys with the minimum permissions rather than an owner login.
- Sub-processors: the platform's own suppliers are listed in its DPA. Read that list once; it tells you where the data actually sits.
Error handling and retries
Automations fail. Fortnox rate-limits you, a webshop returns a timeout, someone renames a field in the CRM. The tool you want is the one that fails loudly, retries sensibly and lets you replay the run once the cause is fixed.
| Behaviour | Zapier | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic retry on transient errors | Yes, limited, then the run is held | Configurable per module, incomplete executions can be resumed | Configurable per node and per workflow, with wait-between-retries |
| Replay a failed run later | Yes, from the history | Yes, via incomplete executions | Yes, from execution history |
| Error branch inside the flow | Limited | Yes, error handlers per route | Yes, error trigger and error output per node |
Which fits which team
Zapier: the solo owner or small office
Two to ten simple flows, no one technical, willingness to pay for convenience. Start here and move only if the bill or the data location becomes a problem.
Make: the ops-minded team
Flows with branching, loops and data shaping, run by someone who enjoys a visual canvas and can read an error message.
n8n: the company with a technical owner
High volumes, sensitive data, or a wish to keep everything in the EU on your own server. Requires updates, backups and monitoring like any other system.
Custom code: when the flow is the business
If the automation is core to how you deliver, a small service with tests and version control will outlive any no-code canvas.
Decision rule: fewer than ten flows and no personal data at scale, pick Zapier or Make on price. Sensitive data or thousands of runs a day, pick n8n self-hosted in the EU and budget for someone to own it. Deciding what to automate first matters more than the tool; our guide on automating supplier invoices into Fortnox shows a full flow end to end.
When to write custom code instead
No-code tools are the right answer for most small businesses, and there are cases where you should not buy an automation project from us or anyone else. If you have one flow with two steps, the platform's own native integration (Shopify to Fortnox, HubSpot to Slack) is cheaper and more reliable than any middleware. If nobody in the company will look at a failed-run email, an automation only moves the problem from a person to a queue.
- Write code when the flow needs transactions: either everything happens or nothing does, as with stock reservation and payment.
- Write code when latency matters, such as a price lookup during checkout.
- Stay no-code when the flow changes often and the person changing it is not a developer.
If you are unsure which side of the line your flow falls on, that is a fifteen-minute conversation, not a project. Book a call and bring one flow you want gone; we will tell you which tool, and whether it needs us at all. Our fixed prices for automation work are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move from Zapier to n8n later without rebuilding everything?
You rebuild the flows, but not the thinking. Triggers, filters and field mappings translate almost one to one, and n8n has importers for common patterns. Budget a few hours per flow and keep the old one running in parallel for a week before switching off.
Which tool works best with Fortnox and Swedish systems?
All three can call the Fortnox API, and Zapier and Make have native Fortnox apps. For Swish, BankID or smaller Swedish SaaS tools you will often use an HTTP request step regardless of platform, so the difference is small; n8n gives you the most control over headers, retries and rate limits when you do.
Do I need a data processing agreement with the automation platform?
Yes, whenever personal data passes through it, which is nearly always. All three publish a DPA you accept in the account settings. The important part is reading where the data is processed and how long execution logs are retained, and then shortening retention if your flows carry sensitive data.
Not sure which tool your flows need?
Bring one flow you want automated. In fifteen minutes we tell you whether Zapier, Make, n8n or a small custom service fits, what it will cost to run, and whether it is worth doing at all.
Book a free 15-minute call