n8n vs Zapier: what the same workflow really costs in 2026
Pick Zapier when you want the fastest setup, need one of its 9,000+ app connections and run fewer than about 400 AI runs a month. Pick n8n when your workflows have many steps, loops or AI agents, run thousands of times a month, or you need to self-host. We priced the same 3-step AI recipe on both, using the official pricing pages on Oct 25, 2026. On Zapier it bills 2 tasks per run (6 if AI by Zapier stays on its default Premium tier). On n8n it's 1 execution, however many steps it has.
Verdict
- Choose Zapier for short flows between popular SaaS apps, a non-technical team, or when you need a connector n8n lacks.
- Choose n8n for multi-step or AI-agent workflows, volume above roughly 400 runs a month, code steps, or data that must stay on your own server.
- Neither imports the other. Switching later means rebuilding by hand, so pick for the workflows you'll have in a year.
n8n vs Zapier at a glance
| n8n | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Execution: one full workflow run, any number of steps | Task: each successful action step. Triggers, Filter, Formatter, Paths and Delay are free |
| Free option | Self-host the Community edition. Cloud has a trial (1,000 executions, no card) | Free plan: 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps only, checks every 15 min |
| Cheapest paid plan | Starter $20/mo annual ($24 monthly) for 2,500 executions | Pro $19.99/mo annual ($29.99 monthly) for 750 tasks |
| App connections | Hundreds of native nodes, plus HTTP Request for any API | 9,000+ apps |
| AI | AI Agent node, memory, tools and MCP on every plan; bring your own model key | AI by Zapier (paid plans, billed by model tier), ChatGPT/Claude app steps, Zapier Agents |
| Polling triggers | Count only when they find new data (per n8n's docs) | Don't use tasks; Pro checks every 2 min, Free every 15 min |
| Code | JavaScript Code node, no extra cost | Code by Zapier (1 s runtime on Free) |
| Hosting | n8n Cloud (EU, Frankfurt) or your own server | Zapier cloud only |
| Licence | Source-available (Sustainable Use License) | Closed source |
| Import from the other | No | No |
| Learning curve | Steeper: you see the data between nodes | Gentlest of the three |
Pricing and limits (checked Oct 25, 2026)
Zapier sells task tiers on its Pro plan. Team starts at $69 a month (annual) for 2,000 tasks and 25 seats. If you go over, extra tasks cost 1.25× your base rate on annual plans and 2.5× on monthly, and Zaps pause at 3× your plan's tasks.
| Zapier Pro tasks a month | Annual (per month) | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 750 | $19.99 | $29.99 |
| 1,500 | $39 | $58.50 |
| 2,000 | $49 | $73.50 |
| 5,000 | $89 | $133.50 |
| 10,000 | $129 | $193.50 |
| 20,000 | $189 | $283.50 |
| 50,000 | $289 | $433.50 |
| 100,000 | $489 | $733.50 |
n8n Cloud bills by executions. Every plan includes unlimited users and workflows, every integration and the AI Agent node. Some regions see prices in euros (€20, €50, €667).
For what each n8n plan includes, how each trigger type counts toward executions, and why an every-minute poll can eat a quota, see our n8n pricing guide.
| n8n plan | Annual | Monthly | Executions a month | Key limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community (self-hosted) | $0 | $0 | Unlimited | You run the server, updates and backups; Sustainable Use License |
| Starter | $20 | $24 | 2,500 | 5 concurrent runs, 5 min max per run, 1 shared project |
| Pro | $50 | $60 | 10,000 | Up to 50 concurrent runs, 40 min max per run |
| Business | $800 | $960 | 40,000 | Self-hosted with SSO, Git environments, queue mode |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Sales-led |
Prices and limits read from n8n.io/pricing, zapier.com/pricing and make.com/en/pricing on Oct 25, 2026, in US dollars with annual billing unless noted. Plans change often, so re-check before you buy. We have no affiliate deal with any of the three.
The same workflow, priced on both
Most recipes on this site are three steps: a trigger (new email, form or file), one AI step with the prompt filled in, and an output (Google Sheets, Gmail or Slack). 21 of our 25 n8n files are exactly that, two add one step, the Slack channel digest adds two, and the Telegram AI agent is an 11-node AI Agent build. Here is what that recipe costs per month on each tool's cheapest plan that fits.
| Runs a month | Zapier, ChatGPT/Claude app step (2 tasks a run) | Zapier, AI by Zapier on default Premium (6 tasks a run) | n8n Cloud (1 execution a run) | n8n self-hosted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | $19.99 Pro, 750-task tier uses 200 tasks | $19.99 Pro, 750-task tier uses 600 tasks | $20 Starter, 2,500 executions | $0 licence + server |
| 500 | $39 Pro, 1,500-task tier uses 1,000 tasks | $89 Pro, 5,000-task tier uses 3,000 tasks | $20 Starter, 2,500 executions | $0 licence + server |
| 1,000 | $49 Pro, 2,000-task tier uses 2,000 tasks | $129 Pro, 10,000-task tier uses 6,000 tasks | $20 Starter, 2,500 executions | $0 licence + server |
| 2,500 | $89 Pro, 5,000-task tier uses 5,000 tasks | $189 Pro, 20,000-task tier uses 15,000 tasks | $20 Starter, 2,500 executions | $0 licence + server |
| 5,000 | $129 Pro, 10,000-task tier uses 10,000 tasks | $289 Pro, 50,000-task tier uses 30,000 tasks | $50 Pro, 10,000 executions | $0 licence + server |
| 10,000 | $189 Pro, 20,000-task tier uses 20,000 tasks | $489 Pro, 100,000-task tier uses 60,000 tasks | $50 Pro, 10,000 executions | $0 licence + server |
Assumptions: annual billing; one AI action plus one output action per run on Zapier (the Formatter step that splits JSON is free); Premium tier = 5 tasks for the AI step plus 1 for the output, per Zapier's model tier help page. AI by Zapier's Premium tier includes the model. With the ChatGPT or Claude app step, or with n8n, you also pay the model provider, often well under a cent per run for a short prompt on a small model. Self-hosting costs whatever your server costs, plus your time.
The gap widens with steps. A 10-step workflow (one trigger, nine actions) run 2,500 times a month uses 22,500 Zapier tasks ($289/mo, Pro, 50,000-task tier). On n8n it's still 2,500 executions ($20/mo, Starter). The average public n8n template uses 9.1 distinct node types, so this kind of length is common.
Where n8n wins
- Long and looping workflows. One execution covers every step and every item, so cost doesn't grow with complexity.
- AI agents. The AI Agent node with memory and tools is on every plan, and tool calls don't add executions. In the n8n library, 31.3% of public templates use an agent node (see the three-way AI agent comparison).
- Self-hosting and data control. Run it on your own server, with no execution cap.
- Code. A JavaScript step costs nothing extra.
Where Zapier wins
- Setup speed. Triggers and fields map with no data plumbing, and there's nothing to host.
- App coverage. 9,000+ apps. On n8n you'll more often build an HTTP request yourself: 51.6% of public n8n templates contain one.
- Low volume. Under a few hundred short runs a month, Pro at $19.99 is about the same as n8n Starter, and the Free plan covers a two-step Zap.
- Fewer breaking upgrades. n8n's 2.0 and 3.0 releases removed nodes. See the import errors on our n8n templates page.
- Error handling by default. Zapier shows failed runs in Zap history. On n8n you add an Error Trigger workflow yourself, and only 2.7% of public n8n templates have one.
Moving from Zapier to n8n
There's no importer in either direction. People on the n8n forum who migrated report rebuilding Zap by Zap, so start with the Zaps that use the most tasks. Map each Zapier action to an n8n node, swap the Formatter for a Set or Code node, and switch the n8n workflow on only after a test run with real data. For each recipe below you get the n8n file and a Zapier blueprint side by side, so you can compare the two builds directly:
- Invoice PDFs from email into a sheetn8n JSON + Zapier blueprint
- Draft support replies from your help docsn8n JSON + Zapier blueprint
- Turn a website form lead into a CRM noten8n JSON + Zapier blueprint
- Monday digest of what's due this weekn8n JSON + Zapier blueprint
- One blog post → one LinkedIn postn8n JSON + Zapier blueprint
- Snap a receipt, get an expense rown8n JSON + Zapier blueprint
All 25 files are on the free n8n templates page. New to this? Start with how to create an AI agent.
Related comparisons
- n8n vs MakeCredits vs executions, polling and loops
- n8n vs Zapier vs Make for AI agentsWhat one agent run costs on each
- Activepieces vs n8nCredits vs executions, plans and app coverage
- 25 free n8n templatesImport one and price it on your own plan
- n8n node libraryUsage data and known problems for the 22 most used nodes
Questions
- Is n8n more powerful than Zapier?
- For complex logic, usually yes: branching, loops, code and AI agents with tools all sit inside one workflow, and a run costs one execution however many steps it has. Zapier is more powerful on reach: it connects 9,000+ apps, so you need fewer custom HTTP calls. In our study of 13,574 public n8n templates, 51.6% of n8n templates include an HTTP Request node, a sign of how often people call APIs directly.
- Why do people still pick Zapier over n8n?
- Speed and no upkeep. A non-technical person can ship a two-step Zap in minutes, there's no server to patch, and the app you need is almost always there. Teams already paying for Zapier also avoid a migration, since nothing imports across.
- Is n8n cheaper than Zapier?
- Past a few hundred runs a month, usually. For our 3-step AI recipe, n8n Cloud Starter ($20 a month, annual) becomes cheaper than Zapier Pro from about 400 runs a month, or from about 150 runs if the AI step stays on AI by Zapier's default Premium tier. Self-hosted n8n has no licence fee, but you pay for the server and your time. Zapier's Premium tier includes the model cost; with n8n you pay your AI provider separately.
- Can I import my Zaps into n8n?
- No. Neither tool imports the other's workflows, so you rebuild each one by hand. That's why every recipe on this site ships two files: an n8n JSON you can import and a Zapier blueprint with the steps written out.
- Is n8n open source?
- Not in the strict sense. n8n is source-available under its Sustainable Use License (n8n calls it fair-code): free to self-host for your own internal use, with limits on reselling it as a service. Zapier is closed source and cloud-only.
- What are the downsides of n8n?
- A steeper learning curve, self-hosting chores (updates, backups, secrets), and major versions that remove things: 2.0 dropped the old Python Code node and 3.0 removed more legacy nodes. n8n Cloud Starter also caps runs at 5 minutes and 5 at a time.