True cost comparison — not just what the pricing page says
Quick Verdict
Make saves you 56%
Best for n8n
Visual automation platform with operation-based pricing. 40-60% cheaper than Zapier for complex, hig
Best for Make
Open-source workflow automation with self-hosted and cloud options. Free to self-host but server cos
Open-source workflow automation with self-hosted and cloud options. Free to self...
Advertised
$24
/month
True Cost
$300
/month (typical)
Self-Hosted Server Costs
Community Edition is free but requires infrastructure: VPS ($20-100/mo for adequate CPU/RAM), Postgr...
Execution Limits on Cloud
Cloud Starter: 2,500 executions/mo. Pro: 10,000. A single workflow running every 5 minutes = 8,640 e...
No Support on Community
Self-hosted Community Edition has no official support — only community forums and GitHub issues. Pro...
DevOps Maintenance Overhead
Self-hosted requires: updates, security patches, monitoring, backup management, and scaling. Budget ...
$20/mo annual
$50/mo annual
$100/mo annual
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission
Visual automation platform with operation-based pricing. 40-60% cheaper than Zap...
Advertised
$11
/month
True Cost
$36
/month (typical)
Data Transfer Overage
Charged per MB of data transferred beyond plan limits. Heavy file/image automations hit this fast....
Scenario Complexity Multiplier
Complex scenarios with many modules consume more operations per run than simple ones. Router modules...
$9/mo annual
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission
Make advertises $10.59/mo. n8n advertises $24/mo.
Make has 2 documented hidden fees. n8n has 4.
Make confidence: 82%. n8n confidence: 74%.
| Metric | n8n | Make | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised Price | $24/mo | $10.59/mo | Make |
| True Monthly Cost | $300/mo | $36/mo | Make |
| Hidden Fee Total | +$276/mo | +$25/mo | Make |
| # Hidden Fees | 4 | 2 | Make |
| Confidence Score | 74% | 82% | Make |
| Pricing Tiers | 4 | 3 | — |
| Affiliate Program | 20% recurring for 12 months | 30% recurring for 12 months | — |
Try the tool that fits your needs. Both offer free trials or free tiers.
n8n advertises $24/mo and Make advertises $10.59/mo. However, when you include hidden fees, n8n has 4 documented hidden fees adding +$276/mo, while Make has 2 hidden fees adding +$25/mo. Based on true cost, Make is typically 56% cheaper.
n8n has 4 documented hidden fees: Self-Hosted Server Costs, Execution Limits on Cloud, No Support on Community, DevOps Maintenance Overhead. These add approximately +$276/mo on top of the $24/mo advertised price.
Make has 2 documented hidden fees: Data Transfer Overage, Scenario Complexity Multiplier. These add approximately +$25/mo on top of the $10.59/mo advertised price.
Choose n8n if: Visual automation platform with operation-based pricing. 40-60% cheaper than Zapier for complex, hig. Choose Make if: Open-source workflow automation with self-hosted and cloud options. Free to self-host but server cos. The right choice depends on your team size, usage volume, and which features you need most.
This comparison is based on manual research of official pricing pages, terms of service, and user reports. n8n data has a 74% confidence score and Make has 82%. Prices were last verified in April 2026. For the most accurate estimate, enter your specific usage in our calculator.
Enter your usage to see personalized pricing for both tools
Use Free Calculator