True cost comparison — not just what the pricing page says
Quick Verdict
n8n saves you 20%
Best for n8n
Connect 6,000+ apps and automate workflows. The most popular automation platform — and the most conf
Best for Zapier
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
Connect 6,000+ apps and automate workflows. The most popular automation platform...
Advertised
$30
/month
True Cost
$171
/month (typical)
Premium App Paywall
Premium apps (Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo) require Professional plan ($29.99/mo) or higher. Free pl...
Multi-Step Action Counting
Each ACTION step in a multi-step Zap counts as a separate task. A 5-action Zap running 100 times = 5...
Overage at 1.25x Base Cost
Exceeding task limit costs 1.25x per task. Zaps pause at 3x subscription limit. On Professional (750...
Agent & Chatbot Add-on Creep
New AI features (Agents $33/mo, Chatbots $13-67/mo) are separate add-on plans not included in any ba...
$20/mo annual
$69/mo annual
$99/mo annual
Zapier advertises $29.99/mo. n8n advertises $24/mo.
Zapier has 4 documented hidden fees. n8n has 4.
Zapier confidence: 85%. n8n confidence: 74%.
| Metric | n8n | Zapier | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised Price | $24/mo | $29.99/mo | n8n |
| True Monthly Cost | $300/mo | $171/mo | Zapier |
| Hidden Fee Total | +$276/mo | +$141/mo | Zapier |
| # Hidden Fees | 4 | 4 | n8n |
| Confidence Score | 74% | 85% | Zapier |
| Pricing Tiers | 4 | 4 | — |
| Affiliate Program | 20% recurring for 12 months | No public program (enterprise only) | — |
Try the tool that fits your needs. Both offer free trials or free tiers.
n8n advertises $24/mo and Zapier advertises $29.99/mo. However, when you include hidden fees, n8n has 4 documented hidden fees adding +$276/mo, while Zapier has 4 hidden fees adding +$141/mo. Based on true cost, n8n is typically 20% 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.
Zapier has 4 documented hidden fees: Premium App Paywall, Multi-Step Action Counting, Overage at 1.25x Base Cost, Agent & Chatbot Add-on Creep. These add approximately +$141/mo on top of the $29.99/mo advertised price.
Choose n8n if: Connect 6,000+ apps and automate workflows. The most popular automation platform — and the most conf. Choose Zapier 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 Zapier has 85%. Prices were last verified in April 2026. For the most accurate estimate, enter your specific usage in our calculator.
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