Zapier, Make or n8n: compare the workflow, cost and ownership

Zapier generally counts successful actions as tasks; polling for new data does not itself consume a task. Make uses credits, with most actions consuming one and some features using more. n8n’s paid plans use workflow executions and its 2025 pricing update removed active-workflow limits.

These units are not interchangeable. Use current plan pages for tiers and limits rather than converting an old dollar price to rand. Check whether required connectors, permissions and administration features are available on the proposed plan.

Take one representative process: receive a request, find a customer, check required details, update a record and notify an owner. Add a duplicate, missing information and a failed destination system.

Record the billed activity, time to build, clarity of the error, recovery steps and the access needed. Include realistic volume, retries and larger inputs. This small comparison is more useful than a generic claim that one platform saves a fixed percentage.

A hosted service reduces some infrastructure responsibilities, but the workflow still needs ownership, monitoring and change control. Self-hosting adds server security, updates, backups, restore tests and capacity planning.

n8n offers licenses for different uses. Its help centre distinguishes assisting a client with their own internal instance from some commercial hosting or product scenarios. Check the actual arrangement; do not describe all self-hosted use as unrestricted or cost-free.

Hosting a workflow in South Africa does not keep every connected API, model request or support log in South Africa. Trace the full information flow and review the relevant supplier terms and controls.

Choose the platform based on required actions and operational constraints, not just an integration logo. A connector may support creating contacts but lack the approval or invoice operation your process requires. Test the exact feature with representative data.

Compare subscription or license costs, usage, hosting, implementation, staff review, maintenance and exit effort. Use a stated exchange rate for your budget and obtain fresh supplier pricing before purchase.

Document why the selected option fits, who owns accounts and credentials, how the team will recover from failure and what would trigger a change. Aitsa agrees the tool and implementation scope after discovery; it does not promise a standard migration time or guaranteed payback.