Short answer: Zapier is easier to start with and needs no maintenance. n8n is cheaper at volume, handles branching and AI better, and can be self-hosted. For fewer than about 1,000 simple runs a month, either Zapier or n8n Cloud Starter works. Above that, or for any workflow with more than three steps or an AI model in it, n8n costs less. Eleven of the twelve workflows we compared were cheaper on n8n.
The difference comes down to one pricing rule. Zapier charges per task. Every action step in a Zap counts, so a five-step Zap that runs 1,000 times uses 5,000 tasks. n8n charges per execution, which is one workflow run however many steps it has, so the same workflow uses 1,000 executions.
Pricing side by side (September 2026)
- Zapier Free: 100 tasks per month, two-step Zaps only
- Zapier Professional: from about $19.99 per month for 750 tasks. 10,000 tasks cost roughly $99-149 per month depending on billing
- Zapier Team: from about $69 per month plus task volume
- n8n Cloud Starter: from about €20 per month for 2,500 executions
- n8n Cloud Pro: from about €50 per month for 10,000 executions
- n8n self-hosted: free software on a €5-20 VPS, unlimited executions, your own maintenance
Prices are indicative, and both vendors change tiers often. Zapier's bill grows with the number of steps in a workflow. n8n's does not.
The 12 workflows we compared
- Lead form to CRM to Slack notification (3 steps)
- WhatsApp follow-up for new enquiries with a qualification question (6 steps, one AI call)
- Invoice generation from a closed deal (5 steps)
- Order sync from Shopify to accounting and a Google Sheet (5 steps)
- Support ticket triage with an AI classifier (8 steps)
- Weekly KPI report from three data sources to email (7 steps)
- Google review requests after a completed job (4 steps)
- Backup and uptime alerts to Slack (2 steps)
- Blog publishing to LinkedIn and Facebook (4 steps)
- Ad-spend anomaly alerts (3 steps)
- Contract renewal reminders (3 steps)
- Inventory sync between two stores (6 steps)
At 1,000 runs each per month, the twelve workflows total about 56,000 Zapier tasks, which sits in Zapier's upper Professional or Team tiers at several hundred dollars a month. On n8n they total 12,000 executions, which is n8n Cloud Pro at about €50, or a self-hosted instance for the price of a VPS. The one workflow where Zapier won was the two-step backup alert, which fits inside Zapier's free plan.
Where Zapier still wins
- Setup speed for non-technical users, who can build most Zaps in minutes
- The largest catalogue of ready-made triggers and actions for SaaS tools
- No hosting, no updates and predictable vendor support
- Zapier Tables, Interfaces and Chatbots for teams that want everything in one place
Where n8n wins
- Branching, loops, merges, code nodes and error handling on one canvas
- A native AI Agent node with memory, tools, vector stores and MCP support
- Self-hosting for data residency, custom nodes and unlimited executions
- Cost at volume and cost per multi-step workflow
- Version control through JSON export and, on higher plans, Git integration
Maintenance time
Zapier and n8n Cloud handle maintenance for you. Self-hosted n8n needs updates, backups and monitoring, which takes about two hours a month for a stable instance and much more when something breaks. If nobody on the team wants that job, compare Zapier with n8n Cloud rather than with self-hosting. The decision then comes down to volume and features.
Moving from Zapier to n8n
Most Zaps translate one to one. The trigger and app steps map to n8n nodes, and a Formatter step becomes a Set node. The work is in testing edge cases that Zapier hid, such as empty fields and duplicate events. Plan half a day per complex Zap, keep both platforms running for two weeks and switch triggers one at a time. Wasevo migrates Zapier accounts to n8n as a fixed-price project and keeps the instance running afterwards.
Our recommendation
- Under 1,000 runs a month and simple two-step automations: Zapier or n8n Cloud Starter
- 1,000 to 10,000 runs, any AI step or any workflow with branching: n8n Cloud Pro
- More than 10,000 runs, custom code or data residency requirements: self-hosted n8n with a maintenance plan
Frequently asked questions
For multi-step, AI-heavy or high-volume automations, yes, and it costs less. For simple two-step automations built by non-technical staff, Zapier is quicker and needs no maintenance.
Written by
Founder & CEO of Wasevo. Builds SEO, software and AI automation for clients in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Sweden and Pakistan since 2020.
