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VERILO

n8n vs Zapier

A side-by-side look at n8n and Zapier: what each costs to start, whether there is a free plan, how easy they are to pick up, and which features and integrations they cover.

Which should you choose?

Choose n8n if

  • Developers and IT teams that want automation on their own infrastructure
  • Startups building AI agents and LLM pipelines
  • Teams with high execution volumes and tight budgets

Choose Zapier if

  • Non-technical teams connecting SaaS tools
  • Small businesses automating lead routing, notifications and data entry
  • Anyone who needs an integration Zapier has and competitors do not

Cheapest to start

Not confirmed

Free plan

n8n, Zapier

Highest editor rating

Zapier · 4.6

Comparison of n8n and Zapier
Comparen8n
Free planYes
Free trialYes
Starting priceFrom $24/mo
Editor rating4.3
Ease of useModerate (3/5)
CategoryAutomation
Pricing modelSelf-hosted Community Edition is free; n8n Cloud has no free tier and starts at approximately $24 per month billed monthly ($20 annually) for 2,500 executions, with Pro at approximately $60 per month for 10,000. Enterprise is custom.
Plans
  • Community Edition Free
  • Starter $24/mo
  • Pro $60/mo
  • Enterprise Custom
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, API, CLI
IntegrationsGitHub, Gmail, Google Workspace, HubSpot, Notion, OpenAI, Salesforce, Shopify, Slack, Stripe
Best for
  • Developers and IT teams that want automation on their own infrastructure
  • Startups building AI agents and LLM pipelines
  • Teams with high execution volumes and tight budgets
Pros
  • Free, self-hostable Community Edition with no execution limits
  • Execution-based cloud pricing is cheap for long, multi-step workflows
  • JavaScript and Python code nodes plus HTTP requests cover anything without a native node
  • Strong AI agent tooling with LangChain-based nodes and model choice
  • Active community and large template library
Cons
  • Self-hosting means maintaining updates, backups and scaling yourself
  • Less polished for non-technical users than Zapier or Make
  • Fewer native integrations than Zapier, so community nodes or HTTP calls are often needed
  • Sustainable Use License restricts reselling n8n as a hosted service
AI agentsYes
AI assistantYes
API accessYes
Audit logsYes
ChatbotNo
Databases & tablesNo
Forms & surveysNo
GDPR compliance toolsYes
Git integrationYes
Roles & permissionsYes
Self-hosting optionYes
SSO / SAMLYes
TemplatesYes
WebhooksYes
Workflow automationYes

Common questions

Does n8n or Zapier have a free plan?
Both do. n8n and Zapier each offer a free tier, so you can try either without paying.
How long is the n8n and Zapier free trial?
n8n offers a 14-day free trial, and Zapier offers a 14-day free trial.
Which is easier to use, n8n or Zapier?
In VERILO's editorial assessment Zapier is the easier of the two, scoring 5 out of 5 against 3 for n8n. That is a judgement about how quickly a new team gets productive, not a measured benchmark.

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