What is the difference between n8n and Make?

n8n is a source-available workflow tool you can self-host or run on n8n Cloud. Make (formerly Integromat) is a SaaS-only visual integration platform with operations-based pricing. n8n favors developer flexibility; Make favors polished no-code UX.

Is n8n cheaper than Make at scale?

Usually yes — self-hosted n8n removes per-operation SaaS markup, replacing it with infrastructure cost (a $5–$50/month VPS handles most agencies). Make can become expensive once you cross 10,000 operations per month.

Can I migrate Make scenarios to n8n?

There is no automated migrator. You rebuild scenarios as workflows. Start with our template library — most agency use cases (lead gen, cold email, social posting) have a ready-to-import n8n version on this site.

Which is easier to learn — n8n or Make?

Make is gentler for true no-code beginners. n8n requires light familiarity with JSON, HTTP requests, and credentials, but pays off massively when your flows need conditional logic, loops, or custom code.

n8n vs Make — Honest Comparison (2025)

n8n vs Make (Integromat) compared on pricing, self-hosting, AI workflows, ease of learning, error handling, and template ecosystems. Includes migration tips.

n8n vs Make (formerly Integromat) is the second most common automation comparison after n8n vs Zapier. Both are visual; both compete for the same agency, ops, and indie-founder workloads. The right pick depends on three things: how much you'll run, who maintains it, and whether you can self-host.

Pricing models in plain English

Make

Make charges by operation — every node that runs counts. A scenario that fans out over 100 records can burn 1,000+ operations in a single execution. Plans start with a free tier and scale up monthly. Predictable until you hit growth, then suddenly not predictable.

n8n

Self-hosted n8n has no software license fee. You pay for a VPS or your home server, plus third-party APIs (OpenAI, Apify, SMTP). n8n Cloud has tiered execution pricing for those who do not want to manage Docker. See our n8n pricing page for the full breakdown.

Self-hosting

Make has no self-host option. If data residency or compliance matters (India DPDP Act, EU GDPR, HIPAA), n8n is the only realistic choice between the two. See our Docker setup and self-host guide to get started in under 15 minutes.

AI and agent workflows

Both tools added AI nodes. The depth differs:

n8n AI Agent node supports tool calling, memory, and multi-step loops out of the box. Pair with our free AI agent templates.
Make AI modules wrap individual API calls — great for "summarize this", less great for autonomous agent loops.
Trending search n8n mcp (Model Context Protocol) signals where the n8n ecosystem is heading — Make does not have an equivalent yet. See our MCP guide.

Error handling and observability

Make: built-in incomplete-execution UI; easy to retry a single step from the web console.
n8n: explicit error workflows you wire up yourself; richer logs when self-hosted and shipped to Loki / Grafana / Datadog.

Templates and community

Make has a curated template gallery. n8n has the official template hub plus GitHub-style community sharing (n8n GitHub). Our site adds free importable JSON and ZIP packs in categories Make does not cover — voice agents, multi-source lead gen, and avatar video pipelines.

Code escape hatch

n8n lets you drop into JavaScript or Python in any workflow. Make has limited code modules. If your roadmap includes "we will eventually need custom logic", that future cost favors n8n.

When to pick Make

You are a non-technical marketing or ops team needing low maintenance.
Your monthly operation count is under a few thousand and predictable.
You prefer SaaS-only, no infrastructure to manage.
Your team already has Make expertise.

When to pick n8n

You run an agency or productized service where compute economics matter.
You build AI agent or RAG-style workflows.
You need data residency in India, EU, or another regulated geography.
You want to commit workflows to Git and ship via CI.

Migrating from Make to n8n

List your active scenarios sorted by operation volume — migrate the heaviest first.
For each scenario, find an n8n equivalent in our template library.
Rebuild credentials in n8n's credential store (never paste keys into nodes).
Run both in parallel for one week, comparing output and error logs.
Cut over after a clean week, archive the Make scenario, and cancel the unused tier.

Verdict

Make wins for non-technical teams running predictable, light workloads on SaaS. n8n wins for engineering-led teams, agencies at scale, regulated geographies, and any AI-heavy roadmap.

Also compare: n8n vs Zapier · OpenClaw vs n8n · Flowise vs n8n

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between n8n and Make?: n8n is a source-available workflow tool you can self-host or run on n8n Cloud. Make (formerly Integromat) is a SaaS-only visual integration platform with operations-based pricing. n8n favors developer flexibility; Make favors polished no-code UX.
Is n8n cheaper than Make at scale?: Usually yes — self-hosted n8n removes per-operation SaaS markup, replacing it with infrastructure cost (a $5–$50/month VPS handles most agencies). Make can become expensive once you cross 10,000 operations per month.
Can I migrate Make scenarios to n8n?: There is no automated migrator. You rebuild scenarios as workflows. Start with our template library — most agency use cases (lead gen, cold email, social posting) have a ready-to-import n8n version on this site.
Which is easier to learn — n8n or Make?: Make is gentler for true no-code beginners. n8n requires light familiarity with JSON, HTTP requests, and credentials, but pays off massively when your flows need conditional logic, loops, or custom code.