英國企業如何選擇 n8n、Make 與 Zapier？差異比較指南

The short answer

You can choose Zapier if you want the quickest start and your workflows are simple. Choose Make if you want more control for less money and are happy to work visually. Choose n8n if your workflows are complex, high in volume, use AI agents, or need your data to stay on a server you control.

Most UK small businesses start on Zapier or Make, then move to n8n when the bill climbs, or the logic outgrows the first tool. I build in all three, so this guide explains the differences and helps you pick the right one for your situation.

What each one costs

The three tools count usage in different ways, so the same workflow can cost very different amounts. Zapier bills every action step, Make bills every module that runs, and n8n bills one execution per full run, however many steps it has.

As volume grows, Zapier's bill climbs fastest because every step is billed. n8n is cheapest for long workflows, because extra steps cost nothing. Make sits between them, and iterators that loop over many records can use up credits quickly.

Self-hosting n8n has no execution limit. The software is free, and a small server typically costs a few dollars a month, plus your time to set up and maintain it.

Prices are in US dollars or euros on annual billing, excluding tax, as reported by third-party summaries on 1 November 2026. Paying monthly costs more: about $10.59 for Make Core, and roughly a third more for Zapier and a fifth more for n8n. The example row is a heavier workload than the entry plans, so Zapier starts far lower than $129. Check each vendor's pricing page before deciding. Sources: Toolradar on Zapier, Toolradar on n8n, Jetadmin on Make.

Ease of use, and who keeps it running

Zapier is the easiest to learn: a non-technical person can build a simple workflow in an afternoon. Make shows the workflow as a visual map, which handles branching and data better but takes longer to learn. n8n has the steepest learning curve, and complex workflows often include small pieces of code.

For a business, the question that matters more is who will keep it running. A workflow nobody on your team understands becomes a risk the day the person who built it moves on. Zapier and Make are easier for your own team to maintain. n8n suits you best when you have a technical person on the team, or a developer on call.

Whichever tool you choose, ask for written notes on what each workflow does and how to change it. I hand every workflow over with documentation for exactly this reason.

Power and flexibility

n8n is the most flexible of the three, and the gap shows once a workflow gets complicated. It handles branching logic, loops, custom code and AI agents inside the same workflow, and it can call almost any service that has an API.

Make sits in the middle. It handles branching, loops and data transformation well in a visual editor, and it has modules for AI models.

Zapier is strongest when the job is a simple trigger followed by a few actions across popular apps. It can branch and run code, but long or complex workflows get expensive and awkward, because each step is billed.

Whichever tool you pick, build in error handling. A workflow that fails quietly is worse than no workflow, because nobody knows the work has stopped. Every workflow should send an alert when a step fails and keep a record of what failed, so it can be fixed and run again.

Where your data lives

Zapier and Make run on their own cloud, so your data passes through their servers. n8n gives you a choice: use n8n Cloud, or host it yourself on a server you pick, such as one in the UK or the EU.

This matters if your workflows handle personal data, such as customer names, emails or booking details. Before you commit to any of the three, ask these questions:

• Where is my data processed and stored?
• Does the vendor offer a data processing agreement I can sign?
• How long does it keep execution history, which can include the data that passed through each run?
• Who on my side, or on my developer's side, can see that history?

Self-hosting n8n gives you the most control over where data sits, but you or your developer also take on updates, backups and security. If your team has no one to do that, a managed cloud plan is often the safer choice. This is general guidance, not legal advice. If you handle sensitive data, ask a data protection professional what applies to your business.

Which one should you choose?

Start from your situation, not from the tool.

If you are between two tools, start with the simpler one. Moving a workflow later is much easier than planning for scale you may never need.

When to bring in help

If you have a repeated task costing your team hours every week, or a workflow that keeps failing, a short conversation will usually tell you which tool fits and whether the task is worth automating at all.

I am Ann Chisom Sokwue, an AI automation engineer. I build in n8n, Make, and Zapier, and I recommend the one that fits your problem. A first workflow is usually live in about 2 weeks, and often sooner, and everything is documented and handed over so your team owns it. You can read how I work on my n8n developer page, or book a free 30-minute call and tell me what you want to automate.