Why the pricing unit decides the winner
All four tools sell usage, but they count it differently, and that changes which one is cheapest for your workflows. Make counts credits: by default one credit for each non-AI module operation, with router and error handler modules free. [1][2] Zapier counts tasks: a task is any successful action, while triggers, Filter, Paths and Formatter steps never use tasks. [4] Pabbly Connect does not count triggers or internal steps such as filters, routers, formatters, schedules, iterators and email parsers. [5] n8n counts executions: one run of an entire workflow, regardless of the number of steps or data volume. [6]
In short, long workflows with many steps favour n8n and Pabbly; short workflows with many triggers are close across all four; heavy use of lookups and data writes inside a workflow costs most on Make and Zapier.
| Tool | Unit | What counts | What is free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make | Credit | Each module action, about 1 credit for non-AI apps [2] | Router, error handlers [1] |
| Zapier | Task | Each successful action [4] | Triggers, Filter, Paths, Formatter [4] |
| Pabbly Connect | Task | Action steps to external apps [5] | Triggers and internal steps [5] |
| n8n | Execution | One full workflow run [6] | Steps within a run [6] |
Published entry plans, checked 2026-10-30
Zapier lists Free at 100 tasks a month with two-step Zaps and 15-minute polling; Professional at $19.99 a month billed annually or $29.99 monthly for 750 tasks, multi-step Zaps and 2-minute polling; and Team at $69 a month billed annually or $103.50 monthly for 2,000 tasks and 25 users. [3] Zapier states annual billing is 33% off the monthly rate. [3]
Make's Free plan has 1,000 credits a month, and annual prepayment is cheaper than monthly. [1] The Make price grid loads interactively and did not appear in the page text we fetched, so check paid prices live.
Pabbly Connect's Free plan has 100 tasks a month; Standard lists 10,000 tasks a month and Unlimited lists unlimited tasks, and there are one-time lifetime plans starting at 3,000 tasks a month. [5] The page we fetched showed prices in a local currency, so read the dollar price on Pabbly's own page for your region. [5]
n8n Cloud lists Starter at 20 euros a month billed annually for 2,500 executions and Pro at 50 euros a month billed annually for 10,000 executions. [6] The self-hosted Community edition is free with almost the complete feature set, but n8n says it requires technical expertise to install and configure. [7]
Worked example: one five-step workflow, 500 runs a month
A web form submission triggers the workflow, which looks up the contact in a CRM, adds or updates the contact, uses a filter to check the request type, and sends a Slack alert. That is one trigger, three external actions and one filter, run 500 times a month.
Make: trigger 1 + lookup 1 + update 1 + Slack 1 = about 4 credits per run, or about 2,000 credits a month, more than the 1,000 free credits. [1][2] Zapier: three successful actions per run, trigger and filter free, so 1,500 tasks a month, above Professional's 750-task entry tier. [3][4] Pabbly: three action tasks per run, trigger and filter free, 1,500 tasks, within Standard's 10,000. [5] n8n: 500 executions, within Starter's 2,500. [6]
| Tool | Usage per run | Usage per month | Fits which published tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make | About 4 credits [2] | About 2,000 credits | Above Free (1,000) [1]; check paid tiers |
| Zapier | 3 tasks [4] | 1,500 tasks | Above Pro entry (750) [3]; higher tier needed |
| Pabbly Connect | 3 tasks [5] | 1,500 tasks | Standard (10,000) [5] |
| n8n Cloud | 1 execution [6] | 500 executions | Starter (2,500) [6] |
Decision table by budget, skills and volume
Use your situation to narrow the list, then read the head-to-head guide for the final two.
| Your situation | Start with | Why | Skip if |
|---|---|---|---|
| No budget, light use, no technical help | Make Free | 1,000 credits a month and multi-step scenarios [1] | You need more than a few hundred multi-step runs |
| Non-technical team, wants the simplest builder | Zapier | Triggers and filters are free; clear task count [4] | Workflows have many actions per run [3] |
| Long workflows with many internal steps, tight budget | Pabbly Connect | Internal steps and triggers not counted [5] | You need an app Pabbly does not support |
| Technical owner, high volume, wants control | n8n | Per-execution pricing; free self-hosted edition [6][7] | Nobody can maintain a server [7] |
| Complex branching on a modest budget | Make Core or Pro | Routers free; visual branching [1] | Usage is mostly long loops of writes |
Who fits each tool and who should skip
Make fits owners who want visual, branching workflows without code and can forecast usage per module. Skip it if your workflows loop through hundreds of records per run, because every write is a credit. [2]
Zapier fits teams that value a simple start and only need a few actions per run. Skip it if your typical workflow has many action steps, because each successful action is a task and the entry paid tier includes 750. [3][4]
Pabbly Connect fits budget-conscious users with long workflows full of formatting and filtering steps. Skip the lifetime plans if you expect to need a larger tier later: Pabbly's pricing page says a one-time plan cannot be upgraded in the future. [5]
n8n fits teams with a technical owner who can self-host or who run very long workflows. Skip it if nobody on the team can install and maintain the software, which n8n says requires technical expertise. [7]
Read the head-to-heads before buying
This guide only narrows the field. For the final decision, see our guides comparing Zapier and Make on the same workflow, Pabbly Connect and Make, Make and n8n, and n8n Cloud versus self-hosting, each of which goes deeper on limits and trade-offs. Vendor pages change; recheck prices on the date you buy.
Questions before you decide
Which automation tool is cheapest for a small business?
It depends on the shape of your workflows. Pabbly does not count triggers or internal steps, n8n counts one execution per workflow run, Make counts credits per module action and Zapier counts successful actions. Cost the same workflow in each unit before choosing.
Is Zapier's free plan enough for a small business?
Only for very light use. Zapier's Free plan includes 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps and 15-minute polling. Multi-step Zaps start on Professional at $19.99 a month billed annually or $29.99 monthly for 750 tasks.
Is n8n free for small businesses?
n8n documentation says the self-hosted Community edition is free with almost the complete feature set, but installation and configuration require technical expertise. n8n Cloud Starter is listed at 20 euros a month billed annually for 2,500 executions.
Does Pabbly Connect count filters and routers as tasks?
No. Pabbly's pricing page says triggers and internal steps such as filters, routers, formatters, schedules and iterators are not counted as tasks.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Make: Pricing and FAQ Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Credits Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Zapier: Pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Zapier Help: How is task usage measured Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Pabbly Connect: Pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- n8n: Pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- n8n Docs: Choose how to use n8n Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.