Make vs n8n: hosted visual builder or open-source workflow engine?

Our verdict: count steps per run first

Make bills per action: each module that reads, creates, updates or transforms data uses credits, usually 1 per operation. [1] [2] n8n bills per run: its pricing page says a single run of the whole workflow is one execution, regardless of how many steps it has or how much data it processes. [3] The more steps your workflows have, the more n8n's unit favors you.

Who should pick Make: a team that wants a hosted visual builder, no server to look after, and short-to-medium scenarios. Who should pick n8n: a team running long workflows at volume, or one that needs code with libraries or wants data processed on its own infrastructure, and that has someone to own the setup. [4]

Side by side

Figures read on the official pages on 2026-10-29. n8n shows euro prices on annual billing; Make dollar prices were not readable in the fetched page text.

Worked monthly example

Hypothetical workload: an order workflow with a webhook trigger and 9 further steps (look up customer, create invoice, update spreadsheet, send two messages and four data transformations). It runs 2,000 times a month.

On Make, at 1 credit per module operation and one record per run, that is about 10 credits per run, or about 20,000 credits a month. [2] That is 20 times the Free allowance, so it needs a paid tier covering 20,000 credits. Make's per-10,000-credit allowances would also give about 10 GB of data transfer at that level. [1]

On n8n, the same workflow is 2,000 executions, inside Cloud Starter's 2.5K at 20 EUR a month billed annually. [3] If volume grows to 3,000 runs, it moves to Cloud Pro at 50 EUR a month billed annually, while Make's count would grow to about 30,000 credits.

Reverse case: a 2-step workflow running 2,000 times is about 4,000 Make credits but still 2,000 n8n executions. With short workflows the unit advantage shrinks, and other factors such as hosting and app coverage decide.

The effort of hosting n8n yourself

n8n's own documentation says self-hosting requires expertise for installation and configuration, takes longer to set up, and makes maintenance your responsibility, while Cloud is managed with hosting, updates and scaling handled by n8n. [4] The Community edition excludes features including environments, external secrets, log streaming, projects, SSO, sharing of workflows and credentials, and Git version control. [5]

Make has no equivalent decision in the pages we read: you use Make's hosted service and its credit allowances. [1] If no one on your team will patch and back up a server, compare Make with n8n Cloud, not with self-hosted n8n.

Code steps and integrations

n8n's Code node runs JavaScript on Node.js and native Python. On Cloud you cannot import external npm modules beyond crypto and moment, or any Python libraries; self-hosted instances can enable external modules. [6] If your workflow depends on a specific library, that alone may push you to self-host.

Make advertises 3,000+ native apps in its pricing page header, though its FAQ text says more than 1,000, and it describes Custom Apps for services without a ready-made app. [1] n8n's directory headline says 2,000+ integrations and includes an HTTP Request node for services without a dedicated one. [7] Check that every app you use has a maintained connector in your chosen tool before comparing cost.

Decision checklist

• Write down steps per run and runs per month for your three busiest workflows.
• Make: multiply steps by runs for an approximate credit total. [2]
• n8n: count runs only, and compare with 2.5K and 10K executions. [3]
• If you lean to self-hosting n8n, name the person who owns updates and backups. [4]
• Check that none of the Community edition exclusions, such as SSO or sharing, is a requirement. [5]
• Confirm each app connector exists, then check the live Make price for your credit total.

Sources & verification

Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.

1. Make pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
2. Make Help Center: Credits Accessed 29 Oct 2026
3. n8n pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
4. n8n Docs: Choose how to use n8n Accessed 29 Oct 2026
5. n8n Docs: Community edition features Accessed 29 Oct 2026
6. n8n Docs: Code node Accessed 29 Oct 2026
7. n8n integrations directory Accessed 29 Oct 2026