n8n vs Zapier

Choose Zapier if you're non-technical, want automations live today with no infrastructure to manage, and your work spans many SaaS tools, the 7,000+ app library means whatever you use is almost certainly covered. The free tier (100 tasks/mo) lets you prove the idea before paying, and Professional from 29.99 USD/mo handles a real workload. It's the right call when your flows are simple, run infrequently, and the time you save setting nothing up is worth more than the per-task premium.

Choose n8n if you run multi-step or high-volume automations where Zapier's per-task billing would punish you, you want native AI/LLM nodes wired into custom logic, or you need to self-host so customer data never leaves your infrastructure (a genuine selling point for B2B and regulated clients). The Community Edition is free with unlimited executions; managed cloud starts around 22 USD/mo if you'd rather not run a server. You'll trade a smaller integration library (400+) and some initial setup for far better economics and code-level flexibility.