Zapier vs n8n
Zapier is the easiest hosted option. n8n is more technical but can be self-hosted for free and has strong AI agent features.
| Zapier | n8n | |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Free plan, $0/mo | Community Edition, free self-hosted |
| Hosted paid plan | Professional from $19.99/mo | Starter €20/mo billed annually |
| Pricing basis | Tasks | Workflow executions |
| Best for | Non-technical owners | Technical users and AI agents |
Pick Zapier if
You're non-technical and want a hosted tool that just works. Zapier is the easiest way to connect apps, has a free plan, and includes AI steps and agents.
Pick n8n if
You or someone on your team is comfortable with technical setup and you want low costs at scale or advanced AI agent workflows. The Community Edition is free to self-host, and n8n Cloud plans start at €20 a month billed annually.
How to decide
Self-hosting n8n is free in licence terms but not free of work: you need a server, updates, backups and security. If nobody will own that, use n8n Cloud or Zapier. Zapier counts tasks while n8n counts workflow executions, so a busy multi-step workflow can cost very differently on each; estimate your monthly runs and compare against current plans.
A common path is to start on Zapier, then move high-volume or AI-heavy workflows to n8n once you know they are worth it.
Our verdict
Non-technical? Zapier. Comfortable with a little tech and want low costs at scale? n8n.
Prices from each vendor's official pricing page, checked Nov 2026. "See site" means we couldn't verify the price.