B2Shift · Published 27 August 2026 · Updated 27 August 2026
All three connect apps and move data between them; the differences that matter show up once a workflow gets past the simple, linear case.
Zapier: fastest to a simple result
Zapier has the largest app catalogue and the simplest mental model — trigger, then steps. It's a strong choice for straightforward, linear automations maintained by non-technical staff. It becomes limiting once a workflow needs complex branching logic, self-hosting, or high-volume, low-cost execution; pricing scales with task volume, which is worth modelling before committing at scale.
Make (formerly Integromat): more control, steeper learning curve
Make's visual, graph-based builder supports more complex branching and iteration than Zapier's linear model, at the cost of a steeper learning curve for whoever maintains it. It's a reasonable middle ground when a workflow needs real conditional logic but self-hosting isn't a requirement.
n8n: the choice when self-hosting or EU data residency matters
n8n is source-available and can be self-hosted, which matters directly for teams with data-residency requirements or a preference against sending workflow data through a third party's cloud. It supports custom code nodes for logic the visual builders can't express, at the cost of needing someone comfortable maintaining infrastructure if self-hosted. The managed cloud option removes that overhead if self-hosting isn't a priority.
What actually decides it
Volume and cost model matter more than most comparisons admit — task-based pricing (Zapier, Make) behaves very differently at 500 executions a month versus 50,000. Data residency and self-hosting requirements point toward n8n. Branching complexity favours Make or n8n over Zapier. And who maintains it afterwards is often the deciding factor: a tool your team can actually operate beats a technically superior one nobody understands six months after launch. See Workflow Automation & Integrations for how we typically combine one of these with direct API integrations rather than relying on a single tool for everything.
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