Guide · compare
Make vs n8n for small teams (2026)
Totals are not published yet. Self-hosted is a separate lane. See the live scorecard. When to pick each is also on Make vs n8n vs Zapier — when to pick each. This page does not add new scores.
Pick Make or n8n
Make Not scored yet
Pick Make if…
You will draw the flow on a canvas — routers, branching, a sheet row then Slack — and you want to count credits per module without running a box. Or you already run Make scenarios that write the right rows.
n8n Cloud Not scored yet
Pick n8n if…
You will use the n8n editor and count one execution per full run — Cloud if you do not want to run a box, or Community / Business self-host if you will own uptime, upgrades, and backups. Or you already run n8n workflows that write the right rows.
A pick for a small-team job.
- You are choosing between Make’s canvas and n8n’s editor for a small team.
- You want a clear pick for a concrete job.
- You need dated list prices and how Cloud vs self-host bills a run.
Read more
What this page tells you. When Make or n8n fits a concrete small-team job, plus dated list prices from the official pages. It is not a third cloud seat. Four questions first: Which automation tool for small teams.
Not ranked yetSome scores not shown yetVendor pages accessed 2026-09-17Live scorecard
List prices (dated)
Official list pages only: Make pricing · n8n pricing, accessed 2026-09-17. n8n plan prices vary by region, so the n8n rows point to n8n pricing for the current figure. Make’s page lists Free, Core, Pro, Teams, and Enterprise with monthly and annual billing and a credit slider — it does not publish a single fixed monthly or annual dollar on the page we could read, so those $ figures are omitted.
Swipe sideways on a narrow screen.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Seat / ops model | Free-plan limits | Meter | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Make Free | Free | Free | Credits. Not a published per-seat price. | 1,000 credits / month; 2 active scenarios; 15-minute minimum interval | Credits | 2026-09-17 |
| Make Core | Not a fixed $ on the list page (credit slider) | Not a fixed $ on the list page (credit slider) | Credits. Unlimited active scenarios. Not a published per-seat price. | See Make Free | Credits | 2026-09-17 |
| Make Pro | Not a fixed $ on the list page (credit slider) | Not a fixed $ on the list page (credit slider) | Credits. Priority execution. Not a published per-seat price. | See Make Free | Credits | 2026-09-17 |
| Make Teams | Not a fixed $ on the list page (credit slider) | Not a fixed $ on the list page (credit slider) | Credits. Team roles. Not a published per-seat price. | See Make Free | Credits | 2026-09-17 |
| Make Enterprise | Custom — talk to sales | Custom — talk to sales | Credits. Custom enterprise features. | See Make Free | Credits | 2026-09-17 |
| n8n Cloud Starter | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Unlimited users. 2.5k workflow executions. Hosted by n8n. | Cloud trial: 1,000 executions; 5 concurrent; no credit card. No ongoing free Cloud plan on the list page. | Executions | 2026-09-17 |
| n8n Cloud Pro | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Unlimited users. 10k workflow executions. Hosted by n8n. | See n8n Cloud Starter trial | Executions | 2026-09-17 |
| n8n Business | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Varies by region (see n8n pricing) | Unlimited users. 40k workflow executions. Marked Self-hosted on the list page. | See n8n Cloud Starter trial | Executions | 2026-09-17 |
| n8n Enterprise | Custom — contact sales | Custom — contact sales | Custom number of workflow executions. Contact sales. | See n8n Cloud Starter trial | Executions | 2026-09-17 |
| n8n Community Edition | Free | Free | Self-host on GitHub. You own the box. Not a published per-seat price. | Standard self-hosted edition. No Cloud host. | Self-host (you run it) | 2026-09-17 |
n8n Starter and Pro cards say Hosted by n8n. Business is marked Self-hosted. Community Edition is the free self-host path on GitHub. Make extra-credit dollars are not listed as a fixed figure on the primary pricing page.
Which tool for which job
When each is the better pick for a small-team job. Totals are not published yet. Four questions first: Which automation tool for small teams.
Swipe sideways on a narrow screen.
| Small-team job | Make | n8n | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| A visual scenario canvas, without owning a box | Usually wins | Possible — Cloud needs no install; the editor is still n8n | In Make, everything you build is a scenario. Modules sit on a canvas. |
| One execution per full run, not per module | Each module run is usually a credit | Usually wins | An n8n execution is one full workflow run. Do not treat one Make credit as one n8n execution. |
| Volume is the constraint — step count would multiply the bill | Credit meter can stop the scenario | Usually wins | Compare the same job in credits vs executions. Units on Same job, three meters. |
| You already run Make scenarios that write the right rows | Usually wins — keep until you parallel-run | Rebuild; no one-click import | Make export is a blueprint JSON. n8n JSON is not interchangeable with it. |
| You already run n8n Cloud workflows that write the right rows | Rebuild; no one-click import | Usually wins — keep until you parallel-run | n8n export is workflow JSON. Make blueprints are not interchangeable with it. |
| Operators will map modules but will not run a server | Usually wins | Fits if they will use the n8n editor | n8n Cloud is fully managed. You still use n8n’s editor. Self-host is a different job. |
| Code steps, HTTP, or custom nodes in the editor | Custom HTTP if the app is missing | Usually wins | n8n includes Code steps and HTTP Request. That is a builder difference, not a score. |
| You will own uptime, upgrades, and backups | Not this job | Self-host is a different job. | This page cites the live scorecard. Self-host is not a third cloud seat. |
“Usually wins” means the better pick for that job, not a crown. Units for one 5-step job live on Same job, three meters.
When Make is the better pick
Honest cases: When Make is the right pick.
Make
You want a visual scenario canvas
In Make, everything you build is a scenario. Modules are the building blocks. A standard scenario is a series of non-AI modules that follow fixed rules — watch a sheet, write a row, notify Slack. You do not install a box.
Make
The job fits Make credits and the team will map modules
Credits are Make’s billing unit. For most non-AI apps, one module action uses one credit. Triggers run once per check. Action modules run once per bundle. That is unit math, not a score.
Make
You already run Make — or you will not run a server
Make export is a blueprint JSON. n8n workflow JSON is not interchangeable with it. If the estate already writes the right rows, keep it until you parallel-run. If nobody will own uptime, Make stays vendor-hosted. Self-host is a different job.
Source: Make — what’s a scenario · Make — credits · Make — operations · Make — blueprints · accessed 2026-09-17
When n8n is the better pick
Honest cases for running the box: When n8n self-host is worth it. It is not a third cloud seat.
n8n
You want one execution per full run
An n8n execution is one full workflow run, no matter how many steps ran or how much data it processed. Paid-plan quota counts production runs. Manual editor runs do not. The same 5-step form-lead job is 5 Make credits and 1 n8n execution per successful run. Compare units on Same job, three meters — that is unit math, not a score.
n8n
You want the n8n editor hosted — or you will run the box
Starter and Pro cards say Hosted by n8n. Start there if you want instant access and do not want to manage infrastructure. Community Edition is the free self-host path on GitHub. Business on the pricing page is marked Self-hosted. It is not a third cloud seat.
n8n
Make’s credit meter is the constraint
A Make credit is usually one module action. The same 5-step form-lead job is 5 Make credits and 1 n8n execution per successful run. At 500 runs that is 2,500 credits vs 500 executions. Compare units on Same job, three meters — that is unit math, not a score.
Source: n8n pricing · n8n — understand executions · n8n — choose how to use n8n · accessed 2026-09-17
Same job, two meters
Do not treat one Make credit as one n8n execution. The 5-step worked example — form lead → sheet or CRM row → confirmation email → Slack → follow-up task — is on Same job, three meters. Per successful run that page counts 5 Make credits and 1 n8n execution. Units only at 50 / 500 / 5,000 runs.
Deeper unit definitions: Tasks vs credits vs executions.
Switching tools
Make export is a blueprint JSON. n8n export is workflow JSON. Those formats are not interchangeable. There is no one-click Make ↔ n8n import. Imports on Make must stay below 2 MB, and you recreate connections after import. Exported n8n JSON may include credential names and IDs — sanitize before sharing. n8n packages (Preview) stay inside n8n. Keep the source job on, rebuild one critical job, compare outcomes, then cut over. A Make book moving to n8n, with Cloud and self-host kept apart, is Switching from Make to n8n — when the rebuild is worth it.
What does not travel: What does not migrate. Cutover checklist: Parallel-run one job before you switch. Pass or defer first: What’s worth automating. If it already fails, name the class: When automations fail.
Scoring status
Scoring status
The live card is Make vs n8n vs Zapier. Totals are not published yet. It is not a third-tool comparison. If the job is actually n8n Self-host, use the when-to-pick guide or Which automation tool for small teams.
Criterion scores are not published yet. The /500 total is not published yet. This page does not add new scores. Rules: How scoring works.
Sibling compares: Make vs Zapier for small teams (2026) · n8n vs Zapier for small teams (2026).
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n8n
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Sources
Primary vendor pages. Access date for every citation on this page: 2026-09-17. List prices stay as published.
n8n Cloud stores hosted-plan data in the EU, on servers in Frankfurt. That is not Canadian residency. Make’s pricing page we opened does not publish a CAD list. We do not invent one.
- Make — what’s a scenario · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make — credits · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make — operations · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make — extra credits · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make pricing · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make — blueprints · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n pricing · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n — understand executions · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n — choose how to use n8n · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n — export and import · accessed 2026-09-17
FAQ
Make vs n8n — which should a small team pick?
It depends on the job. Pick Make if you will map a visual scenario and count credits without running a box. Pick n8n Cloud if you will use the n8n editor and count one execution per full run. Pick self-host if you will own the box. Four questions: Which automation tool for small teams.
Is this a new Make vs n8n scorecard?
No. Totals are not published yet. It is not a third cloud seat here. This page does not add new scores and is not a third-tool comparison. Rules live on Methodology.
When does Make win vs n8n Cloud for a small team?
When the job is a visual scenario canvas, volume that fits Make credits, an existing Make estate, or a team that will map modules but will not run a server. Honest cases: When Make is the right pick. Compare units on Same job, three meters.
When does n8n still win vs Make?
When the job is one execution per full run, the n8n editor hosted without running the box, Code steps or HTTP Request in the workflow, or an existing n8n Cloud estate you would have to rebuild. If the real job is running the box, see When n8n self-host is worth it.
How do Make and n8n bill the same job?
A Make credit is usually one module action; a trigger check still uses a credit. An n8n execution is one full workflow run. Do not treat one Make credit as one n8n execution. See Same job, three meters and Tasks vs credits vs executions.
Can I import a Make blueprint into n8n, or an n8n workflow into Make?
No. Make export is a blueprint JSON. n8n export is workflow JSON. Those formats are not interchangeable. There is no one-click Make ↔ n8n import. Rebuild one critical job, compare outcomes, then cut over. See What does not migrate and Parallel-run one job before you switch.
Affiliate disclosure
Make is a live partner signup (pc=stackscorecard) and is marked affiliate; we may earn a commission. n8n stays an official-site URL with UTM only — no affiliate ID. Rankings are not sold. Policy: Affiliate disclosure · Disclosures. Contact editor@stackscorecard.com.