Guide · switching
Switching from n8n Cloud to Make — when the rebuild is worth it
You already have an n8n Cloud book. This page is whether rebuilding those workflows as Make scenarios is worth the work. Totals are not published yet. Self-hosted is a separate lane. A score is not a reason to rebuild every workflow. This page does not add new scores.
Use this page if the book is already n8n Cloud
Use
Use this page if…
You are on n8n Cloud, or you are weighing leaving it, and Make is the move. You want when the rebuild is worth it, what to expect for credentials and for workflows becoming scenarios, and the period when both stay on. The next step after a yes is Parallel-run one job before you switch.
Skip
Skip if…
You only want the unit dictionary — Tasks vs credits vs executions. You only want free-tier cliffs — When free isn’t enough. You are on a Zapier path — Switching from Zapier to Make. You only want the self-host ops deep-dive — When n8n self-host is worth it. You want the full trio pick and you do not have an n8n book — Which automation tool for small teams. This page does not rank products.
A use-or-skip check for an n8n Cloud book moving toward Make.
- You already run n8n Cloud workflows, or you are weighing leaving, and Make is the candidate.
- You need what happens to credentials and to each workflow, and how to run both before you cut over.
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What this page tells you. When a team already on n8n Cloud should rebuild that book on Make, what a workflow and a credential do not become, and how to keep the workflow published while one scenario is compared. Companion to Make vs n8n, When Make is the right pick, What does not migrate, and Parallel-run one job before you switch. This page does not reprint those reads. It does not invent a monthly dollar. It publishes no annual savings. It does not add new scores.
GuideSome scores not shown yetVendor pages accessed 2026-09-30Affiliate · pc=stackscorecardLive scorecard
This page is an n8n Cloud book, not a second compare
The question is whether the workflows you already run on n8n Cloud are worth rebuilding as scenarios. It is not a fresh pick between Make and n8n — that is Make vs n8n. It is not the dictionary of tasks, credits, and executions. It is not the free-plan cliff. It is not the Zapier rebuild — Switching from Zapier to Make. It is not the Make book moving to n8n — Switching from Make to n8n. It is not the Make book moving to Zapier — Switching from Make to Zapier. It is not the n8n book moving to Zapier — Switching from n8n to Zapier. It is not the four-question trio pick for a team that does not already have an n8n book. Criterion scores are not a reason to rebuild every workflow this week. This page does not add new scores. It is not a second ranking.
If the workflows still write the right rows and the people who own them will not map modules, stay. Honest cases: When n8n Cloud is the right pick. If the job is a canvas plus a credit meter, the choose-Make read is When Make is the right pick.
When the rebuild is worth it
Worth the rebuild means operator time, not a cheaper bill. Count the same job in n8n executions and Make credits before you treat a switch as savings. Tasks vs credits vs executions. This page does not claim you will save.
Worth it
Someone will redraw the nodes as modules
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. If someone on the team will redraw the n8n canvas — the trigger node, then each later node — and keep that Cloud workflow published until the writes match, the rebuild can be worth it.
Worth it
The step exists on Make, or you will use HTTP
Make’s pricing page lists 3,000+ apps on Free and 3,000+ standard apps in the plan table. n8n’s pricing page says all plans include every integration. It does not publish a directory count on the view we read, so this page does not invent one. If Make has the app, rebuild that workflow. If Make has no app for it, Make’s connection help says you can use the HTTP app. If the job depends on a node only n8n runs, and nobody will maintain HTTP, stay on n8n Cloud.
Not yet
Do not rebuild for a bill you have not counted
An execution is a single run of a workflow. Only production executions count toward the quota. Step count does not add a second execution. Make credits replaced operations as the billing-unit name. By default, 1 operation equals 1 credit for non-AI apps. The Make pricing page also says each module action in a scenario counts as one credit. One execution is not one credit. If you cannot name the job in both units, do not switch because one run sounds smaller.
Not yet
Do not rebuild if a secret or the run list has to travel
Credential secrets and execution history do not become a Make scenario. If the reason to move is “bring the logins and the old runs with us,” that file does not import. What else sticks is on What does not migrate. This page does not reprint that list.
Source: Make — what’s a scenario · Make — pricing · n8n — pricing · n8n — understand executions · Make — credits · Make — connect an application · accessed 2026-09-30
What a workflow becomes on Make
Expect a rebuild, not a file drop. n8n saves workflows in JSON. From the editor menu you can Download the current workflow, Import from File, or Import from URL. That path moves a workflow inside n8n. Exported workflow JSON includes credential names and IDs. HTTP Request nodes may contain authentication headers when imported from cURL. Remove or anonymize that before you share the file. None of it creates a Make scenario.
n8n packages are a different n8n-to-n8n file. A package is a .n8np archive, in Preview, available from n8n 2.27.0. You export it with the n8n CLI or API, not from the editor. It can carry workflows, folders, and projects. A credential file in the package holds ID, name, and type only. Credential secrets never travel. On import, n8n matches a credential that already exists on the target instance, or creates an empty placeholder for you to fill in. Executions and execution history do not travel. n8n says a package is not a full backup. That placeholder is on another n8n instance. It is not a Make connection.
Make export is a blueprint .json file: scenario modules, module settings, and mapped values. Import is three dots, then Import blueprint, in the Scenario Builder. Make recommends a new scenario before you import, because importing into an unsaved scenario drops those unsaved edits. The imported blueprint must be below 2 MB. You can also copy the blueprint JSON to the clipboard and paste it on another Make canvas. None of that reads an n8n JSON file or an .n8np package.
So the expectation is: one workflow becomes one scenario you build. The trigger node becomes the first module. Each later node becomes another module. Fields are mapped again. A standard scenario is the usual small-team start. An AI scenario or an AI agent scenario is a different Make type — do not assume an n8n AI node lands as the same module. A call through the Execute Sub-workflow node still counts as one execution for the parent workflow. On Make, a second scenario is a second run that spends its own credits. Do not assume that sub-workflow becomes one module.
A Cloud trial download is the same limit. If you do not upgrade by the end of the trial, n8n deletes the workspace. You have 90 days to download workflows. That file is n8n JSON. It is not a Make import.
Source: n8n — export and import · n8n — packages · n8n — understand executions · n8n — try free then choose a plan · Make — blueprints · Make — what’s a scenario · accessed 2026-09-30
Credentials do not travel
Make’s blueprint warning is direct: users still need to create connections for their accounts after importing the blueprint. A connection is how a scenario reaches a third-party app. You create it in the Scenario Builder when you add a module. Some apps are a login grant. Others ask for an API key, client id, or client secret. Make keeps two types: standard connections, and dynamic connections, which Make calls an Enterprise-level feature. Afterward, Credentials in the left sidebar is where you verify, reauthorize, edit, or delete a connection. Editing a connection replaces the old details. Make says you have to provide all the credentials required to create the connection again, because Make does not keep the original connection data.
The n8n export does not fill that gap. Names and IDs in the workflow JSON are not secrets. A package credential is ID, name, and type only. Credential secrets never travel. The empty placeholder, when import creates one, is on the target n8n instance. It is not a Make connection. HTTP Request nodes can still carry authentication headers if the workflow was imported from cURL — clean those before you share the file, and do not paste them into a Make module as if they were a connection.
Plan the overlap around that fact. Name who will log in to each app on Make and who still owns the n8n credential until the workflow is unpublished. A workflow that still runs is not a Make connection.
Source: Make — blueprints · Make — connect an application · n8n — export and import · n8n — packages · accessed 2026-09-30
Run both before you turn the workflow off
The parallel-run period is one critical job, not the whole account. Keep that workflow published so production runs continue. Rebuild it as one scenario. Create the Make connections. Compare the writes for the same trigger window — the row, the message, and what happens when a required field is missing. Then unpublish that workflow. Leave the workflow intact until the scenario has handled a real run, so you can turn the scenario off and leave the workflow published if the writes do not match.
A manual click of Execute Workflow is not that proof. Only production executions count toward the quota: runs started by triggers, schedules, or polling. Manual executions do not count. Compare a production window, not only an editor test.
Do not move every workflow on the same day. n8n and Make do not publish a required number of days for that overlap. This page does not invent a required number of days. The checklist — which job, what to compare, how to go back — is Parallel-run one job before you switch.
Execution history does not shorten that period. n8n packages do not carry executions or execution history. That list stays on n8n. Make scenario history starts when the scenario runs. It is not a copy of the n8n execution list.
Source: n8n — understand executions · n8n — packages · accessed 2026-09-30
Plan names and meters (dated)
Official list pages only: Make — pricing · n8n — pricing · n8n — try free then choose a plan, accessed 2026-09-30. This table names the plan and the meter. Monthly and annual dollar bills are an em dash. Make’s page lists Free, Core, Pro, Teams, and Enterprise with a credit slider — it does not publish one fixed monthly or annual dollar we are copying here. n8n’s pricing page does publish euro amounts. This page does not reprint them. It does not claim you will save. It publishes no annual savings.
Unit names, same access date. n8n: an execution is a single run of a workflow. Pricing is based on monthly workflow executions. The docs page says only production executions count toward the quota. Make: credits are the currency you buy and consume to use Make. Credits replaced operations as the billing-unit name. For non-AI apps, 1 operation equals 1 credit (credits article updated 30 Sep 2026). The Make pricing page also says each module action in a scenario counts as one credit.
Swipe sideways on a narrow screen.
| Plan | Meter | What the list page names | Monthly | Annual | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Make Free | Credits | 1,000 credits/month. No time limit on the Free plan. 15-minute minimum interval between runs. 3,000+ apps. | — | — | 2026-09-30 |
| Make Core | Credits | Everything in Free, plus unlimited active scenarios. | — | — | 2026-09-30 |
| Make Pro | Credits | Everything in Core, plus priority scenario execution. | — | — | 2026-09-30 |
| Make Teams | Credits | Everything in Pro, plus teams and team roles. | — | — | 2026-09-30 |
| Make Enterprise | Credits | Everything in Teams, plus custom functions and enterprise app integrations. | — | — | 2026-09-30 |
| n8n Cloud trial | Executions | 14 days. Pro plan features. Limit of 1,000 executions. 5 concurrent executions. 180-second timeout. 1 team project. No credit card for the Cloud trial. | — | — | 2026-09-30 |
| n8n Cloud Starter | Executions | Individuals and small projects. 1 shared project. 5 concurrent executions. Pricing data on the page lists 2,500 workflow executions on this tier. | — | — | 2026-09-30 |
| n8n Cloud Pro | Executions | Everything in Starter, plus up to 50 concurrent executions and 3 shared projects. The next tier lists 10,000 workflow executions. Higher tiers exist and are not copied here. | — | — | 2026-09-30 |
| n8n Cloud Enterprise | Executions | Custom number of workflow executions. 200+ concurrent executions. | — | — | 2026-09-30 |
The n8n pricing page also lists a Business card. The choose-how page treats Business as a self-hosted license, not a Cloud seat on the trial / Starter / Pro / Enterprise list. The choose-how page’s free Cloud option is a trial, not an ongoing free plan. Higher n8n execution tiers exist on the pricing page and are not copied here. Make extra-credit dollars are not listed as a fixed figure on the primary pricing page.
Source: n8n — choose how to use n8n · n8n — pricing · n8n — try free then choose a plan · accessed 2026-09-30
Scoring status
Scoring status
The live card is Make vs n8n vs Zapier. Totals are not published yet. This page does not add new scores.
Rules: How scoring works.
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Sources
Primary vendor pages. Access date for every citation on this page: 2026-09-30. Plan names stay as published. Dollar bills stay off this page.
- Make — what’s a scenario · accessed 2026-09-30
- Make — blueprints · accessed 2026-09-30
- Make — connect an application · accessed 2026-09-30
- Make — credits · accessed 2026-09-30
- Make — pricing · accessed 2026-09-30
- n8n — export and import · accessed 2026-09-30
- n8n — packages · accessed 2026-09-30
- n8n — understand executions · accessed 2026-09-30
- n8n — try free then choose a plan · accessed 2026-09-30
- n8n — choose how to use n8n · accessed 2026-09-30
- n8n — pricing · accessed 2026-09-30
FAQ
When is switching from n8n Cloud to Make worth the rebuild?
When someone will redraw each workflow as modules on a Make canvas, the apps you need are on Make or you will use Make’s HTTP app, and you can keep that workflow published while one scenario is rebuilt and compared. It is not worth it when nobody will map the modules, the step only exists as an n8n node, you need execution history inside Make, or the only argument is a cheaper bill you have not counted in executions versus credits. This page does not claim a savings figure.
Can I import an n8n workflow into Make?
No. n8n saves workflows as JSON and can download or import that JSON inside n8n. n8n packages (.n8np) move workflows between n8n instances and are in Preview. Make import is a blueprint JSON of scenario modules, module settings, and mapped values, and it must stay below 2 MB. Those files are not interchangeable. There is no one-click workflow-to-scenario import. Rebuild the trigger and the later modules, then map the fields again.
Do n8n credentials move to Make?
No. Exported workflow JSON includes credential names and IDs, not the secrets. An n8n package credential file holds ID, name, and type only — credential secrets never travel — and import on another n8n instance creates an empty placeholder. Make says users still need to create connections after importing a blueprint. Recreate each connection in Make’s Scenario Builder. Manage them under Credentials.
What should I expect a workflow to become?
A scenario. In Make, everything you build is a scenario, and modules are the building blocks. A standard scenario follows fixed rules. You recreate the trigger node and each later node as a module. A sub-workflow still counts as one n8n execution for the parent. On Make, a second scenario is a second run. Do not assume that sub-workflow lands as one module.
How long should n8n Cloud and Make both stay on?
Long enough to compare one critical job on the same trigger window: the workflow stays published, the scenario is rebuilt, the writes match, then that workflow is unpublished. The vendors do not publish a required number of days. This page does not invent one. Do not move every workflow on the same day. Manual editor runs do not count toward the n8n execution quota, so the proof is a production window. The checklist is Parallel-run one job before you switch.
Does n8n execution history become Make scenario history?
No. n8n packages do not carry executions or execution history. A package is not a full backup. Make scenario history starts when that scenario runs. The n8n execution list stays on n8n.
Does this page publish a monthly bill?
No. It names plan names and meters only. Monthly and annual dollar cells are an em dash. Make’s pricing page lists Free, Core, Pro, Teams, and Enterprise. n8n Cloud plan names on the pages we read are trial, Starter, Pro, and Enterprise. This page does not copy dollar bills and publishes no annual savings.
Does this guide score Make, n8n or Zapier?
No. Totals are not published yet.
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 invented IDs. n8n has no Stack affiliate. Rankings are not sold. Policy: Affiliate disclosure · Disclosures.