Guide · stay or look elsewhere
When Make is the right pick (and when it is not)
The job is modules on a canvas, billed in credits. Totals are not published yet. See the live scorecard. A score is not a crown. This page does not add new scores.
Stay on or choose Make, or look at Zapier or n8n
Stay / choose · Not scored yet
Stay on or choose Make if…
You will draw the flow on a canvas — routers, branching, a sheet row then Slack — and count credits per module without running a box. Or you already run Make scenarios that write the right rows. A score is not a reason to pick Make for every job, and it is not a reason to rebuild a scenario that still writes.
Look · Not scored yet
Look at Zapier instead if…
You need a working Zap this week without mapping a canvas, the app only Zapier lists, or the people who will own it will not map modules. You will count successful action steps, not Make credits. Longer compare: Make vs Zapier for small teams (2026) · When Zapier is still the right pick (and when it is not).
Look · Not scored yet
Look at n8n instead 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. It is not a fourth cloud seat. Longer compare: Make vs n8n for small teams (2026).
A pick for a small-team job.
- You will draw a visual scenario and count credits — or you need when that is not the job.
- You want stay or choose Make vs look at Zapier or n8n.
- You need dated list prices and when the credit meter is why you stay or look.
Read more
What this page tells you. When a visual scenario plus a credit meter is the honest pick, plus dated list prices from the official pages. Shopping a leave list is Make alternatives for small teams. When to pick each tool is also on Make vs n8n vs Zapier — when to pick each.
GuideSome scores not shown yetVendor pages accessed 2026-09-17Live scorecard
A canvas plus a credit meter is the Make job
This page is not a leave list. The Make job is modules you can see on a canvas, billed in credits you can count, on vendor cloud. A score is not a reason to pick it for every job. This page names when that canvas-and-credits job fits, and when to look at Zapier, n8n Cloud, or n8n self-host. It does not add new scores. It is not a second ranking.
Four questions first: Which automation tool for small teams. The full when-to-pick read is Make vs n8n vs Zapier — when to pick each. Shopping “what else exists” is a different page: Make alternatives for small teams.
Choose Make when the canvas and credit meter fit
Canvas
You want a visual scenario builder this week
In Make, everything you build is a scenario. Modules are the building blocks. Make names three types: a standard scenario (non-AI modules, fixed rules), an AI scenario (fixed path with AI at specific steps), and an AI agent scenario (the agent decides the path). Small-team ops usually start with a standard scenario — watch a sheet, write a row, notify Slack.
Make’s first-scenario walkthrough is that job: Google Sheets → Slack. Each team can create up to 100 scenarios per day. Each scenario has a 2 MB size limit. If the team will map modules on a canvas this week, that is the Make job. It is not a crown.
Source: Make — what’s a scenario · Make — create your first scenario · accessed 2026-09-17
Credits
Credit volume is something you can count
Credits replaced operations as Make’s billing-unit name. Make says the existing plan and pricing stay unchanged. For most non-AI apps — and for third-party AI apps you connect yourself — 1 operation equals 1 credit. An operation is one module run. Triggers run once per check. Action modules run once per bundle: five emails are five operations. Bundles earlier in a scenario multiply later modules.
The W-meter job (lead → sheet → Slack, 100 runs a month) is about 200 Make credits. That is unit math, not a score and not a monthly dollar. Make’s built-in AI apps can use tokens and other usage-based factors — those are dynamic, not this lane. If you cannot name the job in credits, do not pick on price. Worked example: Same job, three meters.
Source: Make — credits · Make — operations · accessed 2026-09-17
No box to run
You need ops without running a box
Make is vendor cloud. You do not own uptime, Docker, or a VPS. n8n’s choose-how page splits two jobs: n8n Cloud (n8n manages hosting, updates, and scaling) versus self-hosted (you control the environment). n8n’s Docker Compose host guide recommends self-host for expert users. Mistakes can lead to data loss, security issues, and downtime. If you are not experienced at managing servers, n8n recommends n8n Cloud.
If nobody will own 2am on a box, Make or n8n Cloud is the hosted lane. n8n Self-host is not a fourth cloud seat. Ops-burden read: When n8n self-host is worth it. Two-tool compare: Make vs n8n.
Source: n8n — choose how to use n8n · n8n — use Docker Compose · accessed 2026-09-17
Estate
You already run Make scenarios that write the right rows
If the estate already writes the right rows and pages the right person, keep it until you can parallel-run one critical job. Leaving means rebuilding each job and comparing outcomes while the source scenario stays on. That is operator time, not a new score. A healthy-looking history is not the write — when automations look fine.
Source: Make — blueprints · accessed 2026-09-17
List prices (dated)
Official list pages only: Make pricing · Zapier pricing · n8n pricing, accessed 2026-09-17. Zapier dollars below are the published entry task tiers. 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. This page does not claim you will save.
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 |
| Zapier Free | Free | Free | 1 seat. Tasks reset monthly. | 100 tasks / month; two-step Zaps; 1 seat | Tasks | 2026-09-17 |
| Zapier Professional | $29.99 / month at 750 tasks | $19.99 / month billed annually at 750 tasks | 1 seat. Tasks reset monthly. | See Zapier Free | Tasks | 2026-09-17 |
| Zapier Team | $103.50 / month at 2,000 tasks | $69.00 / month billed annually at 2,000 tasks | 25 seats. Tasks reset monthly. | See Zapier Free | Tasks | 2026-09-17 |
| Zapier Enterprise | Custom — contact sales | Custom — contact sales | Unlimited seats on the list page. Annual task limits. | See Zapier Free | Tasks | 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. Zapier Professional and Team figures are the entry task tiers on zapier.com/pricing (750 tasks and 2,000 tasks). Higher task tiers exist on that page and are not copied here. Make extra-credit dollars are not listed as a fixed figure on the primary pricing page.
Look at Zapier or n8n when the canvas or credit meter is not the job
Stay or choose Make until you can name the same job in credits. Look elsewhere when that canvas-and-credits job is not the constraint. A Zapier task is a successful action step. Triggers, Filters, Paths, Formatter, and listed free apps do not count. An n8n execution is one full workflow run. Do not treat one task as one credit as one execution.
- If credits run out, Make raises OperationsLimitExceededError. That is fatal: scheduling disables immediately. Community: scenarios pause and incoming webhooks queue until credits return. Paid plans can buy extra credits or turn on extra-credits auto-purchasing (automatic units of 10,000). Make publishes a 25% additional cost on extra credits versus credits in the plan. Extra credits expire at the end of the current billing cycle. This page does not invent an overage dollar rate.
- Consecutive module errors can also disable scheduling. Make’s error-handler set is Skip, Retry, Resume, Commit, and Rollback.
AccountValidationErrorhappens during setup and cannot be swallowed by an error handler. Design the failure path before you treat the canvas as done.
Catalog
Look at Zapier
First Zap, a wide catalog, or a non-technical operator. Zapier’s help center publishes 9,000+ apps. Make publishes 3,000+ on the integrations page and “more than 3000 apps” in its apps intro. If the connector you need is listed on Zapier and missing on Make, looking at Zapier is often simpler than a custom HTTP module. Honest cases: When Zapier is still the right pick. Two-tool compare: Make vs Zapier.
Cloud
Look at n8n Cloud
Same n8n editor family, vendor-hosted. n8n manages hosting, updates, and scaling. n8n recommends Cloud if you want instant access or do not want to manage infrastructure — and if you are not experienced at managing servers. Two-tool compare: Make vs n8n · n8n vs Zapier. Honest cases: When n8n Cloud is the right pick.
Self-host
Look at n8n self-host
If you will own uptime, upgrades, backups, and 2am, that is the self-host job. It is not a fourth cloud seat. That is not a Make miss. It is a different job. Full read: When n8n self-host is worth it.
Compare the same job in each vendor’s own unit before you treat a switch as savings. Tasks vs credits vs executions · Same job, three meters.
Source: Zapier — introduction to apps · Zapier App Directory · Make App Integrations · Make — introduction to apps · Zapier — how task usage is measured · Make — extra credits · Make — fix errors and warnings · Make Community — no more credits to execute a scenario · Make Community — what happens when I reach subscription limit · Make — error handlers · n8n — choose how to use n8n · n8n — use Docker Compose · accessed 2026-09-17
Export is a Make blueprint
Make export is a blueprint JSON. Zapier JSON and n8n workflow JSON are not interchangeable with it. There is no one-click Make → Zapier or Make → n8n import. Imports must stay below 2 MB, and you recreate connections after import. Keep the source scenario on, rebuild one critical job, compare outcomes, then cut over. A Make book moving to Zapier is Switching from Make to Zapier — when the rebuild is worth it.
If you cannot name the same job in each vendor’s own unit, stay until you can. Do not invent a monthly dollar. What does not migrate between Zapier, Make, and n8n · Parallel-run before you switch · Zapier — import and export Zap workflows.
Source: Make — blueprints · Zapier — import and export Zap workflows · accessed 2026-09-17
Scoring status
Scoring status
The live card is Make vs n8n vs Zapier. Totals are not published yet. Self-hosted is a separate lane. This page does not add new scores.
Criterion scores are not published yet. The /500 total is not published yet. Rules: How scoring works.
Two-tool pages: Make vs Zapier for small teams (2026) · Make vs n8n for small teams (2026) · n8n vs Zapier for small teams (2026). When to pick each: Make vs n8n vs Zapier — when to pick each.
Try Make
Sources
Primary vendor pages and community threads. Access date for every citation on this page: 2026-09-17. List prices stay as published.
- Make — what’s a scenario · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make — create your first 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 — fix errors and warnings · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make — blueprints · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make — introduction to apps · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make App Integrations · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make pricing · accessed 2026-09-17
- Zapier pricing · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n pricing · accessed 2026-09-17
- Zapier — how task usage is measured · accessed 2026-09-17
- Zapier — introduction to apps · accessed 2026-09-17
- Zapier App Directory · accessed 2026-09-17
- Zapier — import and export Zap workflows · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n — use Docker Compose · accessed 2026-09-17
- n8n — choose how to use n8n · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make Community — no more credits to execute a scenario · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make Community — what happens when I reach subscription limit · accessed 2026-09-17
- Make — error handlers · accessed 2026-09-17
FAQ
When is Make the right pick for a small team?
Stay on or choose Make when you will draw the flow on a canvas this week, can count the job in credits, need vendor cloud without running a box, or already run Make scenarios that write the right rows. Make is on the live scorecard. A score is not a crown for every job. This page does not cite a total. It does not add new scores.
Does this page change the Make vs n8n vs Zapier scores?
No. Totals are not published yet. It is not a fourth cloud seat. Rules live on Methodology.
When should I look at Zapier or n8n instead?
Look at Zapier when you need a working Zap this week, the app only Zapier lists here, or the people who will own it will not map a canvas — When Zapier is still the right pick. Look at n8n Cloud when you want that editor family hosted and will not run a box. Look at n8n self-host (not a fourth cloud seat) when a named owner will run Docker or a VPS. Compare the same job in each vendor’s own unit on Same job, three meters. This page does not claim you will save.
Can I import a Make blueprint into Zapier or n8n?
No. Make export is a Make blueprint JSON. Zapier JSON and n8n workflow JSON are not interchangeable with it. There is no one-click Make → Zapier or Make → n8n import. Rebuild one critical job on the destination, compare outcomes, then cut over. See Parallel-run one job before you switch.
How do Make credits stay something I can count?
Credits replaced operations as Make’s billing-unit name. For most non-AI apps, and for third-party AI apps you connect yourself, 1 operation equals 1 credit. An operation is one module run. Triggers run once per check. Action modules run once per bundle — five emails are five operations. Bundles earlier in a scenario multiply later modules. Make’s built-in AI apps can use tokens and other usage-based factors — those are dynamic, not the W-meter job. This page does not invent a monthly dollar.
What happens when a Make organization runs out of credits?
Make raises OperationsLimitExceededError. That is a fatal error: scheduling disables immediately. Community: scenarios pause and incoming webhooks queue. Paid plans can buy extra credits or turn on extra-credits auto-purchasing (10,000-credit automatic units). Make publishes a 25% additional cost on extra credits versus credits in the plan. Extra credits expire at the end of the current billing cycle. This page does not invent an overage dollar rate. Compare units on Tasks vs credits vs executions.
Does picking Make mean we own a server?
No. Make is vendor cloud — you do not own uptime, Docker, or a VPS. n8n’s choose-how page splits two jobs: n8n Cloud (n8n manages hosting, updates, and scaling) versus self-hosted (you control the environment). n8n recommends self-host for expert users. If nobody will own 2am on a box, stay on Make or n8n Cloud. It is not a fourth cloud seat.
Does this page invent monthly prices or a 2026 winner?
No. Dated list prices come from the official Make, Zapier, and n8n pricing pages. Make $ is omitted where the list page did not show a fixed figure. This page does not claim you will save. Compare the same job in each vendor’s own unit on Same job, three meters. Commissions do not move a score.
Will a commission change these numbers?
No. Make is a live partner signup (pc=stackscorecard). n8n and Zapier stay official-site URLs with no affiliate ID. Zapier has no Stack affiliate — this page does not invent one. Commissions do not move a score, a weight, or a list price.
Affiliate disclosure
Make is a live partner signup (pc=stackscorecard) and is marked affiliate; we may earn a commission. n8n and Zapier stay official-site URLs with UTM only — no invented IDs. Zapier has no Stack affiliate. Rankings are not sold. Policy: Affiliate disclosure · Disclosures.