Scorecard · small-team automation
Make vs n8n vs Zapier for small teams
Scoring in progress — 0 of 28 criteria published.
- You are comparing Make, n8n Cloud, Zapier, and n8n Self-hosted.
- You want choose-if by job.
- You will read named weights before you switch tools.
Read more
What this page tells you. This scorecard compares Make, n8n, and Zapier for small-team automation. Each tool is rated 1–5 on named criteria; weights add up to 100; a perfect score is 500. Scoring in progress — 0 of 28 criteria published.
Not ranked yetUpdated 2026-09-07Methodology
Make vs n8n vs Zapier for small teams tools
Self-hostedn8n Self-hosted Not scored yet
Totals are not published yet.
We may earn a commission on Make links. Rankings are not sold. Affiliate disclosure · Disclosures · editor@stackscorecard.com
At-a-glance
Facts on this card: hosting, pricing model, and billing notes. Totals are not published yet.
Not scored yetn8n CloudHosted n8n editor without owning the runtime.
Not scored yetZapierLargest no-code automation marketplace.
Not scored yetMakeVisual scenario builder for small-team cloud automation.Self-hostedNot scored yetn8n SHOperator-controlled runtime (self-hosted, not a cloud SaaS seat).Wider table below — swipe if you want every lens.
| Lens | n8n Cloud | Zapier | Make | n8n SH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Role | Self-hosted | |||
| Weighted total | Not scored yet | Not scored yet | Not scored yet | Not scored yet |
| Best for | Hosted n8n editor without owning the runtime. | Largest no-code automation marketplace. | Visual scenario builder for small-team cloud automation. | Operator-controlled runtime (self-hosted, not a cloud SaaS seat). |
| Pricing model | Cloud subscription, execution-based | Tasks / month, tiered | Operations / month, tiered (pricing page, make.com/en/pricing, 2026-09-07) | Infra + time; licence per n8n fair-code terms |
| Hosting | Vendor cloud (EU Frankfurt noted below) | Vendor cloud | Vendor cloud | Self-host (operator-controlled) |
| Portability | Source-available engine, hosted by n8n. | Closed source. Leaving cost sits with the operator. | Closed source. Export and lock-in cost sit with the operator. | Self-host path. You own the runtime, upgrades, and backups. |
| Billing & residency | Region named in this review: EU Frankfurt. | Bills in multiple published currencies. Tax still belongs on the invoice line. | List prices as published. Tax belongs on the invoice. | Runtime sits where you put it. We do not certify the operator’s privacy posture. |
Choose if
Who each tool is for. Not a “best of 2026” list.
n8n Cloud
Not scored yetYou want the same editor family as self-host without running the box. Vendor cloud; you do not own uptime.
Zapier
Not scored yetYou need the widest app coverage and will live with task-based pricing.
Make
Not scored yetYou want a visual builder.
Self-hosted
n8n Self-hosted
Not scored yetYou will own uptime, upgrades, and backups.
Cloud lanes
Criterion scores are not published yet.
Swipe sideways for lane and total.
| Lane | Weighted total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud | Not scored yet | |
| Zapier | Not scored yet | |
| Make | Not scored yet |
Self-hosted
Self-hosted lane. You own uptime, upgrades, backups, and the privacy posture of that runtime.
| Lane | Weighted total | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| n8n Self-hosted | Not scored yet | You own uptime, upgrades, backups, and the 2am page. |
Show full criteria sheet
Contribution = score (1–5) × weight. A complete card is 500.
Swipe sideways — first column stays pinned.
| ID | Criterion | Weight | Max (×5) | Make | n8n Cloud | Zapier | n8n Self-hosted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | Time-to-competence How long a non-developer operator needs to ship a reliable three-step workflow with basic error handling. | 15 | 75 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| C2 | Reliability and operability Execution consistency, retries, logs, and the operational burden of keeping the stack healthy. | 20 | 100 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| C3 | Ecosystem First-party integrations and templates that small teams actually use: email, sheets, Notion, chat, payments, accounting. | 15 | 75 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| C4 | Billing & regional fit List currency as the vendor publishes it, plus tax invoices, data-residency options, and privacy posture as disclosed. | 15 | 75 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| C5 | Pricing at small-team scale Realistic monthly spend for a 2–5 person shop, in the vendor’s published list currency. Tax is called out separately when the vendor discloses it. | 20 | 100 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| C6 | Portability and lock-in Export paths, self-host options, and the real cost of leaving. | 10 | 50 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| C7 | Support and documentation Official docs, community, and paid support that is reachable at small-team spend. | 5 | 25 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Weighted total | 100 | 500 | Not scored yet | Not scored yet | Not scored yet | Not scored yet | |
A 1–5 score that is not published yet is left blank. We do not guess it from other scores. See Methodology.
Billing & residency notes
- Zapier. Bills in multiple published currencies. Tax still belongs on the invoice line, not inside a “from $X” list price.
- n8n Cloud. Cloud region named in this review: EU Frankfurt — the residency we could name from vendor docs.
- n8n Self-hosted. Runtime sits where you put it. We do not certify the operator’s privacy posture.
- Make. Make’s public pricing page (make.com/en/pricing, accessed 2026-09-07). Operations-tiered list prices as published. We do not invent a converted list.
Not legal, tax, or privacy advice. See Privacy and editorial standards.
Caveats
- Not a “best of 2026” list. Updated 2026-09-07.
- Each tool is rated 1–5 on named criteria. A perfect score is 500. A total is shown only after every criterion score on this scorecard is published.
- Criterion scores on this scorecard are not published yet.
- Nothing here is tax, legal, or privacy advice.
Methodology
Methodology
Each tool is rated 1–5 on named criteria. A perfect score is 500. Self-hosted is a separate lane. How scoring works.
FAQ
What does the automation progress line mean?
Each tool is rated 1–5 on named criteria. Each criterion has a weight; the weights add up to 100. A perfect score is 500. Scoring in progress — 0 of 28 criteria published. A total is shown only when every criterion score is published.
Does Make lead n8n and Zapier?
No. There is no published total, so there is no lead.
Is n8n Self-hosted ranked with the cloud products?
n8n Self-hosted is on the same scorecard. You own uptime, upgrades, and backups. No rank is published.
What do published scores mean?
Missing scores stay blank. We do not guess a missing score. This is not a final “best of 2026.”
Is there a separate Make vs Zapier or Make vs n8n scorecard?
No. Those compares use this scorecard. Totals are not published yet.
Product facts (not extra points)
Self-hosted
n8n Self-hosted
Not scored yet
You run the engine (Docker, VM, or k8s). Licence can be cheap; operations are not free. Scored on this card.
- Hosting
- Self-host (operator-controlled)
- Pricing
- Infra + time; licence per n8n fair-code terms
- Source
- Source-available (fair-code)
Official site: n8n · no affiliate ID · not a partner mark
Cloud
n8n Cloud
Not scored yet
Vendor-hosted n8n. Same editor family as self-host, without you owning the runtime.
- Hosting
- Vendor cloud (EU Frankfurt noted below)
- Pricing
- Cloud subscription, execution-based
- Source
- Source-available engine, hosted by n8n
Official site: n8n · no affiliate ID · not a partner mark
Cloud
Zapier
Not scored yet
Largest no-code automation marketplace. Task-based pricing; very wide app coverage.
- Hosting
- Vendor cloud
- Pricing
- Tasks / month, tiered
- Source
- Closed source
Official site: Zapier · no affiliate ID · not a partner mark
Cloud
Make
Not scored yet
Cloud visual builder, formerly Integromat. Strong scenario UI; operations-based pricing.
- Hosting
- Vendor cloud
- Pricing
- Operations / month, tiered (pricing page, make.com/en/pricing, 2026-09-07)
- Source
- Closed source
Affiliate. We may earn a commission. Affiliate disclosureTry Make
We may earn a commission on Make links. Rankings are not sold. Affiliate disclosure · Disclosures · editor@stackscorecard.com
Affiliate disclosure
Product links on this page: Make is a live partner signup (pc=stackscorecard) and is marked affiliate. n8n and Zapier stay official-site URLs with UTM only — no invented IDs. We may earn a commission on Make. Rankings are not sold. Wordmarks are not partnership marks. Policy: Affiliate disclosure · Disclosures. Contact editor@stackscorecard.com. Commissions do not move a score, a weight, or Make’s pricing cell.