n8n vs Zapier
Updated Jul 11, 2026 · pricing verified for both tools
n8n wins for technical teams at €20/month for 2,500 full-workflow executions; Zapier wins for non-coders who need its 7,000+ app library. Zapier counts every action step against your quota, so a 5-step workflow run 1,000 times burns 5,000 tasks — n8n counts that as one execution each run. Self-hosters get n8n's Community Edition free with no execution caps, but it requires Docker; Zapier is cloud-only and far easier to set up.
- n8n starts at
- €20/mo
- Zapier starts at
- $19.99/mo
- n8n free tier
- Yes
- Zapier free tier
- Yes
Prices verified against the official pricing pages: n8n on Jul 3, 2026, Zapier on Jun 11, 2026.
Side by side
| Dimension | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ✓ Cloud Starter €20/mo (2,500 executions); Pro €50/mo (10,000 executions) | Professional $19.99/mo annual (750 tasks); Team $69.50/mo (2,000 tasks) |
| Free tier | ✓ Free self-hosted Community Edition with unlimited executions; no free cloud tier | 100 tasks/month, two-step Zaps only, 15-minute polling — a sandbox, not production |
| Billing unit | ✓ One workflow run = one execution, regardless of how many steps it contains | Every action step counts as a task; multi-step Zaps consume several tasks per run |
| Integrations | 500+ built-in nodes, plus an HTTP Request node for any REST API | ✓ 7,000+ app integrations — the largest library in the category |
| Ease of use | Visual canvas plus JavaScript/Python code nodes; self-hosting needs Docker skills | ✓ No-code editor with AI Copilot; accessible to non-developers from day one |
| AI agent features | Native AI agent builder with multi-agent orchestration, RAG, and human-in-the-loop gates | Zapier Agents plus Zapier MCP connect assistants like Claude to the 7,000-app network |
| Platforms | ✓ Web, API, CLI; self-hostable on your own infrastructure | Web and API only; cloud-only with no self-hosting option |
Pricing, verified
n8n
FREEMIUM| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Community | Free |
| Starter | €20/mo |
| Pro | €50/mo |
| Business | €667/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom |
Zapier
FREEMIUM| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | Free |
| Professional | $19.99/mo |
| Team | $69.50/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom |
When to pick n8n
- Your workflows have many steps or run at high volume — n8n bills one execution per run no matter the step count, while the same workflows on Zapier consume one task per action step and push you into higher tiers fast.
- You have Docker skills and want a $0 cost floor: the Community Edition self-hosts free with unlimited workflows and no execution caps, with cloud plans from €20/month when you want managed hosting.
- You need code-level control — native JavaScript and Python nodes, RAG pipelines, and multi-agent orchestration with human-in-the-loop approval let you build logic that no-code editors cannot express.
When to pick Zapier
- Nobody on the team writes code: Zapier’s trigger-action editor plus AI Copilot builds working automations from natural language, with no servers, licenses, or Docker to manage.
- The app you need to connect is obscure — with 7,000+ integrations, Zapier covers nearly every SaaS tool a business uses, versus roughly 500 native nodes on n8n.
- You want AI assistants acting inside your stack today: Zapier MCP and Zapier Agents let tools like Claude and ChatGPT take actions across the full app network without custom glue code.
Bottom line
The decision is technical capacity versus convenience. n8n is the better value for developers and IT teams: per-run billing at €20/month for 2,500 executions undercuts Zapier sharply once workflows grow beyond a few steps, and the free self-hosted Community Edition removes usage costs entirely for teams that can run Docker. Zapier justifies its premium with reach and accessibility — 7,000+ integrations, a genuinely no-code editor, and a mature AI layer (Agents, MCP) that ships without setup. Watch the two pricing cliffs: Zapier task counts balloon on multi-step workflows, and n8n has no mid-range cloud tier between €50 and €667 per month.
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n better than Zapier?
n8n wins for technical teams at €20/month for 2,500 full-workflow executions; Zapier wins for non-coders who need its 7,000+ app library. Zapier counts every action step against your quota, so a 5-step workflow run 1,000 times burns 5,000 tasks — n8n counts that as one execution each run. Self-hosters get n8n's Community Edition free with no execution caps, but it requires Docker; Zapier is cloud-only and far easier to set up. Updated Jul 11, 2026.
Is n8n cheaper than Zapier?
No — Zapier has the lower starting price: $19.99/mo versus €20/mo for n8n. Prices verified against the official pricing pages: n8n on Jul 3, 2026, Zapier on Jun 11, 2026.
Do n8n and Zapier have free tiers?
Yes — both do. n8n has a free tier (the Community plan). Zapier has a free tier (the Free plan).
Can I use n8n and Zapier on mobile or via an API?
n8n runs on the web, the command line and offers an API. Zapier runs on the web and offers an API.