The self-hosted version is fair-code licensed and free to run. You provide the server (Docker, VPS, or cloud instance) and pay only your infrastructure cost. n8n's cloud-hosted plans start around $20/mo for SMB tiers and scale by execution count.

How does n8n compare to Zapier on cost?

Zapier prices per task at $20-$100/user/mo, with tasks adding up fast for high-volume workflows. n8n self-host has no per-execution cost. For workflows running thousands of times per month, the cost difference quickly justifies the self-host setup.

Do I need a developer to run self-hosted n8n?

You need someone comfortable with Docker or basic cloud server management for the initial setup (1-3 hours). Once running, the visual workflow editor is accessible to non-developers. n8n cloud plans skip this entirely if you'd rather not manage infrastructure.

How does n8n compare to Make (formerly Integromat)?

Both are visual workflow automation tools that sit between Zapier (simpler) and Workato (enterprise). Make has a slightly larger integration catalog and more polished UX. n8n wins on self-hosting flexibility, code-extensible nodes, and total cost of ownership at scale.

What integrations does n8n support?

~400+ native integrations covering most major SaaS tools (Slack, Gmail, Salesforce, HubSpot, GitHub, Notion, etc.) plus generic HTTP, webhook, and custom code nodes that connect to anything with an API.

Is n8n suitable for compliance-heavy industries?

Yes — self-hosting is one of the main reasons regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government) choose n8n. Your data stays on infrastructure you control, which simplifies SOC2, HIPAA, and data residency requirements.

Can n8n replace Workato or Zapier outright?

For most use cases, yes. The migration overhead depends on workflow complexity. Teams running 50+ active workflows in Zapier typically take 2-6 weeks for a clean migration. The cost savings usually pay back within the first quarter.

StackSwap recommends

n8n: The Workflow Automation Platform That Pays for Itself

n8n is the open-source automation platform we recommend when teams have outgrown Zapier but Workato is overkill. Self-host it for the cost of a $5/mo VPS, or use n8n cloud if you'd rather skip the infrastructure. The pricing model alone often pays back the switch in the first quarter.

Why we recommend n8n

We've modeled 100k+ scans and workflow automation is one of the top three silent waste categories — usually because teams started on Zapier, hit per-task pricing walls, and bolted on Make for the complex flows. The result: two automation contracts, fragmented governance, and ops time spent reconciling which workflow lives where.

n8n solves this with a single platform that scales from prototype to production without per-task surprises. Self-host eliminates the per-execution cost ceiling entirely. The visual editor is approachable for non-developers; the code-extensible nodes earn the tool credibility with engineering teams that would otherwise reach for custom scripts.

The pricing math vs Zapier

Workflow scale	Zapier (per-task)	n8n self-host	n8n cloud
2,000 tasks/mo (SMB)	$50/mo	~$5-10/mo (VPS)	$20/mo
50,000 tasks/mo (mid-market)	$300-$500/mo	~$20/mo (small server)	$50/mo
500,000+ tasks/mo (scale)	$1,500-$5,000+/mo	~$50-150/mo (dedicated)	Custom enterprise

Pricing reflects typical contract structures. Zapier published pricing varies by plan; n8n cloud pricing varies by execution count. Self-host figures assume small DigitalOcean or AWS Lightsail instances appropriate to load.

Where n8n shines

Self-hosting eliminates per-task pricing ceilings. Run unlimited workflows on infrastructure you already pay for. No surprise overage bills when a Zap goes wrong and burns 50,000 tasks.
Code-extensible nodes for engineering teams. JavaScript nodes let you write custom logic inline — no need to hand off to a dedicated backend service for one-off transformations.
Strong API + webhook handling. Better suited to complex pipelines than Zapier's task-shaped abstraction.
Active open-source community. The fair-code license keeps the project sustainable while preserving the ability to self-host freely. Community contributions ship fast.
Compliance-friendly for regulated industries. Healthcare, finance, and government teams choose n8n specifically because workflow data never leaves their infrastructure.

Where n8n is the wrong choice

You have zero DevOps capacity. Self-hosting requires someone comfortable with Docker or basic cloud server management. n8n cloud skips this, but if you're truly cloud-only with no technical ops at all, Zapier or Make have lower friction.
You need 6,000+ integrations. Zapier's integration catalog is materially larger. If your stack includes obscure SaaS tools, check n8n's catalog before committing.
You need enterprise vendor support guarantees. n8n cloud has support tiers, but self-hosted relies on community + paid plans. Workato remains the choice if SLA-backed support is a hard requirement.

Common alternatives compared

Tool	Best for	Pricing model	Self-host
n8n	Engineering-led ops, cost-conscious teams, compliance	Free self-host or $20+/mo cloud	✅ Yes (fair-code)
Zapier	Citizen integrators, broadest catalog	Per-task ($20-$5,000+/mo)	❌ No
Make (Integromat)	Visual workflow builders, mid-complexity	Per-operation ($9-$99+/mo)	❌ No
Workato	Enterprise iPaaS, compliance + governance	Custom ($50K-$500K+/yr)	❌ No (cloud only)

Common use cases we see

CRM enrichment pipelines: Pull data from Apollo or ZoomInfo, transform, push to Salesforce or HubSpot — all self-hosted, no per-task billing surprises.
Slack notifications + alerting: Custom alert routing from monitoring tools, payment systems, or internal APIs to specific Slack channels with rich formatting.
Internal tooling automation: Combine automation + lightweight backend logic in a single workflow — onboarding flows, report generation, scheduled cleanups.
Data sync between systems: Bidirectional sync between systems where the off-the-shelf integration doesn't fit, with custom transformation logic in between.
Replacing tangled Zapier workflows: Workflows that hit Zapier's complexity wall (deeply nested if-then logic, error handling, retries) move cleanly to n8n.

FAQ

Is n8n really free?: The self-hosted version is fair-code licensed and free to run. You provide the server (Docker, VPS, or cloud instance) and pay only your infrastructure cost. n8n's cloud-hosted plans start around $20/mo for SMB tiers and scale by execution count.
How does n8n compare to Zapier on cost?: Zapier prices per task at $20-$100/user/mo, with tasks adding up fast for high-volume workflows. n8n self-host has no per-execution cost. For workflows running thousands of times per month, the cost difference quickly justifies the self-host setup.
Do I need a developer to run self-hosted n8n?: You need someone comfortable with Docker or basic cloud server management for the initial setup (1-3 hours). Once running, the visual workflow editor is accessible to non-developers. n8n cloud plans skip this entirely if you'd rather not manage infrastructure.
How does n8n compare to Make (formerly Integromat)?: Both are visual workflow automation tools that sit between Zapier (simpler) and Workato (enterprise). Make has a slightly larger integration catalog and more polished UX. n8n wins on self-hosting flexibility, code-extensible nodes, and total cost of ownership at scale.
What integrations does n8n support?: ~400+ native integrations covering most major SaaS tools (Slack, Gmail, Salesforce, HubSpot, GitHub, Notion, etc.) plus generic HTTP, webhook, and custom code nodes that connect to anything with an API.
Is n8n suitable for compliance-heavy industries?: Yes — self-hosting is one of the main reasons regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government) choose n8n. Your data stays on infrastructure you control, which simplifies SOC2, HIPAA, and data residency requirements.
Can n8n replace Workato or Zapier outright?: For most use cases, yes. The migration overhead depends on workflow complexity. Teams running 50+ active workflows in Zapier typically take 2-6 weeks for a clean migration. The cost savings usually pay back within the first quarter.