Choose Make.com if you are non-technical, run simple low-volume automations and want something that just works. Choose n8n self-hosted if you have technical skills, run high volume, or need data to stay on your own server.
Both tools do the same job: connect apps and automate workflows, for example \"client fills a form, add to CRM, send email, notify on Telegram\". They differ in philosophy, pricing and target audience. This comparison takes the perspective of a company that wants to automate without hiring an extra developer.
"},{"heading":"What is Make.com?","content":"Make.com (formerly Integromat, a Czech company acquired by Celonis in 2020) is a cloud-hosted SaaS automation platform built around a visual, drag-and-drop interface. Flows are drawn like diagrams, which makes it intuitive even for non-technical users.
Make.com pricing: Make counts credits instead of operations. The Free plan includes 1 000 credits per month. Paid plans are priced by the number of credits; at 10 000 credits per month Core costs about 9, Pro about 16 and Teams about 29 per month with annual billing. Prices change, so check make.com/pricing before you budget.
"},{"heading":"What is n8n?","content":"n8n (a Berlin company, source-available under its own \"fair-code\" Sustainable Use License) is an automation platform you can self-host or run in the cloud. Its node-based interface resembles Make but takes a more developer-oriented approach, with more configuration options and a steeper learning curve.
n8n pricing (July 2026): the self-hosted Community Edition is available on GitHub (over 200 000 stars) without licence fees; you pay for the server, often 5-10 EUR/month for a small VPS. n8n Cloud, billed annually: Starter 20 EUR/month (2 500 executions), Pro 50 EUR/month (10 000 executions). The Business plan (667 EUR/month, 40 000 executions) is self-hosted only. Per n8n.io/pricing, checked October 2026.
"},{"heading":"Make.com vs n8n — point-by-point comparison","content":"Here is the head-to-head across the factors that actually decide the choice.
| Factor | Make.com | n8n | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Intuitive, great docs, many tutorials | Steeper learning curve | Make |
| Price (typical use) | from about 9/month, credit limits | 5-10 EUR/month VPS, unlimited | n8n |
| Price (high volume) | grows with the number of credits | Still 5-10 EUR self-hosted | n8n |
| Integrations | 3 000+ apps | 2 000+ directory entries plus HTTP node | Make |
| Reliability | Managed by Make (99.5% uptime SLA on Enterprise) | Depends on your server | Tie |
| Data control | Data on Make servers (EU or US region) | Data stays with you | n8n |
| AI integrations | Native OpenAI, Anthropic, HF | Native + custom AI workflows | Tie |
Make.com is the better choice when you want speed and simplicity over control. Pick it if you have no technical experience, run simple automations (5-10 steps) at low volume, need specific native integrations like Shopify or HubSpot, do not want to manage a server, and a 10-30 EUR/month budget is fine.
Typical Make.com scenarios in a company:
At NoStressStudio we configure Make.com automations from 120 EUR per scenario. For clients who do not want to manage the tool themselves, it is the fastest option.
"},{"heading":"When should you choose n8n?","content":"n8n is the better choice when control, volume or custom logic matter more than convenience. Pick it if you have basic technical knowledge (or someone who does), generate high volume (1 000+ daily) and do not want per-execution fees, need data on your own server for GDPR or regulated industries, require custom JavaScript/Python logic, and want a fixed cost regardless of volume.
Typical n8n scenarios:
n8n works great with AI agents, since custom code nodes allow complex logic Make does not support natively.
"},{"heading":"Make.com vs n8n for AI automation","content":"n8n is a popular choice for AI agent workflows: code nodes let you chain LLM calls, parse responses and add custom logic such as loops, memory or scoring; the self-hosted model keeps prompts and client data on your own server. Make covers popular AI apps with native modules and works fine for simple \"form → AI reply → CRM\" flows, but complex agent logic hits its limits.
A practical rule: automations built around an AI agent usually fit n8n better, while notification and sync automations fit Make. If your roadmap includes AI agents, starting on n8n can save a later migration.
"},{"heading":"Can you use both Make.com and n8n?","content":"Yes, and many businesses do. The practical split is Make.com for simple, repetitive automations (forms, notifications, SaaS integrations) and n8n for complex workflows with custom logic, AI and high volume.
This approach minimises cost: keep Make on the Free or Core plan for simple things, and run n8n self-hosted for everything that needs scale or data control. At NoStressStudio we help choose the right tool per process. We do not favour one, we recommend whatever gives the best ROI for the specific scenario.
"},{"heading":"How much does automation setup cost?","content":"Automation deployment cost is independent of the tool you pick, and ranges from 120 to 1 200 EUR depending on complexity.
| Scenario | Scope | Setup cost |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | 3-5 steps, standard integrations | 120-250 EUR |
| Medium | 5-15 steps, conditional logic, API | 250-600 EUR |
| Complex | Custom code, AI, multiple conditions, error handling | 600-1 200 EUR |
After deployment the automation runs 24/7. The only ongoing cost is the platform (Make 9-29 EUR/month or n8n VPS 5-10 EUR/month). How fast it pays off depends on how many hours it saves and what those hours cost you: an automation that saves 2 hours a week saves about 100 hours a year.
"},{"heading":"Summary — what to choose?","content":"Quick cheat sheet for the decision:
Not sure which automation scenario gives the best ROI? Describe the process on our contact page and we will suggest which tool fits it.
"}],"faq":[["Is Make.com secure?","Yes. Make has completed SOC 2 Type II audits, encrypts data in transit and at rest, and lets you choose an EU or US data region when you create an organisation (the region cannot be changed later). For most companies, that level of security is sufficient. Data does sit on Make's servers rather than your own, which only matters for strict data-control requirements."],["Is n8n self-hosted hard to set up?","It requires basic server knowledge (VPS, Docker). If you know SSH and Docker, you can set up n8n in about 30 minutes. If not, n8n Cloud or Make will be the simpler route, since they remove server management entirely."],["What if Make raises its prices?","It is a real risk with any SaaS tool. The mitigation is that automations can be exported and recreated in n8n, so the logic migrates even if the platform changes. It is not full vendor lock-in."],["Can I combine automation with an AI agent?","Yes, and it is a common setup. An AI agent on the site collects data, webhook to Make or n8n, add to CRM, email follow-up, notification. The agent handles the conversation, the automation handles everything after it."],["Which is cheaper at high volume, Make.com or n8n?","Self-hosted n8n: you pay for the server, not per execution, so on a small VPS the cost stays roughly flat as executions grow, while Make's credit-based plans grow with volume. At low volume the difference is small and Make's convenience usually wins."],["Which should I pick for AI agent workflows?","n8n, unless the flow is trivial. Its code nodes support loops, memory and custom scoring that Make does not offer natively, and self-hosting keeps prompts and client data on your own server."]]}