n8n vs Make
n8n vs Make compared on hosting, licensing, visual branching, code support, and cost model, so you can pick the automation platform that suits your team.
Last updated: September 10, 2026
Tool Overview
n8n
Fair-code, source available, self-hostable automation with real code nodes
Pros
- •Fair-code and source available, so you can read and change it
- •Self-host it and execution volume is bounded by your server, not a plan
- •JavaScript and Python nodes sit alongside the visual canvas
- •Data stays inside infrastructure you control
- •Built-in AI agent and LangChain tooling
- •Active development and a large workflow template library
Cons
- •You own upgrades, backups, and monitoring when self-hosted
- •Smaller app catalogue than Make
- •The Sustainable Use License restricts reselling n8n as a service
- •Canvas is less refined than Make for wide branching
- •Governance features such as SSO sit behind paid editions
Best For
- •Self-hosting requirements
- •High-volume automation on hardware you already pay for
- •Developer teams
- •Workflows that need custom code in the middle
Make
A visual canvas built for branching scenarios, run entirely as a hosted service
Pros
- •Strongest visual canvas of the three for branching and merging
- •Larger app catalogue than n8n, at 3,000+ apps
- •Routers, iterators, and aggregators reshape data without code
- •Nothing to install, patch, or monitor
- •Dedicated error handler modules that do not consume credits
- •Support and documentation from a single vendor
Cons
- •Cloud only, with no self-hosting option
- •Every plan is bounded by a credit allowance
- •Less control over the execution environment
- •Proprietary, so the logic is not portable off the platform
- •Custom JavaScript functions are limited to higher plans
Best For
- •Cloud-first teams
- •Workflows with real branching
- •Teams that want a managed service
- •Data transformation without writing code
Feature Comparison
Pricing Comparison
n8n Pricing
Community, self-hosted
Free, you pay for the server- Almost the complete feature set
- Unlimited workflows and users on your own hardware
- Community forum support
Cloud Pro
Paid, billed per workflow execution- Workflow executions with unlimited steps
- Admin roles
- Workflow history and execution search
Business
Paid, licence key on top of self-hosting- SSO, SAML and LDAP
- Separate environments
- Version control using Git
Make Pricing
Free
Free tier, capped credits per month- 1,000 credits per month
- 2 active scenarios
- Routers and filters
Core
Paid, billed by credits consumed- Unlimited active scenarios
- Scheduling down to the minute
- Access to the Make API
Pro
Paid, billed by credits consumed- Priority scenario execution
- Custom variables
- Full-text execution log search
Expert Verdict
Make is the stronger hosted product and n8n is the stronger owned one. Make gives you a better canvas for branching, twice the app catalogue, and nothing to maintain, and it wins on merit rather than convenience for teams that will never run infrastructure. n8n gives you the source, the server, and code inside the workflow, which matters most when data residency or execution volume is the constraint.
Choose n8n
Choose n8n if you want to self-host, need code inside a workflow, have data that cannot leave your infrastructure, or want execution volume bounded by your server rather than a plan.
Choose Make
Choose Make if you want the strongest visual branching without running anything, need a wider app catalogue than n8n offers, or prefer a hosted mid-price model with predictable steps.
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