n8n vs Make vs Zapier for AI Workflows

n8n, Make, and Zapier all connect apps. They are not interchangeable once reliability, cost, and AI complexity matter. ## Quick comparison ### Zapier Best for fast, shallow automations and teams that want the largest connector catalogue with minimal ops. Costs and complexity climb when you need branching, volume, and custom logic. ### Make Strong visual scenarios, good for mid-complexity ops and agencies. Excellent when your team thinks in modules and routers. Can become spaghetti without naming conventions and error routes. ### n8n Best when you want developer-grade control, self-hosting, reusable sub-workflows, and AI steps close to your own APIs. Steeper for non-technical operators, stronger for production engineering teams. ## Decision guide - Choose Zapier if speed and simplicity beat long-term cost. - Choose Make if non-engineers will own mid-complexity scenarios. - Choose n8n if you need self-hosting, serious branching, or AI+API work that looks like software. ## Migration reality Moving Zapier to n8n is rarely 1:1. Expect to redesign for n8n strengths (webhooks, code nodes, error workflows) rather than cloning every Zap. ## How we help We advise honestly, including when staying on Make or Zapier is fine. When n8n is right, we build for handoff: naming, docs, alerts, and ownership in your accounts.