n8n vs Make

It depends on what you're after: Make is easier to start with and you don't have to install anything, while n8n gives you more control because you can run it on your own server. For a small business with nobody technical on board, Make is usually the shortest route; if you're a bit handy or already have a server, n8n can pay off. Neither is better in the abstract: the winner is whichever fits your team and your task.

Both do the same thing: link apps together with step-by-step workflows, and both let you put AI into those workflows. The difference is where they live and how you pay for them. Make runs in the cloud and charges by usage, so a workflow with lots of steps that runs often costs more. n8n installed on your server doesn't charge per run, but you pay for the server and the time spent maintaining it. What usually confuses people is comparing prices without counting the hours: the "free" option turns out expensive if you spend your weekends fixing it.

At this point, the question I ask myself is a different one: whether I need either of them for what I want to automate. I explain it in "Why I no longer need n8n", where I compare building workflows with asking the AI to do things in terms of time, maintenance, cost and reliability, and I go through the cases where n8n or Make are still the best option.