The short version
Zapier is the easiest to start with and has the widest catalogue of ready-made app connections. It is a cloud service that charges per task. Make is a visual builder that handles branching and data transformation well. It is also a cloud service, from a company with Czech origins, and charges per operation. n8n is the one you can run on your own server. It is open source in the sense of fair-code, which means the source is public and free to self-host for your own business use, with limits on reselling it as a service. n8n also sells a hosted Cloud version.
None of them is the best tool in general. Which one fits depends on the complexity of your workflows, the volume, who will maintain them and, for many Swiss and European businesses, where the data is allowed to go.
Side by side
This table describes the general model of each tool. Plans and limits change often, so check the current pricing pages before you decide.
| Zapier | Make | n8n | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Cloud service only | Cloud service only | Self-host, or n8n Cloud |
| Pricing unit | Per task | Per operation | Self-hosted: your server cost. Cloud: per workflow execution |
| Best at | Quick, simple connections | Visual logic and data handling | Complex logic, custom code, control |
| Learning curve | Gentle | Moderate | Steeper, rewards technical users |
| AI features | Built-in AI steps | Built-in AI modules | AI agent and model nodes, plus custom code |
| Where data is processed | Provider infrastructure | Provider infrastructure, EU-based company | Where you choose to run it |
| Who runs it | The provider | The provider | You or your agency (self-hosted) |
How the pricing models behave as you grow
Zapier and Make charge by usage: a task or an operation is roughly one step that does something. A workflow with six steps that runs a thousand times a month uses thousands of tasks. Costs are predictable at low volume, then rise with every step you add and every record you process. Check how the current plans count steps before you build anything with loops or many records.
n8n Cloud counts workflow executions, so a long workflow is not more expensive than a short one for the same run. A self-hosted n8n has no per-step fee at all. You pay for a server and for someone to look after it. That makes self-hosting attractive for high volumes and heavy workflows, and a poor deal for a business that has three simple automations and nobody technical on hand.
The data control question
Every automation moves business data: enquiries, customer details, invoices, documents. With Zapier and Make, that data passes through the provider's servers, and the provider keeps execution history for a period. Both are established companies that offer data processing agreements, and Make is an EU-based company with EU hosting regions. That is often enough. It does mean that you rely on their terms, their regions and their sub-processors.
With self-hosted n8n you decide where the data sits: your own server, a data centre in the EU, or a Swiss host. Payloads and credentials stay on infrastructure you control, and you set how long execution logs are kept. For businesses under the Swiss nDSG or the GDPR, that makes processor agreements simpler, because fewer parties touch the data. Calls to an AI model or other external service still leave your server, so the choice of those providers matters just as much.
The other side of control is responsibility. A self-hosted setup needs updates, backups, monitoring and security patches. This is not legal advice: whether any of these tools is acceptable for your data is a question for your data protection adviser.
Which one to pick
As a rough guide:
- Choose Zapier if you need a handful of simple automations between mainstream apps, nobody technical will look after them, and volume is low.
- Choose Make if your workflows branch, loop or reshape data, you want to see the logic on a canvas, and a hosted EU-based service suits your data policy.
- Choose n8n if you have complex or high-volume workflows, need custom code or AI agents, want to keep data on infrastructure you choose, or want to avoid per-step fees.
- Mix them if it helps. Plenty of businesses keep a few Zapier connections that already work and put new, heavier work on n8n.
Costs people forget to count
The subscription is not the whole bill. Before you commit, ask about these:
- Maintenance: who updates a self-hosted n8n, restores it after a failure and watches for errors at night?
- Monitoring: who finds out when a workflow silently stops? Failed runs need alerts, not discovery by a customer.
- Ownership: can you export your workflows and run them elsewhere? n8n workflows are portable files. Zapier and Make workflows live inside the provider's platform.
- Credentials: automations hold keys to your CRM, mail and accounting. Keep them in a managed store and limit who can edit.
- Change: tools update, APIs change and AI models are retired. Plan time for upkeep.
A quick way to test your choice
Before you commit, spend an hour on this exercise. It tends to settle the question faster than any feature comparison:
- List your five most important workflows and write the steps of each in plain words.
- Estimate how often each runs per month and how many records it handles each time.
- Mark the ones that touch personal data, such as customer details, invoices or health information.
- Price those volumes against the current plans of each tool, counting every step.
- Ask who will fix a failed run on a Sunday. If the answer is nobody, a hosted tool or a managed setup is safer than a server of your own.
Where RAWR fits
RAWR builds most of its automations on n8n, self-hosted on its own server in the EU (Frankfurt, Germany), with AI models from Anthropic and OpenAI where a step needs judgement. It can also run on the client's own server or a Swiss host on request. RAWR runs its own studio on the same stack: inbox triage, the sales pipeline and daily self-checks.
That is a preference, not a rule. A two-step connection that a team member can maintain does not need an agency, and a hosted tool is often the right answer for it. A first workflow is typically live in one to two weeks.
Questions
Is n8n really free?
The source is public and n8n is free to self-host for your own business use under its fair-code licence. You still pay for the server, backups and the time to maintain it. Reselling n8n as a service has limits. n8n Cloud is a paid hosted version, so check the current plans and licence terms for your case.
Is Make better than Zapier?
Neither is better in general. Zapier is simpler and has a very wide catalogue of app connections. Make gives you more control over branching and data handling on a visual canvas and tends to suit more complex scenarios. Both charge by usage, so compare how each plan counts tasks or operations for your actual workflows.
Which of the three is best for data protection?
Self-hosted n8n gives you the most control, because data stays on infrastructure you choose. Make is EU-based and offers EU regions, and Zapier and Make both offer data processing agreements. None is compliant by itself: compliance depends on your setup and contracts. Ask your data protection adviser to review it.
Can I move from Zapier to n8n later?
Yes, but there is no one-click import. Workflows are rebuilt in n8n, usually one at a time, starting with the ones that cost most or touch sensitive data. Run old and new versions side by side for a short period before switching off the old one.
Do I need a developer to use n8n?
Simple n8n workflows are built visually, like the other two. Complex ones, custom code, self-hosting and monitoring benefit from technical skills. If nobody on your team has them, hire an agency to build and look after it, or choose a hosted tool for the simple jobs.