Automation & Workflows
Make vs n8n.
Both sit in Automation & Workflows, scored on the same six pillars from the same published methodology. Here is where they actually differ.
The short answer
Too close to call on score alone — Make sits at 84.3 and n8n at 84.1. A gap that size is inside the noise of any honest scoring model, so pick on fit rather than rank.
Make leads on integrations & ecosystem and maturity & reliability; n8n leads on momentum.
Make (Celonis)
84.3
Excellent
Visual automation builder with deep branching and AI steps.
- From
- Free / $9 per month (Core)
- Pricing
- Freemium
- Maturity
- Established
- Founded
- 2016
n8n GmbH
84.1
Excellent
Source-available workflow automation with native AI agent nodes.
- From
- Free (self-hosted) / Cloud from €24 per month
- Pricing
- Freemium
- Maturity
- Established
- Founded
- 2019
Pillar by pillar
The same six pillars and fixed weights used for every tool on the site. A lead of fewer than 5 points is not called for either side — these are evidence-backed judgements, not measurements. Read the methodology.
Capability
Level
Value for Money
Level
Security & Compliance
Level
Integrations & Ecosystem
Make by 5
Maturity & Reliability
Make by 5
Momentum
n8n by 8
Which one, and when
Pick Make if
- →it has to fit the stack you already run — it leads Integrations & Ecosystem by 5 points.
- →it has to hold up in production from day one — it leads Maturity & Reliability by 5 points.
- →Complex multi-step automations
- →Ops teams replacing manual glue work
- →Budget-conscious no-code builders
The catch
- Steeper learning curve than the simplest automation tools
- Operation-based billing can spike on high-volume scenarios
Pick n8n if
- →where the product will be in a year matters as much as today — it leads Momentum by 8 points.
- →Technical teams automating with control
- →AI agent workflows
- →Cost-efficient high-volume automation
The catch
- Sustainable-use license is not OSI open source
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier for non-technical users
What each is good at
Make
- ✓Visual canvas handles complex branching, loops and error handling
- ✓Generous operations pricing versus per-task competitors
- ✓Native AI modules drop LLM calls into any workflow
n8n
- ✓Self-hostable with full data control
- ✓Per-execution pricing: complex multi-step flows cost the same as simple ones
- ✓First-class AI agents, RAG and model nodes in the canvas
Other comparisons in Automation & Workflows
Comparing something else? Build your own side-by-side across any tools in the catalog.