Automation & Workflows
n8n vs Zapier.
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 — n8n sits at 84.1 and Zapier at 82.5. A gap that size is inside the noise of any honest scoring model, so pick on fit rather than rank.
n8n leads on value for money and momentum; Zapier leads on maturity & reliability, integrations & ecosystem and security & compliance.
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
Zapier, Inc.
82.5
Excellent
8,000+ app integrations, now with AI agents and orchestration.
- From
- Free / from $19.99 per month
- Pricing
- Freemium
- Maturity
- Mature
- Founded
- 2011
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
n8n by 16
Security & Compliance
Zapier by 8
Integrations & Ecosystem
Zapier by 12
Maturity & Reliability
Zapier by 14
Momentum
n8n by 16
Which one, and when
Pick n8n if
- →cost per unit of output is the binding constraint — it leads Value for Money by 16 points.
- →where the product will be in a year matters as much as today — it leads Momentum by 16 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
Pick Zapier if
- →it has to hold up in production from day one — it leads Maturity & Reliability by 14 points.
- →it has to fit the stack you already run — it leads Integrations & Ecosystem by 12 points.
- →compliance and data control decide it — it leads Security & Compliance by 8 points.
- →Business-team automation
- →Connecting SaaS sprawl
- →AI workflows without code
The catch
- Task-based pricing gets expensive at volume
- Complex branching logic hits platform limits
What each is good at
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
Zapier
- ✓Unmatched integration catalog, if an app exists, Zapier connects it
- ✓AI agents and Copilot make automation building conversational
- ✓SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, CCPA; trusted by large enterprises
Other comparisons in Automation & Workflows
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