- Zapier meters successful action steps, Make meters every module run including trigger checks, and n8n meters whole workflow runs however many steps they contain.
- Our worked example of 400 enquiries a month through five action steps comes to 2,000 tasks on Zapier, 2,400 operations on Make and 400 executions on n8n.
- Switching that same workflow from an instant trigger to a 15-minute check adds 2,880 checks a month, which Make counts as operations and Zapier doesn't count at all.
For most SMEs the choice between n8n, Make and Zapier comes down to three things: how many steps your workflows run, where your data is allowed to live, and whether anyone on the team will look after a server. Zapier is the easiest start and charges by successful action. Make suits branching, data-heavy scenarios and offers EU data zones, but counts every module run. n8n charges per whole workflow run and can be self-hosted, which makes long workflows cheap to meter and puts the upkeep on you.
We don't publish prices. The metering rules matter more anyway, because they decide which bill grows fastest as you add steps.
What each platform counts
- Zapier counts tasks. Its help centre says "A task is any successful action that runs in Zapier" and that "Zap triggers never use tasks". Filter, Paths, Formatter and Delay steps don't count either.
- Make counts operations, now converted into credits. An operation is "a single module run to process data or check for new data", and "By default, 1 operation equals 1 credit". Some AI modules use more. A module that receives ten records runs ten times.
- n8n counts executions. Its pricing page defines one as "a single run of your entire workflow", however many steps or records it handles. The catch sits in the trigger: a Schedule Trigger counts "every time the node fires, regardless of outcome", while a polling app trigger counts "only when new data is found".
These are vendors describing their own billing, quoted directly because your invoice follows them.
One workflow, three meters
Take a common SME job. A web enquiry arrives. A filter drops spam. Then five actions run: find the contact in the CRM, create or update it, open a deal, post a note to the team chat and send the enquirer an acknowledgement. Assume 400 enquiries a month, all genuine, and a 30-day month.
| How the workflow starts | Zapier | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instant trigger (webhook from the form) | 2,000 tasks | 2,400 operations | 400 executions |
| Checks for new enquiries every 15 minutes | 2,000 tasks | 4,880 operations | 400 executions with a polling app trigger; 2,880 executions with a Schedule Trigger |
On Zapier, the count tracks actions, so adding a sixth step adds a task to every run. On n8n, adding a sixth step adds nothing to the count. And on Make and n8n, how the workflow starts can matter more than which platform you picked: a quarter-hourly check costs 2,880 checks a month whether or not anything arrives.
The fix is cheap. Use an instant trigger wherever the source app offers a webhook, and on n8n prefer the app's own polling trigger to a bare schedule.
Volume is only half of running cost. A run that fails at step four and needs a person to tidy up costs more than any meter shows; our note on cost per task prices the whole job.
Where your data sits
An enquiry workflow carries names and contact details, so UK GDPR applies to the platform too.
- Zapier says it "hosts data in AWS servers located in the United States" and offers no EU-only storage. It relies on its certification to the Data Privacy Framework and its UK Extension. UK businesses have been able to send personal data to certified US organisations under the UK-US data bridge since 12 October 2023. The ICO says to rely on it only if the US business "has an active status on the DPF list" and its certification covers the data you send.
- Make sets a data zone per organisation: US1, US2, EU1, EU2. Choose an EU zone when you set up. Make itself warns that an EU zone "does not automatically mean every request gets processed and stays in the EU" once its AI providers are involved.
- n8n Cloud stores data within the EU, "on servers located in Frankfurt, Germany". Self-hosted n8n runs wherever you put it, including a UK server.
Self-hosting n8n: the licence and the chores
n8n isn't open source in the strict sense. Its Sustainable Use License lets you use it "only for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial or personal use". Running your own automations is fine. Reselling n8n as a hosted service to your customers is not.
Self-hosting removes the execution meter and adds a job list: a server, backups, updates, security patches, and someone who notices at 7am that the queue stopped overnight. With no technical staff, that list is the real cost. Name its owner first, or pick n8n Cloud.
Which one fits which business
| Question | Zapier | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metering unit | Successful action step | Module run, trigger checks included | Whole workflow run |
| Apps the vendor lists | 9,000+ apps | 3,000+ apps | 2,329 directory entries |
| Hosting choice | US only | US or EU zones | EU cloud or your own server |
| Best fit | Short workflows, popular apps, nobody technical | Branching, many records per run, visual mapping | Long workflows, custom code, data kept in-house |
Each vendor counts apps its own way, so treat the gap as rough. Check instead that your three or four core systems have the triggers and actions you need.
Our view: start on Zapier when the workflow is under five steps and the people maintaining it aren't technical. Move to Make when one run handles lists of records and needs routers. Choose n8n when workflows run long, need code steps or have to stay on infrastructure you control.
When none of them fits
All three platforms run rules well. They struggle when a step needs reading and judgement, such as working out what a messy email is asking for, or when one failed record has to stop the whole batch. The AI workflow automation guide covers how to split the predictable steps from the interpretive ones. Our note on agents versus RPA draws the same line, and the agentic workflows guide shows where an agent earns its place.
Sometimes the answer is a small piece of your own software calling the same APIs; the trade-offs are in bespoke vs off-the-shelf software. Either way, run it in shadow mode beside the manual process before it touches customers.
Common questions
Is n8n free to self-host?
The licence lets a business run n8n for its own internal purposes without an execution meter. You still pay for the server and the time spent on updates, backups and security. You can't offer n8n to your own customers as a hosted automation service under that licence, so agencies building client portals need to read it closely.
Do Zapier triggers count as tasks?
No. Zapier's help centre says triggers never use tasks, and neither do Filter, Paths, Formatter or Delay steps. Only successful actions count, such as creating a record or sending an email. A five-action workflow therefore uses five tasks a run, whether it starts from a webhook or from Zapier checking an app for new data.
Does Make count operations the same way as Zapier counts tasks?
No. Make counts every module run, including the trigger, and a module runs once for each record it receives. A trigger that checks for new data on a schedule uses an operation on every check. That's why the same enquiry workflow comes to more operations on Make than tasks on Zapier.
Can I move my Zaps to n8n or Make?
Plan on rebuilding them. List each workflow's trigger, steps, field mappings and the accounts it connects to, then rebuild one at a time. Run the old and new versions side by side on real data for a week, compare the outputs record by record, and switch the old one off only when they match.
Is Zapier GDPR compliant for a UK business?
Zapier stores data in the United States and relies on its Data Privacy Framework certification, including the UK Extension. That lets a UK business transfer personal data, provided Zapier shows active status on the DPF list and its certification covers your data. Record that check, and list Zapier as a processor in your privacy notice.
Before choosing, write down your three busiest workflows with their steps and monthly volumes, and count each in tasks, operations and executions. If a step needs judgement none of the three handles, send the list through the contact form under Business automation. After a short scoping chat, we'll reply with a price range for building it properly.
Sources
Every figure in this article links back to the source below it was checked against.
- Orwell Lab calculation from Zapier, Make and n8n metering rules
- Zapier (vendor): Tasks in Zapier, help centre (updated 21 August 2026)
- Make (vendor): Operations, help centre
- Make (vendor): Credits, help centre (updated 9 October 2026)
- n8n (vendor): Plans and pricing page, execution and hosting notes
- n8n (vendor): Executions, n8n documentation
- Zapier (vendor): Data Privacy Overview
- GOV.UK (DSIT): UK-US data bridge factsheet for UK organisations
- ICO: How does the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework work? (updated 30 July 2026)
- Make (vendor): AI providers and data zones in Make (updated 9 October 2026)
- n8n (vendor): Sustainable Use License
- Zapier (vendor): App directory
- Make (vendor): Integrations directory
- n8n (vendor): Integrations directory