Make vs n8n - a practical side by side comparison
Both tools automate workflows with visual builders and integrations. The right choice depends on your hosting, governance, and extensibility needs.
Make SaaS hosted
Make focuses on fast visual composition and polished UX. Best for teams that want low setup effort, strong templates, and built in reliability features without managing servers.
- Cloud first - managed infrastructure
- Large library of ready to use app modules
- Scenario style canvas with clear data mapping
- Team roles, logs, and quotas suited to business users
n8n Self host or Cloud
n8n emphasizes openness and extensibility. Great for technical teams that want full control, custom nodes, and the option to self host for compliance or cost reasons.
- Open core with JavaScript node flexibility
- Self host - keep data in your VPC
- Powerful branching, looping, and code nodes
- CLI, environment variables, and version control friendly
Feature comparison
| Capability | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting model | SaaS in Make cloud | Self host or n8n Cloud |
| Ease of onboarding | ✓ Very friendly UI and templates | ✓ Simple for basics, deeper learning for advanced builds |
| Visual builder | Scenario canvas with clear mapping and built in error handlers | Node based graph with rich control flow and code nodes |
| Integrations catalog | Large catalog of prebuilt modules | Growing library plus community nodes - easy to write custom ones |
| Custom code | JavaScript functions supported inside modules | ✓ First class code nodes - full JS context |
| Data privacy | Runs in vendor cloud - offers controls and logs | Self host option keeps data on your infra |
| Scalability | Managed scaling - quotas apply | Scale with your cluster when self hosted |
| Version control | Export and environment promotion available | Project files and CLI suit Git based workflows |
| Observability | Run history, error logs, scenario inspector | Execution logs, retries, webhook testing, health checks |
| Pricing approach | Usage based for operations - simple for non technical teams | n8n Cloud plans or infra costs when self hosting |
| Best fit | Business teams wanting speed and polish | Engineering centric teams needing flexibility and control |
Note - exact pricing, limits, and SKUs change. Always check the vendor pages before committing.
Pros and cons
Make
Pros
- Fast to ship with polished UX and templates
- Managed reliability - retries, scheduling, and monitoring baked in
- Great for cross functional stakeholders
Cons
- Less control over runtime and networking
- Advanced branching or custom logic can feel constrained
- Data flows through vendor cloud - may not fit strict policies
n8n
Pros
- Self host option for data control and compliance
- Powerful control flow and first class custom code
- Developer friendly - CLI, envs, modular nodes
Cons
- Requires DevOps if self hosting
- UI is improving but can be more technical to master
- Responsibility for scaling and backups when self hosted
Real world selection guide
- Governance first. If your organization requires data to stay inside your VPC, lean to n8n self hosted. If vendor SaaS is fine, both are viable.
- Team skill mix. Non technical owners and rapid prototyping favor Make. Developer led automation and heavy customization favor n8n.
- Workload shape. Spiky public webhooks with custom transforms often suit n8n. High volume standardized business flows can shine on Make.
- Lifecycle. If you want Git driven promotion and infra as code, n8n fits well. If you want a managed environment with simple promotion, Make is comfortable.
- Total cost. Compare Make operation based costs vs n8n Cloud plans or your infra and maintenance when self hosting.
Quick recommendations
Choose Make if you need
- Fast setup with minimal DevOps
- Stakeholder friendly editor and templates
- Managed reliability, alerts, and schedules
Choose n8n if you need
- Self hosting for privacy or network control
- Deeper branching, loops, and custom JS
- Git friendly workflows and containerization
Create a webhook that receives JSON, enriches with a REST call, transforms the payload, and writes to your data store.
- Build it in Make - measure time to first success and clarity of mapping.
- Build it in n8n - measure control over code and deployment path.
- Compare logs, retries, and how easily you can promote from dev to prod.
Whichever delivers faster feedback and safer operations for your team is the right tool.
FAQ
Can I use both together
Yes. Many teams prototype in Make for speed and move long lived or sensitive flows to n8n when they need more control.
Is vendor lock in a concern
Export options exist on both sides, but custom nodes and self hosting with n8n offer more portability. Design your flows with reusable HTTP and code steps to reduce friction.
Which one scales better
Make scales for you inside its SaaS boundaries. n8n scales with your cluster and budget when self hosted. Both can reach high throughput with the right architecture.
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