Workflow Automation Tools: Honest Comparison
Zapier vs Make vs n8n vs Power Automate—which is right for your business? We compare pricing, capabilities, and limitations to help you choose.
Quick Recommendations
The right tool depends on your technical level, budget, and use case.
Zapier
Best for beginners and simple automations. Largest app ecosystem.
Make
More power for less money. Visual builder with good complexity handling.
n8n
Self-host option, best AI integration, full data control.
Power Automate
Deep M365 integration. Often included in existing licenses.
Feature Comparison
How the major platforms compare across key capabilities.
| Feature | Feature | Zapier | Make | n8n | Power Automate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ease of Use | Excellent | Good | Moderate | Moderate | |
App Integrations | 7,000+ | 1,800+ | 400+ | 1,000+ | |
Complex Logic | Basic | Good | Excellent | Good | |
Error Handling | Basic | Good | Excellent | Good | |
Self-Hosted Option | |||||
Data Residency Control | Limited | Limited | Full | MS regions | |
AI Integration | Good | Good | Excellent | Good | |
Free Tier | 100 tasks/mo | 1,000 ops/mo | Self-host free | 750 runs/mo | |
Starting Price | £16/mo | £8/mo | £17/mo cloud | £12/user/mo | |
Best For | Beginners | Value seekers | Technical teams | Microsoft shops |
Pricing Comparison
What you will pay at different usage levels (numbers in parentheses = included operations).
| Feature | Tier | Zapier | Make | n8n Cloud | Power Automate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Free | 100 tasks/mo | 1,000 ops/mo | - | 750 runs/mo | |
Starter | £16/mo (750) | £8/mo (10k) | £17/mo (2.5k) | £12/user/mo | |
Pro | £41/mo (2k) | £14/mo (40k) | £42/mo (10k) | £30/user/mo | |
Business | £58/mo (5k) | £25/mo (150k) | £83/mo (50k) | Custom | |
Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom |
Pricing Gotcha: Operations vs Tasks
Each platform counts usage differently. A single workflow might consume 1 Zapier task but 5 Make operations (one per step). Always calculate based on your actual workflow structure, not just trigger frequency.
Detailed Tool Profiles
Honest assessment of each platform's strengths and weaknesses.
Zapier
The market leader, easiest to use
Strengths
- Largest app ecosystem (7,000+ integrations)
- Most intuitive interface
- Excellent documentation
- Quick to get started
Weaknesses
- Expensive at scale
- Limited complex logic
- Basic error handling
- No self-hosted option
Make (Integromat)
Best value, visual workflow builder
Strengths
- Better pricing than Zapier
- More powerful workflow logic
- Visual scenario builder
- Good error handling
Weaknesses
- Steeper learning curve
- Fewer integrations than Zapier
- Interface can be overwhelming
- Limited UK support
n8n
Open source, self-hostable, most powerful
Strengths
- Self-host option (full data control)
- Most powerful workflow logic
- Excellent AI integration
- Free self-hosted version
Weaknesses
- Requires technical knowledge
- Fewer pre-built integrations
- UI less polished than competitors
- Smaller community
Power Automate
Best for Microsoft ecosystem
Strengths
- Deep Microsoft integration
- Included in some M365 plans
- Desktop automation (RPA)
- Enterprise compliance features
Weaknesses
- Weak outside Microsoft ecosystem
- Confusing pricing
- Interface can be clunky
- Limited third-party integrations
Which Tool for Which Use Case?
Recommendations based on specific scenarios.
Simple app-to-app automation
Easiest setup, most integrations, perfect for simple "if this then that" workflows.
Example: New form submission → Create CRM contact → Send welcome email
Complex multi-step workflows
Better branching logic, error handling, and data transformation capabilities.
Example: Process invoice → Check against database → Route for approval → Update accounting
Data-sensitive industries
Full control over data, no third-party access, meets strict compliance requirements.
Example: Healthcare patient data processing, legal document automation
Microsoft-centric organization
Deep native integration with Teams, SharePoint, Dynamics, and Office apps.
Example: SharePoint approval workflows, Teams notifications, Excel automation
Budget-conscious teams
Best operations-per-pound ratio, generous free tier.
Example: Growing business needing 10k+ operations monthly
AI-powered automation
Best OpenAI/Claude integration, AI agent capabilities, custom model support.
Example: Document classification, content generation, intelligent routing
Common Automation Categories
What businesses typically automate with these tools.
Lead Management
- Form submission → CRM
- Lead scoring automation
- Sales team notifications
- Follow-up sequences
Document Processing
- Invoice data extraction
- Contract routing
- Document generation
- E-signature workflows
Customer Communication
- Support ticket routing
- Feedback collection
- Onboarding sequences
- Review requests
Data Synchronization
- CRM ↔ accounting sync
- Inventory updates
- Contact deduplication
- Cross-platform reporting
Internal Operations
- Approval workflows
- Report generation
- Meeting scheduling
- Task assignment
E-commerce Operations
- Order processing
- Inventory alerts
- Shipping notifications
- Review management
Limitations to Know
Common issues that affect all automation platforms.
Task/Operation Limits
All platforms charge based on volume. A single workflow trigger can consume multiple operations.
Impact: Costs can escalate quickly with high-volume automations.
Mitigation: Monitor usage carefully, optimize workflows to reduce operations.
Execution Time Limits
Most platforms limit how long a single workflow can run (5-30 minutes typically).
Impact: Long-running processes may timeout and fail.
Mitigation: Break long workflows into smaller pieces, use webhooks for async processing.
Rate Limits
APIs have rate limits that automation tools must respect.
Impact: High-volume workflows may be throttled or fail.
Mitigation: Add delays between operations, use batch processing where possible.
Error Recovery
When automations fail, recovery can be manual and time-consuming.
Impact: Data inconsistencies, missed actions, manual cleanup required.
Mitigation: Build error handling into workflows, set up monitoring and alerts.
Vendor Lock-in
Workflows are not portable between platforms.
Impact: Switching platforms means rebuilding all automations.
Mitigation: Document workflows externally, consider open-source (n8n) for portability.
Self-Hosted vs Cloud
Cloud (SaaS)
Zapier, Make, n8n Cloud, Power Automate
- No infrastructure to manage
- Automatic updates and maintenance
- Quick to get started
- Data passes through third party
- Ongoing subscription costs
Self-Hosted
n8n self-hosted (only major option)
- Full data control and privacy
- No per-operation limits
- Lower cost at scale
- Requires technical knowledge
- You manage updates/security
Frequently Asked Questions
Which automation tool is best for beginners?
Zapier is the easiest to learn with the most intuitive interface. If you have never built automations before, start with Zapier. You can always migrate to more powerful tools later as your needs grow.
How much does workflow automation typically cost?
For small businesses: £15-50/month covers most needs. Mid-size companies: £100-500/month for higher volumes and more complex workflows. Enterprise: £500-2,000+/month for large-scale automation. Self-hosted n8n can significantly reduce costs at scale.
Can I move my automations between platforms?
Not directly—workflows are not portable between platforms. You would need to rebuild automations manually. This is why platform choice matters and why some businesses prefer open-source options like n8n for long-term flexibility.
Is n8n really free?
n8n self-hosted is genuinely free with no limits on workflows or executions. You pay only for hosting (typically £5-50/month on a cloud server). n8n Cloud (their hosted version) has pricing similar to competitors starting at £17/month.
What is the difference between tasks, operations, and runs?
Each platform uses different terminology. Zapier counts "tasks" (successful action steps). Make counts "operations" (any module execution). Power Automate counts "runs" (workflow executions). A single workflow can consume multiple tasks/operations. Always understand how your platform counts usage.
Do I need coding skills for workflow automation?
For basic automations: No, all major platforms offer visual builders. For complex logic: Basic understanding of data structures helps. For advanced customization: JavaScript/Python knowledge is useful but not required. n8n benefits most from technical knowledge.
How secure is workflow automation?
Major platforms (Zapier, Make) use encryption and meet SOC 2 compliance. However, your data passes through their servers. For maximum security, self-hosted n8n keeps all data on your infrastructure. Always review vendor security certifications for your compliance needs.
Can workflow automation handle AI/LLM integration?
Yes, all major platforms now support OpenAI, Claude, and other AI APIs. n8n has particularly strong AI capabilities with dedicated AI agent nodes. You can use AI for document processing, content generation, classification, and intelligent routing.
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