Both automate cross-system workflows. Diverge sharply on hosting model, developer surface and per-task cost.
n8n for self-hosted, code-friendly AI workflows and cost at scale. Zapier for zero-ops, breadth of SaaS integrations and non-technical builders.
n8n is open-source, self-hostable and code-friendly. Node-based UI, JavaScript escape hatch, and cheap unit economics once you're running your own instance.
Zapier is fully managed with the broadest SaaS integration catalogue and the lowest bar for non-technical users. Per-task pricing scales with usage.
For AI-heavy automation with cost sensitivity, n8n wins. For quick wins across many SaaS tools with a non-technical audience, Zapier still leads.
Open-source workflow automation platform, self-hostable, with strong AI and code integration.
Managed automation platform with the largest catalogue of SaaS integrations and drag-and-drop UI.
| Criterion | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self-host or n8n Cloud | Managed only |
| Integrations | 500+ (growing) | 6000+ |
| AI nodes | LangChain + custom | Zapier AI Actions |
| Cost at 1M tasks/mo | Low (self-hosted) | $$$$ |
| Code escape hatch | JavaScript in nodes | Limited |
| Data residency | Your infra | US-hosted (Zapier infra) |
| Non-technical users | Learning curve | Very approachable |
Common pattern: Zapier for the long tail of business-user automation, n8n (or Temporal for durable) for engineering-owned AI and high-volume workflows. Both plug into the same LLM providers.
Similar to Zapier — managed, broad integrations. Sits between Zapier and n8n on power vs simplicity.
For durable, code-first workflows with strong retry/timeout guarantees at scale. Temporal beats both n8n and Zapier for engineering-owned mission-critical automation.
n8n self-hosted by a large margin at any volume — Zapier's per-task pricing plus AI action costs stack quickly.
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