n8n vs Zapier: pricing, limits and which one to choose

By the serverserv team · 8 min read · Updated 22 October 2026

Zapier is the easiest way to connect apps, and it charges for every action your automations take. n8n charges per workflow run on its cloud plans, and costs nothing per run if you host it yourself. For a few simple automations Zapier is hard to beat. Once you run multi-step workflows hundreds or thousands of times a month, n8n usually costs far less. This guide compares how each one bills, what the same workload costs on both, and who each tool suits.

The short answer

	Zapier	n8n
What you pay for	Tasks: each successful action step	Executions: one per workflow run (cloud), or nothing per run (self-hosted)
Free option	100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps only	Community Edition is free to self-host; you pay for the server
Paid plans start at	Pro from $19.99 a month billed yearly	Cloud Starter about $24 a month (2,500 executions); self-hosted from about $10 to $15 a month for the server
Ease of use	Easiest; built for non-technical users	Visual editor, but closer to a developer tool
App connections	Thousands of ready-made apps	Hundreds of built-in nodes, plus an HTTP node for any API
Code and AI agents	Code steps with short run-time limits; AI features	Full JavaScript and Python code nodes and built-in AI agent nodes
Where it runs	Zapier's cloud only	n8n's cloud or your own server

Prices are the companies' published prices in October 2026 and can change.

How Zapier and n8n bill you

Zapier counts tasks. A task is used each time a step in a Zap successfully completes an action, such as creating a row, sending an email or posting a message. The trigger does not count, and neither do built-in tools such as Filter, Formatter, Paths and Delay. A Zap with one trigger and four actions uses four tasks every time it runs. The Free plan gives 100 tasks a month with two-step Zaps only. Pro starts at $19.99 a month on yearly billing and the price rises with your task tier. Team starts at $69 a month.

n8n Cloud counts executions. An execution is one complete run of a workflow, however many steps it has. A 2-step workflow and a 20-step workflow both use one execution. n8n Cloud Starter includes 2,500 executions a month and Pro includes 10,000, with unlimited active workflows on both.

Self-hosted n8n counts nothing. The Community Edition is free software. You pay only for the server it runs on, and there is no limit on workflows or executions beyond what the server can handle. Our n8n pricing guide covers every n8n plan in detail.

The same workload on both

Take a common small-business automation: a new lead comes in from a web form, gets added to a CRM, a Google Sheet row is created, a Slack message goes to the sales channel and the lead gets a welcome email. That is one trigger and four actions.

Leads per month	Zapier tasks used	n8n Cloud executions used	Self-hosted n8n
100	400	100	No per-run cost
500	2,000	500	No per-run cost
2,000	8,000	2,000	No per-run cost
10,000	40,000	10,000	No per-run cost

Zapier uses four times as many units for the same work, because every action is billed. n8n Cloud Starter covers up to 2,500 runs of this workflow. A self-hosted n8n server on 2 vCPU and 4 GB RAM handles all four rows of this table comfortably for one flat monthly price.

The gap widens with longer workflows. AI workflows that call a model, look something up and write the result back often have 6 to 10 steps, so they cost 6 to 10 tasks per run on Zapier and one execution on n8n.

Features compared

• Getting started: Zapier wins. You pick a trigger app, pick an action app and fill in fields. n8n's editor is visual too, but it shows you the data passing between nodes, which is powerful and takes a little longer to learn.
• Integrations: Zapier has the larger catalogue of ready-made apps. n8n covers the popular apps and has an HTTP Request node, so you can connect any service with an API even without a dedicated node.
• Logic and code: n8n handles branches, loops, merges and error workflows natively, and its Code node runs JavaScript or Python without tight time limits. Zapier offers Paths, Looping and code steps, with run-time limits per step.
• AI agents: both have AI features. n8n has dedicated AI agent, memory and tool nodes, and you can bring your own model key from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or a local model.
• Data control: with self-hosted n8n your workflow data stays on your own server. Zapier processes everything in its own cloud.
• Support: Zapier includes vendor support on paid plans. Self-hosted n8n relies on the community and documentation, or on your host.

Self-hosting n8n

Self-hosting is where n8n pulls ahead on cost. You need a Linux server that stays on, with at least 2 vCPU and 4 GB RAM for most small teams, plus HTTPS, backups and updates. You can set this up yourself by following our guide to self-hosting n8n, or use a server with n8n already installed.

serverserv n8n hosting installs n8n on your own KVM VPS. n8n Starter has 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM and 50 GB NVMe for $14.99 a month on monthly billing, or $10.99 a month on a 3-year term, with unlimited workflows and executions and no renewal price jump.

Which one should you choose?

• Choose Zapier if you run a handful of simple automations, want the widest choice of ready-made apps and never want to think about servers.
• Choose n8n Cloud if your workflows have many steps and run up to a few thousand times a month, and you want n8n without managing a server.
• Choose self-hosted n8n if you run thousands of workflow runs a month, build AI agents, need code, or want your data on your own server.

Want your own numbers? Try the automation cost calculator with your runs and steps.

Many teams start on Zapier and move their busiest, longest workflows to n8n once the task bill grows, keeping Zapier for the odd app n8n does not cover.

Moving from Zapier to n8n

There is no one-click import, so you rebuild each Zap as an n8n workflow. Start with the Zaps that use the most tasks, because they save the most money. Most Zaps map directly: the Zapier trigger becomes an n8n trigger node, and each action becomes a node. Run both side by side for a few days, then turn off the Zap.

Questions

Sources

• Zapier: Plans and pricing
• n8n: Plans and pricing
• n8n Docs: Self-hosting

Prices from other companies are as published at the time of writing and can change.