n8n vs Zapier (2026): Pricing, Free Plans and Self-Hosting

By Jody Rourke · Published October 22, 2026 · Last updated October 22, 2026 · Prices checked October 19, 2026

How we checked this: Compared from official docs and pricing pages as of 2026-10-19. We haven't tested these tools hands-on.

Pick Zapier if you want a free plan and short automations. Pick n8n if your workflows have many steps or someone on your team can run a server. Zapier Free includes 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps only [1]. n8n Cloud starts at $20 a month billed annually for 2.5K executions, as of Oct. 19, 2026; the self-hosted Community edition is free [2].

For the wider field, see our guide to the best AI tools for small business and our list of Zapier alternatives.

n8n vs Zapier: the short answer

The big difference is how each tool counts usage:

• Zapier counts tasks. A task is counted each time Zapier successfully completes a unit of work; triggers, polling and Zapier's built-in tools (Formatter, Paths, Filter, Delay and others) don't count [1]. Some actions cost more than one task, depending on step type, AI model tier and number of tool calls [1].
• n8n counts executions. An execution is one run of your entire workflow, no matter how many steps it has or how much data it processes [2].

So a workflow with many steps uses more of a Zapier allowance per run than of an n8n allowance. That's our reading of the two definitions above; the worked example below shows the math.

Pricing compared (as of 2026-10-19)

Prices in USD as of 2026-10-19 (vendor pricing pages). Prices and plan limits change. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.

Zapier sets its prices in USD and bills in 19 local currencies at the exchange rate on the payment date [1]. The n8n prices above are the USD prices n8n's page showed a US visitor on 2026-10-19; the same page showed euro prices to our server, so check the page for your region [2].

Going over your limit: if you turn on Zapier's pay-per-task, extra tasks cost 2.5x the base rate on monthly plans or 1.25x on annual plans, and usage stops at 3x your task subscription; pay-per-task isn't on Free [1]. For its Business and Enterprise plans, n8n says workflows keep running if you exceed your quota, but overage charges may apply [2].

Worked cost example: the same workflow on both

This uses only the list prices above. Say your workflow is a trigger plus two actions in other apps (for example, a new web form entry that adds a row to a spreadsheet and sends a message). Assume each action counts as one Zapier task, which isn't true for every action [1].

What the math shows: at 300 runs a month, the two entry plans cost about the same. At 700 runs, it needs Zapier's 1,500-task tier. At 1,000 runs, this two-action workflow needs Zapier's 2,000-task tier, while it still fits n8n's Starter allowance. The more steps per run, the wider that gap gets. Zapier Free allows two-step Zaps only [1]. This workflow has three steps, so it needs a paid Zapier plan.

The example leaves out other costs: Zapier seats beyond one user (Team starts at 2,000 tasks [1]), and, if you self-host n8n, your own server and upkeep. Add those for your situation before you decide.

Cloud vs self-hosted: what "self-host" means

n8n comes two ways:

• n8n Cloud is hosted by n8n. Hosted-plan data is stored in the EU, on servers in Frankfurt, Germany [2].
• Self-hosted n8n runs on a server you control, and your data stays wherever you host it [2]. The free Community edition has "almost the complete feature set" of n8n [4]. It doesn't include features such as SSO, Git version control, environments, projects, workflow and credential sharing, and external secrets [4].

n8n's own docs say self-hosting requires setup (npm, Docker or a server) and technical expertise for installation and configuration, that you must provide and manage the infrastructure, and that maintenance is your responsibility [3]. Zapier argues on its comparison page that self-hosted n8n's sticker price leaves out server costs, maintenance hours and IT time [8]. Treat that as a competitor's view.

On self-hosted Business or Enterprise licenses, n8n says your license key must ping its license server daily, including data such as the number of production executions, and that it collects telemetry by default, which you can turn off [2].

n8n Community edition license: what you can and can't do

Self-hosted n8n is free, but it's not a do-anything license. n8n's Sustainable Use License says: "You may use or modify the software only for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial or personal use" [5].

n8n's license FAQ says you can [6]:

• use the Community version to help run your business;
• build automations for your clients on your instance, as long as your clients can't create or edit them;
• charge customers for workflow creation, setup and maintenance;
• use n8n behind the scenes in your own product.

And you can't [6]:

• host n8n as a service and let your clients build workflows;
• let external end users build or configure their own workflows through your product;
• fork n8n's code to launch your own automation product;
• white-label n8n by removing its branding.

If your plan sits near one of these lines, ask n8n before you build. This isn't legal advice.

AI features and ease of use

• Zapier: AI by Zapier steps are on paid plans only; Zapier Agents, Chatbots, Canvas and MCP are on every plan, including Free; Agents and Chatbots come with basic access and paid add-ons [1]. Copilot, Zapier's AI Zap builder (in beta), has a daily message limit on Free and unlimited messages on paid plans [1].
• n8n: Starter includes Agents, MCP and AI nodes and 1,600 Assistant credits a month [2]. On self-hosted n8n, the Assistant is in preview and you bring your own AI key, so no credit limits apply [2].

We haven't used either tool, so we can't tell you which is easier. Zapier's comparison page says n8n has a steeper learning curve, with many common actions requiring JavaScript expressions or code nodes [8]. That's a competitor's claim, not a test result.

Apps: Zapier says it connects 9,000+ apps [1]. n8n's integrations directory at n8n.io/integrations showed a count of 2,367 integrations on 2026-10-19 [7]. If one app matters most to you, search both directories for it before you choose.

Security: Zapier's security page says it is SOC 2 (Type II) and SOC 3 certified, audited annually by an independent firm, encrypts data in transit and at rest, and stores data on Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the United States [9]. Its pricing page lists SAML SSO and audit logs starting on the Team plan [1].

Who should pick which

Zapier fits you if your automations fit the Free plan's limits of 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps [1]. It also offers a 14-day Professional trial with no credit card [1].

Not for: Zapier isn't for you if:

• your workflows have many action steps and run often, because each successful action counts as a task [1];
• several people need to build automations on a budget, because Professional includes 1 seat and Team (25 seats) starts at $69/month billed annually for 2,000 tasks/month, as of Oct. 19, 2026 [1];
• you need branching on the free plan, because Filters and Paths start on Professional [1].

n8n Cloud fits you if you want multi-step workflows priced per run [2] and unlimited users on every plan [2].

Not for: n8n Cloud isn't for you if:

• you want a free hosted plan, because n8n Cloud has a trial, not a free plan [3];
• your rules require data stored outside the EU, because hosted data is in Frankfurt, Germany [2].

Self-hosted n8n (Community) fits you if someone on your team can run a server and you stay within the license. The license FAQ allows running your own business on it and building client automations your clients can't create or edit [6].

Not for: Self-hosted n8n isn't for you if:

• nobody on your team can maintain a server;
• you want to resell n8n as a platform your clients build in, which the license FAQ rules out [6];
• you need SSO, Git version control or credential sharing, which the Community edition lacks [4].

What to do next

Write down one workflow you want to automate: its trigger, each action, and how often it runs. Then do the math from the worked example with today's prices on both pricing pages. To compare more tools, read our Zapier alternatives list, Zapier vs Make or the best AI tools for small business guide.

Prices checked October 19, 2026. Prices and plans change; confirm on each vendor's site.

Last updated: October 22, 2026