If you're choosing between Make (formerly Integromat) and n8n for your automation stack in 2026, this comparison will save you hours of research.
I've built production workflows on both platforms. Here's what actually matters.
TL;DR
| Feature | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $9/mo (1K ops) | Free (self-hosted) or $24/mo |
| Hosting | Cloud only | Self-hosted or cloud |
| AI Integration | Good | Excellent (native AI nodes) |
| Learning Curve | Easier | Steeper but more powerful |
| Custom Code | Limited | Full JavaScript/Python |
| Best For | Simple automations | Complex AI workflows |
Pricing: n8n Wins for Scale
Make charges per operation. At scale, costs explode. A simple lead gen workflow processing 10K leads/month costs ~$99/mo on Make.
n8n self-hosted? $5/month on a VPS. Same workflow. Unlimited operations.
For a small team running 5-10 workflows, the annual savings with n8n self-hosted: $1,000-$3,000/year.
AI Capabilities: n8n is Way Ahead
This is where n8n crushes Make in 2026. n8n has native AI Agent nodes that let you:
- Build multi-agent systems with tool calling
- Chain LLMs (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini) with custom prompts
- Implement RAG pipelines with vector stores
- Create AI chatbots with memory
Make has AI modules too, but they're basic — single API calls without the orchestration layer.
Real example: I built an AI lead qualification pipeline in n8n that:
- Ingests leads from 3 sources (webhook, email, form)
- Uses GPT-4 to score and categorize each lead
- Generates personalized follow-up emails
- Routes high-value leads to CRM with priority flag
- Sends daily digest to the sales team
This would require 3 separate Make scenarios and external glue code. In n8n, it's one workflow.
When to Choose Make
Make is better if you:
- Need dead-simple automations (Slack → Google Sheets → Email)
- Don't want to manage infrastructure
- Have a non-technical team building workflows
- Need the visual scenario builder for quick prototyping
When to Choose n8n
n8n is better if you:
- Build AI-powered workflows
- Need custom JavaScript/Python logic
- Want full control over your data (GDPR compliance)
- Run high-volume automations (cost optimization)
- Need complex branching and error handling
My Recommendation for 2026
Start with n8n if you're building anything with AI. The native AI nodes, self-hosting option, and JavaScript support make it the clear winner for production AI workflows.
If you need proof, check out these production-ready n8n templates:
- AI Client Pipeline — Automated lead-to-review workflow (€39)
- AI Automation Starter Pack — 3 ready-to-deploy workflows (€59)
Both are battle-tested in production environments and come with full documentation.
Getting Started
The fastest path to production n8n workflows:
- Self-host n8n on a $5/mo VPS (DigitalOcean, Hetzner)
- Start with a template and customize for your use case
- Add AI nodes for intelligent processing
- Monitor with error handling — n8n's built-in error workflow is excellent
Need help building custom n8n workflows? Check out our technical guides on Dev.to — we publish weekly tutorials on production n8n automation.
What's your experience with Make vs n8n? Drop a comment below — I read and reply to all of them.
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