n8n vs Make compared: per-workflow-run billing and self-hosting against per-step credits and hosted-only. See which automation platform fits your workflows.
By Mike Stay · Published October 17, 2026 · Verified October 17, 2026
Comparison
n8n
Best for: Technical teams that want code steps, billing per workflow run, or the option to self-host.
Starting price: Free self-hosted Community Edition; Cloud Starter from €20/month billed annually for 2,500 executions
Key feature: A whole workflow counts as one execution however many steps it has, and the software can be self-hosted.
Main limitation: Self-hosting means running the service yourself, and cloud plans cap executions, concurrency and run time.
Rating: 8.5
Make
Best for: Freelancers, agencies and small teams building branching, multi-app automations on a hosted platform.
Starting price: Free; Core from $9/month billed annually for 10,000 credits
Key feature: A visual scenario builder with routers, filters and error handlers, plus a free plan with no time limit.
Main limitation: Credits are spent per step, so cost depends on workflow design and run frequency.
Rating: 7.8
Read the full comparison at truetropical.co
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