Short answer: Use Make.com if you're new to automation and want to get started fast with zero technical setup. Use n8n (self-hosted) if you need unlimited free executions, more customisation, or are comfortable running a $5/month server. Both work with Peak Automations templates.
Make.com and n8n are the two most popular no-code automation platforms for small businesses in 2026. Both let you connect apps and automate workflows without writing code — but they have meaningfully different strengths, pricing models, and learning curves.
This comparison covers every dimension that actually matters for a small business owner: cost, ease of use, integrations, scheduling flexibility, error handling, and which tool to pick for specific use cases.
Choose Make.com if you...
- Are new to automation tools
- Want setup in under 30 minutes
- Need 1,000 ops/month or fewer (free)
- Use common apps (Gmail, Sheets, Slack)
- Don't want to manage a server
Choose n8n if you...
- Need unlimited free executions
- Want to use code/JavaScript in workflows
- Need sub-5-minute scheduling on free tier
- Connect custom or uncommon APIs
- Want full data ownership / self-hosting
How do Make.com and n8n compare on pricing?
| Plan | Make.com | n8n (Self-Hosted) | n8n Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 1,000 ops/month | Unlimited (self-hosted) | 2,500 executions / 5 workflows |
| Entry paid plan | $9/month (10,000 ops) | ~$5/month VPS only | $20/month |
| Heavy usage | $16–$29/month | ~$5–$10/month (VPS) | $50+/month |
| Enterprise | Custom | Free + server cost | Custom |
| Per-execution cost | Yes (operations model) | None (self-hosted) | Yes |
The key difference: Make.com charges per "operation" (each module/step in a scenario counts as one operation per run). A 6-step workflow that runs 200 times/month = 1,200 operations — above the free tier. n8n self-hosted has no execution limits at all.
For small businesses with moderate automation volume, n8n self-hosted on a $5/month VPS (DigitalOcean, Hetzner, or Railway) is the most cost-effective choice long-term. Make.com's free tier is sufficient for light automation or testing.
Which is easier to use — Make.com or n8n?
| Factor | Make.com | n8n | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | 5 min (browser, no install) | 20–45 min (self-hosted) | Make.com |
| Visual interface | Clean, colour-coded modules | Node-and-wire diagram | Make.com |
| Learning curve | Gentle — 1–2 hours to first workflow | Steeper — 4–8 hours | Make.com |
| Error messages | Friendly, descriptive | Technical, verbose | Make.com |
| Documentation | Excellent, beginner-friendly | Good, more technical | Make.com |
| Power user flexibility | Limited — UI-bound | High — code nodes, custom | n8n |
Make.com wins on ease of use — it's genuinely beginner-friendly. Most people can build their first working automation within a couple of hours, with no prior experience. n8n's interface is more like a developer tool — more powerful, but requires more patience to learn.
Which has more integrations — Make.com or n8n?
| Factor | Make.com | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Native integrations | 1,000+ apps | 400+ nodes |
| Custom API support | HTTP module (limited) | Full HTTP Request node + code |
| Popular apps | Excellent coverage | Good coverage |
| Uncommon apps | Hit or miss | HTTP node bridges most gaps |
| Webhook support | Yes (free tier: 15-min check) | Yes (real-time, instant) |
| Community nodes | No | Yes — hundreds of community nodes |
Make.com technically has more pre-built integrations. But n8n's HTTP Request node — which lets you connect to any REST API without a dedicated integration — plus its community-built nodes make it more capable for custom setups. For standard apps (Gmail, Slack, Airtable, Notion, Stripe), both platforms are equally capable.
How do they compare on scheduling and timing?
This is one of the most important differences for small businesses:
| Feature | Make.com (Free) | Make.com (Paid) | n8n (Self-Hosted) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum schedule interval | Every 15 min | Every 1 min | Any (cron expressions) |
| Webhook triggers (real-time) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Complex cron schedules | Limited | Better | Full cron support |
| Time-delay between steps | Yes (Sleep module) | Yes | Yes (Wait node) |
Important for review requests and dunning emails: Both workflows need to send emails 1–4 hours after a trigger. Webhook-triggered workflows (not scheduled polling) work in real-time on both platforms — so this isn't affected by the 15-minute polling limit on Make.com's free tier. As long as your trigger is a webhook (not a polling check), timing is fine.
Which should you choose for specific workflows?
| Use Case | Better Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Google review requests | Either | Both work equally well; Make.com easier to set up |
| Stripe payment recovery | n8n | Webhook + delay + conditional logic — n8n is more reliable at scale |
| Lead follow-up sequences | Either | Simple email sequences work on both |
| AI/OpenAI integrations | n8n | n8n's OpenAI node + JavaScript gives more flexibility |
| CRM data syncing | Make.com | Better pre-built CRM integrations (HubSpot, Pipedrive) |
| Custom internal tools | n8n | Code nodes, self-hosting, no operation limits |
| Beginner's first automation | Make.com | Simpler, no setup, better onboarding |
Is there anything better than both — like Zapier?
Zapier is the most well-known automation platform — but for small businesses, it's usually the most expensive option:
| Platform | Free Tier | Entry Paid Plan | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make.com | 1,000 ops/month | $9/month | Beginners, visual builders |
| n8n (self-hosted) | Unlimited | ~$5/month (server) | Technical users, high volume |
| Zapier | 100 tasks/month | $19.99/month | Non-technical, existing workflows |
| Activepieces | 1,000 tasks/month | $9/month | Alternative to Make, open source |
Zapier is best for teams who already know it and need a simple, reliable tool — but its per-task pricing gets expensive fast. For cost-conscious small businesses building new automations, Make.com or n8n offer significantly better value.
Our recommendation: Start with Make.com for your first 1–2 automations. If you find yourself hitting the 1,000 ops/month limit, or wanting to run workflows more than Make.com's free tier allows — move to n8n. The Peak Automations templates include JSON for both platforms, so switching is just a re-import, not a rebuild.
Get automation templates that work on both platforms
Every Peak Automations template includes workflows for both n8n and Make.com — so you can start on whichever platform you prefer and switch later without rebuilding from scratch.