n8n vs Zapier

Detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right tool

n8n

🟡Low Code

AI Automation

Source-available workflow automation for technical teams building AI agents, integrations, and self-hosted business processes.

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Starting Price

Free
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Zapier

🟢No Code

Workflow Automation

Zapier is a no-code automation platform that connects 9,000+ apps with Zaps, Tables, Forms, Canvas, Chatbots, Agents, and Zapier MCP.

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Starting Price

Free
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Feature Comparison

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Featuren8nZapier
CategoryAI AutomationWorkflow Automation
Pricing Plans205 tiers4 tiers
Starting PriceFreeFree
Key Features
  • • Visual workflow automation with code steps and conditional logic.
  • • AI agents, RAG, and model orchestration workflows.
  • • 500+ integrations and 9,500+ workflow templates.
  • • Workflow Runtime
  • • Tool and API Connectivity
  • • State and Context Handling

n8n - Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓Supports complex workflow logic rather than only simple trigger-action automations.
  • ✓Includes a large template library, which helps teams start from existing automation patterns.
  • ✓Designed for moving and transforming data across many business systems.
  • ✓Offers native AI workflow capabilities for agents, RAG-style workflows, and model orchestration.
  • ✓Provides both hosted cloud plans and self-hosted deployment paths.
  • ✓Paid plans include unlimited users and workflows, with pricing based primarily on executions.

Cons

  • ✗Cloud pricing is execution-based, so high-volume workflows need usage planning.
  • ✗The platform is likely more complex than simple no-code automation tools for nontechnical users.
  • ✗Self-hosting can be an advantage, but it shifts operational responsibility to the customer.
  • ✗AI Workflow Builder credits vary by plan and may affect AI workflow experimentation.
  • ✗Enterprise governance is called out, but buyers should verify exact compliance requirements during procurement.

Zapier - Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓Huge integration catalog reduces custom connector work
  • ✓No-code builder is approachable for ops, marketing, sales, support, and HR teams
  • ✓Tasks, Tables, Forms, Canvas, Agents, Chatbots, and MCP sit in one automation platform
  • ✓Strong fit for quick pilots because most SaaS apps are already supported

Cons

  • ✗Task-based pricing can become expensive when high-volume workflows scale
  • ✗Complex branching, error handling, and data transforms may be easier in developer-first tools
  • ✗Deep enterprise governance may require a sales-led plan
  • ✗Debugging multi-app Zaps still requires careful test data and ownership

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🔒 Security & Compliance Comparison

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Security Featuren8nZapier
SOC2—✅ Yes
GDPR—✅ Yes
HIPAA—❌ No
SSO✅ Yes✅ Yes
Self-Hosted🔀 Hybrid❌ No
On-Prem✅ Yes❌ No
RBAC✅ Yes✅ Yes
Audit Log✅ Yes✅ Yes
Open Source❌ No❌ No
API Key Auth✅ Yes✅ Yes
Encryption at Rest✅ Yes✅ Yes
Encryption in Transit✅ Yes✅ Yes
Data ResidencyEUUS
Data Retentionconfigurableconfigurable
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