Annual Cost at 500 Tasks/Month
| Tool | Plan | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost | Included Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Make | Core | $10.59/mo | $127.08/yr | 10,000 ops/mo |
| n8n | Starter (cloud) | $20/mo | $240/yr | 2,500 executions/mo |
| Zapier | Professional | $29.99/mo | $359.88/yr | 750 tasks/mo |
#1: Make Core ($127/yr)
Make Core at $10.59/month provides 10,000 operations per month with unlimited scenarios. At 500 tasks, you are using just 5% of your capacity, leaving massive headroom for growth. The visual scenario builder is powerful for complex branching logic. Make counts each module execution as one operation.
At $127.08/year, Make Core saves $232.80 vs Zapier Professional annually. The learning curve is steeper than Zapier, but the cost savings and 20x task capacity justify the investment for anyone running 500+ tasks monthly.
#2: n8n Starter ($240/yr) or Self-Hosted ($0)
n8n Cloud Starter at $20/month includes 2,500 executions per month. At 500 tasks, you are using 20% of capacity. n8n counts entire workflow runs as one execution regardless of steps, making it the most generous counting model. Self-hosting the Community edition is completely free with unlimited executions.
#3: Zapier Professional ($360/yr)
Zapier Professional at $29.99/month provides 750 tasks per month with multi-step Zaps. At 500 tasks, you have some headroom. Zapier has the broadest integration library (7,000+ apps) and the easiest learning curve. But the multi-step task counting trap means a 5-step workflow burns 5 tasks per run, so your real capacity is lower than it appears.
Why Not the Others
Zapier Free (100 tasks)
Only 100 tasks/month and limited to two-step Zaps. At 500 tasks, you are 5x over the free limit. Not viable.
Make Free (1,000 ops, 2 scenarios)
Limited to 2 active scenarios. If your 500 tasks span more than 2 workflows, you need Core. At $10.59/mo, the upgrade is a no-brainer.
The Verdict
At 500 tasks/month, Make Core at $127/year is the clear winner. You get 20x headroom, a powerful visual builder, and save $233/year vs Zapier. n8n self-hosted is free and unlimited if you are comfortable with Docker. Zapier is only worth the premium if you need specific integrations Make does not support.
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