Key Takeaways
- •Task counting differences are the #1 source of pricing confusion. A 5-step Zapier Zap burns 5 tasks per run. The same workflow on Make uses 5 operations. On n8n, it is 1 execution. Comparing “tasks” across platforms without normalization is meaningless.
- •Bardeen went from $10/mo to $99/mo — a 890% increase and the largest single pricing jump in automation tooling this quarter. Bardeen repositioned from consumer-friendly to professional-tier.
- •Make remains the best value for most users at every volume tier. Its operations-based counting is more predictable than Zapier's task counting, and its pricing is 40–70% lower at equivalent volumes.
- •Zapier remains the simplest but most expensive. Its per-task pricing, combined with multi-step task multiplication, makes it 2–5x more expensive than Make at scale.
- •n8n self-hosting saves money above 5,000 executions/month but requires DevOps capacity. Below that threshold, Make's hosted pricing is cheaper than running infrastructure.
Task/Operation/Execution Counting: The Biggest Source of Confusion
Every automation platform uses a different unit for billing, and these units are not interchangeable. Understanding the counting model is essential before any pricing comparison makes sense.
| Platform | Billing Unit | How It Counts | 5-Step Workflow Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | Tasks | Each step in a Zap = 1 task | 5 tasks |
| Make | Operations | Each module execution = 1 operation | 5 operations |
| n8n (cloud) | Executions | Each workflow run = 1 execution (regardless of steps) | 1 execution |
| n8n (self-hosted) | Unlimited | No per-execution billing | $0 (infra cost only) |
| Pipedream | Credits | Each step = 1 credit (+ compute time credits) | 5+ credits |
The critical insight: a workflow that “costs” 5 tasks on Zapier costs only 1 execution on n8n cloud. At 1,000 workflow runs per month, Zapier consumes 5,000 tasks while n8n cloud consumes 1,000 executions. This 5x multiplier on multi-step workflows is why Zapier bills are consistently higher than expected.
Cost Ranking by Monthly Volume
Monthly cost at each volume tier, using the cheapest plan that supports the stated volume. For Zapier, volumes assume an average 3-step Zap (so 1,000 workflow runs = 3,000 tasks). For Make, 1,000 runs = 3,000 operations. For n8n cloud, 1,000 runs = 1,000 executions. Monthly billing. Verified March 2026.
| Workflow Runs/mo | Zapier | Make | n8n Cloud | n8n Self-Hosted | Pipedream | Best Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | $20/mo | $9/mo | $24/mo | ~$20/mo (VPS) | Free* | Make |
| 2,000 | $49/mo | $16/mo | $24/mo | ~$20/mo (VPS) | $19/mo | Make |
| 5,000 | $99/mo | $29/mo | $50/mo | ~$20/mo (VPS) | $19/mo | n8n Self-Hosted / Make |
| 10,000 | $199/mo | $59/mo | $50/mo | ~$40/mo (VPS) | $49/mo | n8n Self-Hosted |
| 50,000 | $599/mo | $159/mo | $120/mo | ~$80/mo (VPS) | $249/mo | n8n Self-Hosted |
*Pipedream Free includes 100 credits/day. Zapier's costs assume 3 steps per workflow on average. n8n self-hosted VPS costs assume Hetzner/DigitalOcean-class pricing; AWS/GCP will be 2–3x higher. Make's operations count includes every module execution, so a branching workflow may use more operations than a linear one.
Biggest Pricing Change: Bardeen's 890% Increase
Bardeen's jump from $10/mo to $99/mo is the largest single price increase in automation tooling this quarter — and one of the largest in SaaS pricing history for an existing product. The move reflects a strategic pivot from consumer-friendly browser automation to professional-tier AI-powered workflows.
| Bardeen Plan | Old Price | New Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free (limited runs) | Free (very limited) | Reduced features |
| Professional | $10/mo | $99/mo | +890% |
Bardeen added AI-powered scraping and natural language workflow creation to justify the increase, but the magnitude of the jump effectively replaced the user base. Users who signed up for a $10/mo browser automation tool are now being asked to pay $99/mo for an AI platform. Most consumer-tier users will migrate to Make or Zapier at significantly lower cost for comparable (non-AI) functionality.
Self-Hosting Economics: When n8n Saves Money vs Costs More
n8n is the only major automation tool that can be self-hosted for free (under a fair-use license for individuals and small businesses). But self-hosting has real costs that go beyond the VPS bill.
| Cost Factor | n8n Cloud | n8n Self-Hosted |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly software cost | $24–$120/mo | $0 |
| Infrastructure (VPS) | Included | $20–$80/mo |
| Maintenance time | None | 1–4 hrs/mo (updates, monitoring) |
| Execution limits | Plan-dependent | Unlimited |
| Uptime responsibility | n8n's SLA | Your responsibility |
Self-hosting saves money when:
- • Volume exceeds 5,000 executions/month (n8n Cloud jumps to $50/mo; a VPS costs $20)
- • You have existing DevOps capacity or infrastructure
- • Workflows are mission-critical and you want full control over uptime
- • You need to run on-premise for data residency requirements
Self-hosting costs more when:
- • Volume is under 2,000 executions/month (Make at $16/mo is cheaper than any VPS)
- • You have no DevOps experience (time cost of learning and maintaining exceeds savings)
- • You value managed updates and zero-downtime deploys
- • You use AWS/GCP instead of budget hosting (infrastructure costs 2–3x higher)
Make: Best Value for Most Users at Every Volume
Make (formerly Integromat) holds the best overall value position in automation tooling for the third consecutive quarter. Its pricing advantage comes from three factors: lower per-operation cost than Zapier at every tier, a more generous free plan (1,000 operations vs Zapier's 100 tasks), and a visual builder that handles complex branching logic without per-branch cost increases.
At 5,000 workflow runs per month (assuming 3-step workflows), Make costs $29/mo while Zapier costs $99/mo — a 70% savings. At 10,000 runs, the gap widens: Make at $59/mo vs Zapier at $199/mo. The only volume at which Zapier is competitive is under 100 tasks/month (Zapier's free tier), and even there Make offers 10x more free operations.
Zapier: Simplest but Most Expensive
Zapier's value proposition is simplicity, not price. Its no-code interface is the most approachable in the category, its app directory is the largest (7,000+ integrations), and its reliability is best-in-class. For teams that value ease of setup over cost optimization, Zapier remains the default choice.
The cost penalty is real, though. Zapier's multi-step task counting means a single workflow with 5 steps burns 5 tasks per execution. At 1,000 daily workflow runs with 5 steps each, that is 150,000 tasks/month — requiring Zapier's Company plan at $599+/mo. The same workload on Make uses 150,000 operations, costing approximately $159/mo. On n8n self-hosted, it costs $0 in software plus $40–80/mo in infrastructure.
Free Tier Comparison
Free tiers vary dramatically in generosity. Here is exactly what each platform offers for $0.
| Platform | Free Allowance | Equivalent Workflow Runs* | Key Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | 100 tasks/mo | ~33 runs (3-step avg) | Single-step Zaps only, 15-min polling |
| Make | 1,000 ops/mo | ~333 runs (3-step avg) | 2 active scenarios, 15-min polling |
| n8n Cloud | No free tier | — | Starts at $24/mo |
| n8n Self-Hosted | Unlimited | Unlimited | Requires VPS (~$20/mo), fair-use license |
| Pipedream | 100 credits/day | ~1,000 runs/mo (simple workflows) | Daily cap resets, code-first interface |
*Equivalent runs assume a 3-step workflow average. Make's free tier offers 10x the effective runs of Zapier's free tier. Pipedream's daily credit model is generous but resets daily, meaning unused credits do not roll over. n8n has no free cloud tier but self-hosting is functionally free (license allows personal and small business use).
Predictions: Where Automation Pricing Is Heading
AI-powered automation will create a new premium tier everywhere
Zapier (with AI actions), Make (with AI modules), and n8n (with LangChain nodes) are all adding AI capabilities. These will be gated behind higher-priced plans or charged per-execution at premium rates. Expect “AI credits” to become a new billing axis alongside tasks/operations in 2026.
Zapier will restructure to remain competitive on price
Zapier's task-counting model is under increasing pressure from Make's lower pricing and n8n's execution-based counting. We expect Zapier to either reduce multi-step task multiplication or introduce a new mid-tier plan by H2 2026 to reduce churn to Make.
Self-hosting will become easier and more common
n8n's Docker-based deployment is already straightforward, but one-click hosting options (Railway, Render, Coolify) are making self-hosting accessible to non-DevOps teams. As hosted plan prices rise, the self-hosting crossover point will move to lower volumes.
More niche tools will follow Bardeen's playbook
Bardeen's 890% price increase reflects a broader trend: consumer-priced automation tools repositioning as professional/enterprise products. Expect other small automation tools to follow this pattern as VC-backed companies face pressure to increase revenue per user.
Methodology
This report is compiled quarterly by the Sasanova editorial team.
- • All pricing is captured from vendor pricing pages during March 10–20, 2026.
- • Task/operation/execution counts were normalized using a standard 3-step workflow benchmark to enable cross-platform comparison.
- • Self-hosting infrastructure costs are based on Hetzner CX31 and DigitalOcean Droplet pricing as of March 2026.
- • Free tier assessments reflect actual limits tested on active free accounts.
- • “Best value” considers both raw cost and the volume of work achieved per dollar, not just the lowest number.
- • Predictions are editorial assessments based on observable pricing trends.
Report corrections: sasanova.com/contact. Verified errors are corrected within 48 hours.
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