Make, Zapier and n8n are the three dominant workflow automation platforms for UK businesses in 2026. Make costs £9-29 per month for most SMEs and gives the best balance of power and usability. Zapier is the easiest to use but becomes expensive above 10,000 tasks per month, where costs can reach £940 per month. n8n is open-source and self-hostable for approximately £20 per month in server costs, making it the cheapest option at scale and the only one that keeps all your data on UK servers by default. For most UK small businesses, Make is the right starting point. For high-volume or data-sensitive deployments, n8n self-hosted wins on cost and compliance.
Last updated: 18 May 2026
Published 18 May 2026Make is the most powerful visual automation builder for SMEs, Zapier is the most accessible for non-technical users, and n8n is the most flexible and cost-effective option for technically confident teams. Each platform occupies a distinct position in the market, and understanding that positioning helps you avoid paying for the wrong tool.
Make (formerly Integromat) was founded in Prague in 2012 and rebranded in 2022. It operates on an operations-based pricing model where each action in a scenario counts as one operation. This makes it highly cost-effective for complex, multi-step workflows because you pay for actions rather than individual task completions. Make currently connects to more than 1,500 applications and services, with a visual canvas editor that lets you see the entire data flow at a glance. The EU/UK data region is available on paid plans, which is a significant advantage for UK businesses concerned about GDPR compliance. We at Softomate use Make as our primary build platform for UK SME clients because the combination of visual clarity, pricing structure and integration depth matches what most small business owners actually need.
Zapier was founded in 2011 in California and is the market leader by user count. It operates on a task-based pricing model where each action step in a Zap counts as one task, regardless of complexity. With more than 6,000 app integrations, Zapier has the largest ecosystem of any automation platform. The user experience is the simplest of the three: a linear step-by-step interface designed for people who have never touched an API. Zapier has a strong template library covering common business workflows out of the box. The downside is cost - at higher task volumes, Zapier becomes significantly more expensive than either Make or n8n. We recommend Zapier to clients who are already embedded in the Zapier ecosystem with existing Zaps, or who genuinely need a tool that a non-technical employee can manage independently from day one.
n8n was founded in 2019 in Berlin and takes a fundamentally different approach: it is open-source and self-hostable. The cloud version costs approximately £20 per month, but the self-hosted version running on your own server costs only the server fees - typically £15-25 per month for a basic VPS. n8n connects to more than 350 applications natively, with additional flexibility through HTTP request nodes that can connect to any REST API. The interface is more technical than Make or Zapier: you work with nodes and JSON data flows, and building complex automations requires comfort with data structures. Self-hosting n8n means your data never leaves your own infrastructure - a decisive advantage for healthcare, legal and financial services businesses operating under strict data handling obligations. The learning curve is real, but for businesses that invest the time, n8n is unmatched on cost and flexibility at scale.
| Feature | Make | Zapier | n8n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 (as Integromat) | 2011 | 2019 |
| Pricing model | Operations-based | Task-based | Executions-based (cloud) / Server cost (self-hosted) |
| Integrations count | 1,500+ | 6,000+ | 350+ native + unlimited via HTTP |
| Self-hosted option | No | No | Yes - fully open source |
| Visual editor quality | Excellent canvas view | Simple linear steps | Node-based, technical |
| Best for | UK SMEs, agencies, mid-market | Non-technical users, simple workflows | Developers, data-sensitive industries, high volume |
| UK/EU data region available | Yes (paid plans) | Limited (US-primary) | Yes - self-hosted by default |
Platform positioning matters because choosing the wrong tool leads to either overpaying for simplicity you do not need, or fighting against a tool that was never designed for your use case. With the landscape clear, the most practical question for most UK businesses is cost.
Make costs £9-29 per month for most UK SMEs. Zapier starts at £20 per month but reaches £940 per month at 50,000 tasks. n8n self-hosted costs approximately £20 per month in server fees regardless of volume - making it the only platform where cost does not scale with usage.
Understanding how each platform counts usage is essential before comparing headline prices. Make counts operations: every module execution in a scenario is one operation. A scenario that fetches a record, transforms it, and sends an email counts as three operations. Make's Core plan at £9 per month includes 10,000 operations monthly. The Standard plan at £29 per month includes 40,000 operations. Above that, the Team plan at £69 per month provides 150,000 operations. Additional operations beyond the plan limit can be purchased in bundles.
Zapier counts tasks: every action step that successfully completes is one task. A Zap with a trigger plus three action steps consumes three tasks per run. The Starter plan at £20 per month (billed annually) includes 750 tasks - which sounds modest, but for simple one-step Zaps processing a few dozen records per day, it is workable. The Professional plan at £69 per month includes 2,000 tasks. Beyond that, Zapier's pricing climbs steeply. At 50,000 tasks per month, Zapier costs approximately £940 per month. This is not a theoretical number - we have seen growing e-commerce and property businesses hit this ceiling within their first year of serious automation adoption.
n8n cloud prices workflows differently: executions are the unit, and the base cloud plan at approximately £20 per month covers a reasonable number of executions for most small teams. However, the self-hosted option is where n8n's cost advantage becomes dramatic. Running n8n on a £20 per month VPS (a Digital Ocean Droplet or Hetzner CX21 is sufficient for most SME loads) gives you unlimited executions for the cost of the server. We run client n8n instances on Hetzner's UK-region servers at £15-20 per month, including backups, for workflows processing hundreds of thousands of records monthly.
| Volume (tasks/month) | Make (GBP/month) | Zapier (GBP/month) | n8n self-hosted (GBP/month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | £9 (Core plan) | £20 (Starter) | ~£20 (server cost) |
| 5,000 | £9 (Core plan) | £69 (Professional) | ~£20 (server cost) |
| 10,000 | £29 (Standard plan) | £120-180 (estimate) | ~£20 (server cost) |
| 50,000 | ~£250 (Team plan) | ~£940/month | ~£20 (server cost) |
| 200,000 | ~£650 (Enterprise) | ~£3,500+ (Enterprise) | ~£35 (upgraded server) |
The 50,000 tasks/month row tells the clearest story. Make costs approximately £250, Zapier costs approximately £940, and n8n self-hosted costs approximately £20. That is a 47x cost difference between Zapier and n8n at the same task volume. For a business processing that volume, switching from Zapier to n8n self-hosted saves approximately £11,000 per year - enough to fund a significant automation build programme.
One caveat on n8n cost comparisons: the £20 per month server figure assumes you have someone competent to set up and maintain the server. If you need to pay a developer or Softomate to manage the infrastructure, add £150-300 per month for a managed service. Even with managed hosting, n8n is cheaper than Zapier at volumes above 20,000 tasks per month.
Make's operations-based pricing also has a structural advantage over Zapier's task-based model when workflows are complex. A 10-step Make scenario costs 10 operations per run. A 10-step Zapier workflow costs 9 tasks per run (the trigger is free, each action costs one task). On paper they look similar, but Make's operations are cheaper per unit at equivalent plan levels - and Make's scenarios tend to be more efficient because the visual canvas encourages combining logic that Zapier splits across multiple Zaps.
For UK businesses evaluating total cost of ownership, factor in build time. Zapier's simpler interface means a non-technical business owner can often build and maintain their own Zaps. Make typically requires an experienced builder for anything beyond basic workflows, adding implementation cost. n8n requires either a developer or a specialist. If your team cannot build and maintain automations internally, the implementation and maintenance costs may outweigh the platform savings at lower volumes.
Zapier is the easiest automation platform for non-technical users by a clear margin. Its linear step-by-step interface requires no technical background, and most basic automations can be live within 15 minutes. Make is manageable for determined non-technical users but has a steeper learning curve. n8n requires comfort with JSON and API concepts and is not suitable for non-technical users without support.
Zapier's design philosophy has always prioritised accessibility over power. When you build a Zap, you work through a guided wizard: choose your trigger app, choose your trigger event, connect your account, choose your action app, map your fields, test, and publish. Every step is explained in plain language. The field mapping interface shows you exactly what data is available and what each field does. For a non-technical business owner who has never heard of a webhook or an API, Zapier is genuinely approachable.
The template library is another Zapier strength. With more than 6,000 app integrations, Zapier has pre-built templates for nearly every common business workflow: new Gmail email to Slack notification, new Typeform response to HubSpot contact, new Stripe payment to Google Sheets row. A non-technical user can often find a template that covers 80% of their need and adapt it in minutes.
Make's visual canvas is more powerful but less immediately intuitive. The flow diagram view - where you can see data moving between modules with coloured lines - is actually quite helpful for understanding complex workflows once you are familiar with it. However, the initial learning curve is steeper. Setting up error handlers, iterators and routers requires understanding concepts that Zapier hides from the user. We typically see non-technical users become comfortable with Make after two to three hours of guided practice. For users who invest that time, Make becomes more productive than Zapier for anything beyond simple two-step automations.
n8n's interface assumes you understand what JSON is, what a REST API endpoint looks like, and how to read an HTTP response. Self-hosted n8n also requires Linux server administration: installing Docker, configuring environment variables, managing SSL certificates, and keeping the instance updated. This is not suitable for most non-technical business owners without dedicated IT support. The n8n cloud version is somewhat more accessible, but the node-based interface is still considerably more technical than either Make or Zapier.
Here are five automations you can build in Zapier in under one hour, without any coding knowledge:
None of these require any knowledge of APIs, webhooks or code. A business owner who can use Gmail and Google Sheets can build all five within an afternoon. That accessibility is Zapier's core value proposition, and it is real.
The usability gap narrows significantly as workflows become more complex. For automations involving multiple data transformations, conditional logic, error handling, or data aggregation, Make's visual canvas becomes easier to manage than Zapier's linear step list. And for any workflow that processes sensitive data or requires custom business logic beyond what the no-code interfaces offer, n8n's flexibility often makes the steeper learning curve worthwhile.
n8n self-hosted is the only option that guarantees your data never leaves your own infrastructure. Make offers EU/UK data region selection on paid plans and provides a Data Processing Agreement. Zapier stores data in the United States by default and requires Standard Contractual Clauses for UK GDPR compliance - making it the weakest option for regulated industries.
UK GDPR (which mirrors EU GDPR following Brexit with minor adaptations) requires that personal data transferred outside the UK to countries without an adequacy decision must be protected by appropriate safeguards. The United States does not have a full adequacy decision with the UK for all data transfers, which means sending personal data to US-based cloud services requires either Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or another approved mechanism.
Data in transit through automation platforms is often overlooked. When a Zap or Make scenario processes a lead form submission containing a name, email address and phone number, that personal data passes through the automation platform's servers before reaching the destination CRM. The platform briefly holds the data, logs it for debugging purposes, and typically stores execution history for a defined retention period. All three platforms log execution data - this is what you see when you look at a Zap's task history or a Make scenario run log. That execution log contains personal data and is subject to GDPR requirements.
Make handles this relatively well. On paid plans, you can select the EU data region, ensuring your scenarios run on EU-based servers and your execution history is stored in the EU. Make provides a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) that satisfies GDPR Article 28 requirements for processor agreements. Make is headquartered in the US (post-2022 acquisition by Celonis) but operates EU data infrastructure. For most UK businesses without specific regulated-industry obligations, Make's EU data region plus a signed DPA is a workable GDPR compliance position.
Zapier's GDPR position is weaker. Zapier is a US company, stores data in the US by default, and does not offer an EU or UK data region. Zapier does offer a DPA and relies on SCCs for cross-border transfers. For straightforward business automations - connecting a contact form to a CRM, sending Slack notifications - this is manageable. For workflows processing sensitive personal data (medical records, financial data, legal case files), Zapier's US data storage creates a meaningful compliance risk that requires specific legal assessment before deployment.
n8n self-hosted eliminates the third-party data processor concern entirely. When you run n8n on your own server in a UK or EU data centre, your automation data never passes through n8n's own servers. The automation platform itself is just software running on infrastructure you control. This is the decisive advantage for regulated industries: healthcare organisations processing patient data, financial services firms handling account information, and legal practices managing client case details can all run n8n self-hosted on UK servers without any cross-border transfer concerns. The ICO has not issued specific guidance on automation platforms, but the principle - that data processing should occur on infrastructure within the adequacy framework where possible - strongly favours self-hosted solutions for regulated data.
| GDPR Factor | Make | Zapier | n8n self-hosted |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK/EU data region available | Yes (paid plans) | No - US only | Yes - your choice of server location |
| Data Processing Agreement available | Yes | Yes | Not applicable - no third party |
| Data stored in US by default | No (if EU region selected) | Yes | No |
| Standard Contractual Clauses needed | No (EU region eliminates requirement) | Yes | No |
| Recommended for regulated industries (healthcare/finance/legal) | Yes - with EU region + DPA | Caution - legal review recommended | Yes - strongest compliance position |
One practical point on execution history: all three platforms store logs of automation runs, including the data that passed through. Make and Zapier allow you to disable execution history logging or set short retention periods if GDPR concerns require it. n8n self-hosted gives you full control over log retention and storage. For businesses processing high volumes of personal data, disabling or minimising execution logs reduces compliance risk on any platform.
Softomate always raises the data residency question with new clients before recommending a platform. A dental practice or solicitors firm that wants to automate appointment reminders or document generation should not default to Zapier without considering where that patient or client data is being processed. n8n self-hosted on a UK-based server is a cleaner solution for those businesses, even if it requires more initial investment to set up correctly.
For most UK sole traders and micro-businesses, Zapier's free or Starter plan handles basic automation needs without technical investment. SMEs with 1-50 staff should use Make for the best balance of power and cost. Medium businesses and enterprises processing high volumes or sensitive data should choose n8n self-hosted. Regulated industries should always choose n8n self-hosted unless a legal review specifically clears an alternative.
The recommendation by business size reflects real cost and capability trade-offs rather than brand preference. At Softomate, we have built automations on all three platforms for UK clients across professional services, property, healthcare and e-commerce. Our platform selection process follows a simple decision path: first, what is the data sensitivity requirement? Second, what is the expected monthly task volume? Third, does the business have internal technical capacity to maintain the platform? The answers to these three questions reliably point to the right platform in the majority of cases.
For solo traders and freelancers, the automation needs are typically simple: a contact form to CRM, invoice notifications, appointment reminders, or social media scheduling. Zapier's free plan handles up to 100 tasks per month across five Zaps, which is sufficient for many one-person operations. When volume grows, Zapier's Starter plan at £20 per month covers 750 tasks - enough for most solo-operator workflows. The zero technical overhead is decisive at this business size: there is no IT support, no developer budget, and no time to learn complex tools.
For 1-10 staff SMEs - the bulk of UK small businesses - Make at £9-29 per month is our consistent recommendation. The operation-based pricing means complex workflows do not cost more per run than simple ones, the visual canvas scales well as the automation library grows, and the EU data region satisfies GDPR requirements without legal complexity. A small estate agency, a marketing consultancy, a trades business, or a professional services firm at this size will find Make covers 90% of automation needs within the Core or Standard plan limits. We have saved clients in this bracket an average of 6-10 hours per week through Make-based automations across lead handling, invoicing, reporting and client communication.
For 11-50 staff SMEs, the calculus shifts. Task volumes grow with team size, and the cost gap between Make and Zapier widens. More importantly, larger SMEs typically have workflows that require conditional logic, multi-branch routing, and error handling - capabilities where Make's canvas genuinely outperforms Zapier's linear model. For SMEs with any regulated data handling, the EU data region selection on Make becomes essential rather than optional.
For medium businesses with 51-200 staff, n8n self-hosted starts to become the economically obvious choice. At 50,000+ tasks per month - a realistic volume for a 100-person business with automations across sales, operations and finance - the cost difference between Zapier (£940+/month) and n8n self-hosted (£20-35/month) is impossible to ignore. Medium businesses also typically have an IT function or can justify a managed hosting arrangement that absorbs the n8n maintenance overhead.
For enterprise organisations above 200 staff, the decision is usually between n8n self-hosted and a dedicated enterprise integration platform (Mulesoft, Boomi, Workato). We would not typically recommend Zapier or Make at enterprise scale - the pricing becomes prohibitive and the governance capabilities (audit trails, role-based access, version control) are better addressed by enterprise-grade tools or n8n with a robust self-hosted configuration.
| Business type | Recommended platform | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Solo trader / freelancer | Zapier (free or Starter) | Zero technical overhead, simple workflows, low cost |
| 1-10 staff SME | Make (Core or Standard) | Best value, powerful enough for complex workflows, EU data region |
| 11-50 staff SME | Make (Standard or Team) | Visual canvas handles growing workflow complexity, cost-effective vs Zapier |
| 51-200 staff (medium) | n8n self-hosted | Volume makes self-hosted cheapest; IT capacity absorbs maintenance |
| 200+ staff (enterprise) | n8n self-hosted or enterprise iPaaS | Cost at scale, governance, audit trails require enterprise-grade tooling |
| Regulated industry (healthcare / finance / legal) | n8n self-hosted on UK server | Data never leaves your infrastructure - strongest GDPR compliance position |
| Agency building automations for clients | Make (primary) + n8n for sensitive clients | Make's multi-organisation features suit agency delivery; n8n for regulated clients |
One scenario worth noting separately: UK businesses already embedded in the Zapier ecosystem with dozens of existing Zaps. Migrating from Zapier to Make or n8n requires rebuilding each workflow manually - there is no automated migration tool. For a business with 50 active Zaps, the migration cost (either in internal time or consultant fees) may outweigh the savings on a three to five year horizon if task volumes are moderate. In those cases, we recommend a hybrid approach: keep existing Zapier Zaps running while building all new automations on Make, then migrating Zapier Zaps during their next planned review cycle.
Agency clients present their own considerations. Make has specific multi-organisation features that allow agencies to manage client automation accounts from a single dashboard, with separate billing per client. This makes Make the natural choice for automation agencies like Softomate delivering Make builds to multiple clients. For clients who require n8n due to data sensitivity requirements, we maintain a separate managed hosting arrangement.
Migration from Zapier to Make requires rebuilding each Zap as a Make scenario - there is no automatic import tool. For simple Zaps (2-3 steps), rebuilding takes 15-30 minutes each. For complex multi-step Zaps, allow 1-2 hours per workflow. Softomate can handle migrations from £500 for a small set of Zaps.
n8n cloud is manageable for technical business owners comfortable with APIs. Self-hosted n8n requires Linux server setup, Docker, and ongoing maintenance - a developer or managed hosting service is strongly recommended. Softomate provides managed n8n hosting from £150 per month.
All three connect to GoHighLevel via webhook. Make has a native GoHighLevel module with pre-built triggers. Zapier also has a native GHL integration. n8n connects via GoHighLevel API webhooks - slightly more setup but full flexibility. For GHL-heavy workflows, Make or Zapier are faster to build with.
Softomate builds Make automation workflows from £3,500 for a single-process automation (such as lead capture to CRM) up to £12,000 for a complex multi-system workflow with error handling, retry logic and monitoring. A free scoping call determines the exact scope before any quote is given.
All three connect to Odoo via the Odoo XML-RPC API or JSON-RPC API. Make has no native Odoo module so connection is via HTTP request module. n8n has community-built Odoo nodes. For Odoo-specific automation, Softomate typically uses n8n or direct Python scripts rather than Zapier or Make.
Yes. Under UK GDPR, if your business determines the purposes and means of processing personal data - including through automation tools that handle customer names, emails or enquiries - you are a data controller and must register with the ICO. Registration costs £40-60 per year for most small businesses. Using Make, Zapier or n8n does not remove this obligation; those platforms act as data processors on your behalf and require a signed Data Processing Agreement.
Automation platforms can support FCA operational resilience by reducing manual handoffs, providing execution logs as audit trails, and enabling faster incident response through alert workflows. However, firms subject to FCA PS21/3 operational resilience rules must map automation tools as part of their important business services, set impact tolerances, and test continuity. Self-hosted n8n gives regulated firms direct control over the infrastructure, which simplifies the resilience mapping exercise compared to relying on a third-party SaaS platform.
The primary risks are credential exposure (stored API keys and OAuth tokens held by the platform), data exfiltration through execution logs, and supply-chain compromise if the platform is breached. The NCSC recommends applying least-privilege access when connecting services - only grant the permissions each integration actually needs. Audit connected accounts quarterly, rotate API keys annually, and disable execution history logging for workflows handling sensitive personal data. Self-hosted n8n reduces third-party risk but introduces infrastructure security responsibilities the business must manage directly.
For UK businesses choosing between Make, Zapier and n8n, the decision comes down to volume and data sensitivity. Make delivers the best value for most SMEs at £9-29 per month with a powerful visual editor. Zapier wins on ease of use but costs £940 per month at 50,000 tasks - a level many growing businesses reach within 12 months of serious automation adoption. n8n self-hosted at approximately £20 per month in server costs is the clear winner for data-sensitive industries and high-volume deployments, though it requires technical confidence to implement and maintain.
Unsure which automation platform suits your business? Book a free automation consultation with Softomate - we will review your current processes, volume and data requirements and recommend the right platform before you commit to any build.
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