#1
Starting at $9/mo
59% cheaper than n8n
n8n Alternatives
4 alternatives compared · n8n pricing starts at $22/mo · ✓ verified 39h ago
If n8n isn't the right fit for your workflow automation (ipaas) needs — whether the price ($22/mo) doesn't match your budget, the feature set is too thin, or you want to avoid vendor lock-in — there are 4 legitimate alternatives in this category. Below we rank them by our StackScore (a weighted blend of price, feature coverage, and free-tier value), with verified pricing pulled directly from each vendor's live page.
The top alternative right now is Make (formerly Integromat) at $9/mo. Below that, you'll find 3 additional options ranging from free-plan options to premium tools — each linked to its full pricing breakdown plus a head-to-head comparison against n8n.
#2
#3
#4
Starting at Custom
Ad · We earn from affiliate links — you pay the same price. Rankings never influenced by commissions.
About the workflow automation (ipaas) category
Workflow automation / iPaaS tooling in 2026 has three pricing philosophies. 'Per-task volume' (Zapier $19.99-custom/month): pay for task executions (each step in a workflow counts as a task), simplest mental model, category-dominant for SMB. 'Per-operation credit' (Make €9-29/month, ~$10-32 USD): more economical than Zapier per-task for workflows with many steps, distinguishes 'Core' (API access) from 'Pro' (priority) from 'Teams' (shared). 'Per-execution workflow' (n8n €20-667/month, ~$22-730 USD): unique — charges only when workflows complete end-to-end regardless of steps, most economical for complex multi-step workflows. 'Enterprise iPaaS' (Workato $10K-200K+/year, Tray.ai custom): enterprise integration platforms with dedicated workspaces, advanced governance, embedded partner integrations. Zapier dominates SMB (3,000+ integrations, 30M+ users). Make (formerly Integromat, rebranded 2021) is category challenger with aggressive pricing. n8n is the open-source fair-code-licensed alternative — can self-host Community edition free forever. Workato is enterprise-first with predictable pricing commitment. Tray.ai (rebranded from tray.io in 2023-2024) targets enterprise integration + embedded partner workflows. The 2024-2026 shift: AI-powered workflow building (Zapier Copilot, Make AI assistant, n8n AI Workflow Builder), AI agents (Zapier Agents $0-33/month) replacing simple automations, and natural-language workflow generation. Integration breadth still matters: Zapier 3,000+ apps, Make 3,000+ apps, n8n 1,100+ nodes + community.
How to choose: buying criteria for workflow automation (ipaas)
First: SMB or enterprise? SMB (1-10 person team, moderate workflow complexity): Zapier Free (100 tasks/mo) or Professional $19.99/month annual for multi-step Zaps. Make Free (1,000 credits/mo) or Core $9/month for more economical multi-step. n8n Community (self-hosted free) for technical teams. Mid-market (10-100 person team): Zapier Team $69/month annual + 25 users, Make Teams $29/month + team management, n8n Pro €50/month (~$55 USD). Enterprise: Workato $10K-200K+/year, Tray.ai custom (typical $2,500-20,000+/month), Zapier Enterprise custom, Make Enterprise custom, n8n Business €667/month (~$730 USD) or Enterprise custom. Second: task vs operation vs execution pricing? Zapier's per-task model: each step = 1 task. A 5-step Zap running 100 times/month = 500 tasks. On Free (100 tasks), hits limit after 20 runs. Make's per-operation model: 1 operation per module. 5-step scenario running 100 times = 500 operations on 10,000 credits — covers 2,000 runs. n8n's per-execution: only charges when workflow completes, regardless of steps. 5-step workflow running 100 times = 100 executions. For multi-step heavy workflows, n8n is 2-10x cheaper than Zapier. Third: open-source optionality? n8n Community (fair-code license) is self-hostable and genuinely free forever. 184,000+ GitHub stars. Critical escape hatch vs Zapier/Make/Workato proprietary platforms. Fourth: AI workflow building? Zapier Copilot + Agents (up to $33/month Pro) for Zapier-native AI. Make AI assistant. n8n AI Workflow Builder (50-150 credits depending on tier) generates workflows from natural language descriptions. Fifth: enterprise embedded integrations? Tray.ai Enterprise 'Embedded Bundle' specifically targets SaaS companies embedding Tray-powered integrations in their products. Workato also has embedded program. Sixth: multi-step workflow complexity? Simple (1-2 steps): Zapier Free sufficient. Medium (3-10 steps): Make Pro ($16/month) or n8n Starter. Complex (10+ steps with branching, loops, error handling): n8n Pro or Business is dramatically cheaper than Zapier for same workflow volume.
Building Your Business Stack?
Decision-makers comparing tools often need more than one category. Here are related comparisons:
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the best alternatives to n8n in 2026?
- The top alternative to n8n is Make (formerly Integromat) with a StackScore of 85/100. Other options include Zapier and Workato. All prices verified daily.
- Is there a cheaper alternative to n8n?
- Yes! Make (formerly Integromat) starts at $9/mo, which is cheaper than n8n's $22/mo.
- Are there free alternatives to n8n?
- Yes! Make (formerly Integromat), Zapier offer free plans you can use as an alternatives.