n8n vs Zapier
A side-by-side comparison of n8n and Zapier, drawn from Ignaite's continuously-verified listings.
Compared from listings verified as of
At a glance
| Attribute | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Category (differs) | Orchestration | Automation |
| Pricing | FREEMIUM | FREEMIUM |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Deployment (differs) | Hybrid | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web, API | Web, API |
| Model support | Model-agnostic | Model-agnostic |
| Vendor (differs) | n8n | Zapier |
| Capabilities (differs) |
|
|
The honest brief
n8n
The self-hostable Zapier alternative with first-class AI/LangChain nodes and per-execution (not per-task) pricing.
- Free Community Edition
- 500+ integrations
- Visual builder bridging APIs and databases
- Per-execution pricing, not per-task
- Code nodes for full control
- Fair-code license, not OSI open-source
- Self-host carries ops overhead
- Steeper than Zapier for non-technical users
Zapier
Unmatched breadth — thousands of app integrations — making it the default glue, with AI agents added on top.
- Connectors for most SaaS tools
- Easy no-code trigger/action setup
- In-workflow LLM calls and agents
- Massive template library
- Fast to glue two SaaS tools
- Task-based pricing climbs fast
- Limited branching/logic vs rivals
- Shallow for complex data workflows
- AI features feel bolted-on
When to pick which
Both cover Workflow orchestration.
Pick n8n if you need Agent framework, Tool / function calling, and RAG pipeline.
- Agent framework (secondary capability)
- Tool / function calling (secondary capability)
- RAG pipeline (secondary capability)
Pick Zapier if you need Multi-agent orchestration and AI app builder.
- Multi-agent orchestration (secondary capability)
- AI app builder (secondary capability)
They also differ on:
- Deployment
- Hybrid · Cloud