Comparison

n8n vs Zapier

n8n is the right pick when self-hosting matters or when an engineer wants to write JavaScript inside a node. Zapier wins on connector breadth, templates, and a non-technical user experience. Many teams end up running both.

Last verified: 22 Apr 2026

Best for, by tool

Best for

n8n

Engineering-led teams, data-residency-sensitive companies, teams with internal LLMs

Best for

Zapier

Non-technical operators, broad connector requirements, template-led adoption

Feature matrix

Feature	n8n	Zapier
Self-host option	✓	—
Code in nodes	JS native	Limited (Code by Zapier)
Connector library	500+	7,000+
AI nodes	Native	Native
Pricing	Per-workspace	Per task
Open source core	✓	—

Pricing summary

n8n

Free self-hosted. Cloud Starter from £20/mo per workspace.

Full pricing →

Zapier

From £19.99/mo per user (Pro). Free plan for tiny flows.

Full pricing →

FAQ

Can I self-host n8n production-safely?

Yes. The Community Edition is feature-complete; Enterprise Edition adds SSO, audit logs, and worker scaling.

Will my non-technical team adopt n8n?

They can, but Zapier's onboarding is meaningfully gentler. Many teams give ops staff Zapier and reserve n8n for complex flows.

Sources

[1] n8n — n8n pricing. n8n.io/pricing. Captured 22 Apr 2026.
[2] Zapier — Zapier pricing. zapier.com/pricing. Captured 22 Apr 2026.