n8n vs Zapier: executions against tasks
n8n and Zapier both connect apps and run AI steps, but they charge for different things. n8n counts one execution each time a whole workflow runs; Zapier counts a task for each action that succeeds inside a run. This page compares n8n Cloud and self-hosted n8n with Zapier Free, Professional, Team and Enterprise, using prices and limits read from both vendors on 13 October 2026.
Reviewed against 28 sources. Prices, models, policies and terms change, so check the linked pages before you buy, build, publish or trade.
The short answer
Pick n8n if your workflows have more than a couple of steps, run in volume, or must live on your own server: it bills a run once however long it is, and only n8n can be self-hosted. Pick Zapier for a free plan, short automations with no server to look after, or an app that only its 9,000+ directory lists.
Choose n8n if
- Your workflows have several steps. 10,000 runs a month is €50 on n8n Pro billed annually. With four actions each, the same runs are 40,000 Zapier tasks: the 50,000-task Professional tier at $289 a month billed yearly.
- You have to self-host. The Community edition is free for internal business use under the Sustainable Use License. Zapier lists no self-hosted version and stores data on AWS in the United States.
- You are building AI agents. One turn with an n8n agent is one execution, and its tool calls are not counted on top.
Choose Zapier if
- You run fewer than 100 tasks a month. Zapier Free is $0 with no end date; n8n Cloud has a 14-day trial capped at 1,000 executions and no free plan.
- The app you need is only on Zapier. It lists 9,000+ apps against 2,368 integrations in the n8n directory.
- Your automations are one trigger and one or two actions. 750 tasks a month is $19.99 billed yearly, and filter, formatter, path and delay steps use 0 tasks.
The facts, side by side
Each row shows the date it was checked and numbered links to the pages it was read from.
marks the side the facts favour on that row. Rows without one are a draw or a matter of fit.
Swipe the table sideways to see Zapier.
| Compared | n8nNode-based workflow automation | ZapierManaged workflow automation |
|---|---|---|
| What you are billed for11819 | Workflow executions. One execution is one full run of a workflow, however many steps it has. | Tasks. Each action a Zap completes is one task, and some actions use more. Triggers use none. |
| What is not counted81819 | Manual test runs, sub-workflow runs, error workflow runs, and polls that find no new data | Checking for new data, failed actions, and built-in steps: Filter, Formatter, Paths, Delay, Looping, Sub-Zaps, Digest, Storage, Tables and Forms |
| Self-hosting542224 | Advantage: Yes. Install with Docker, Docker Compose, npm or a one-line setup, or deploy to a cloud provider. The Community edition is free. | None listed. Zapier runs on AWS in the United States, and its MCP documentation says on-premises deployments are not currently available. |
| Licence618 | Sustainable Use License: the source is public and free for internal business, personal or non-commercial use. n8n does not call it open source. Paid features use the n8n Enterprise License. | Not published: there is no version to download, so there is no self-host licence. You use Zapier on a subscription. |
| Integrations listed10112118 | 2,368 in the n8n directory. An HTTP Request node reaches any other API, and community nodes can be installed. | Advantage: 9,000+ apps in the Zapier directory. Premium apps and webhooks need a paid plan. |
| Users included118 | Advantage: Unlimited users on every plan | 1 seat on Free and Professional, 25 on Team, unlimited on Enterprise |
| AI agents1216252618 | Agents, in Preview since 21 September 2026 on all plans: a model, instructions, tools, skills, sub-agents, memory, schedules, and channels such as Slack and Telegram. The older AI Agent workflow node still works. | An AI by Zapier step inside a Zap, on Professional and above, with tools, a model tier and per-tool approval. The separate Zapier Agents product is being migrated into it; no turn-off date is set. |
| What an agent run uses1614192726 | One turn with an agent is one execution. Calls to workflow tools and sub-agents are not counted separately. You pay the model provider yourself, or use prepaid Gateway credits on Cloud Starter and Pro. | 1 task per AI step on Standard models, 3 on Advanced, 5 on Premium, and the same again for each tool call (Advanced and Premium only). Your own model: 1 task each. A run pauses for approval at 75 tasks by default. |
| AI that builds for you13118 | n8n Assistant (Preview) creates, edits and tests workflows from chat. 1,600 Assistant credits a month on Starter, 4,000 or 9,600 on Pro; self-hosted uses your own model key. | Zapier Copilot (Beta): a daily message limit on Free, unlimited on paid plans |
| MCP1512319 | A built-in MCP server lets clients such as Claude Desktop search, run, create and edit your workflows. MCP Server Trigger and MCP Client nodes work inside a workflow. | Zapier MCP is included in every plan and lets clients such as Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor run Zapier actions. Each tool call uses 2 tasks. |
| Custom code11918 | Code steps in JavaScript or Python. Custom nodes and bash scripts are available when self-hosted. | Code by Zapier in JavaScript or Python at 1 task per step. Included runtime per step: 1 second on Free, 30 seconds on Professional and Team, 2 minutes on Enterprise. |
| Where your data sits122 | n8n Cloud: Frankfurt, Germany. Self-hosted: wherever you run it. | AWS in the United States |
Where each one is stronger
n8n Node-based workflow automation
A run costs one execution however long it is
n8n counts a workflow run once whether it has 2 steps or 20, so adding a step does not raise the bill. On Zapier every successful action is a task: four actions a run, 2,500 runs a month, is 10,000 tasks. 118
Free to run on your own server
The self-hosted Community edition is free and has, in n8n's words, almost the complete feature set. It leaves out SSO, environments, projects, sharing, external secrets, Git version control and log streaming, which need a Business or Enterprise licence key. 43
No charge per seat
Every n8n plan includes unlimited users. Zapier Professional has 1 seat and Team has 25, so a second builder means moving from $19.99 to at least $69 a month billed yearly. 118
Zapier Managed workflow automation
Nearly four times the listed apps
Zapier lists 9,000+ apps; the n8n directory lists 2,368 integrations. If your tool has a Zapier app and no n8n node, Zapier connects it without an API call. 2110
A free plan that does not expire
Zapier Free gives 100 tasks a month with two-step Zaps and a 15-minute polling interval. n8n Cloud has a 14-day trial with 1,000 executions, and the workspace is deleted if you do not upgrade. 189
Team controls on a low plan
Zapier Team includes 25 seats, shared app connections and SAML SSO from $69 a month billed yearly. n8n lists SSO from Business, which is self-hosted only at €667 a month billed annually. 181
Which to pick, by job
A lead form that updates a CRM, posts to Slack, adds a sheet row and sends an email, 2,500 times a month
Three simple automations that each run about once a day
Automations that have to run on your own servers or keep data in the EU
Connecting a niche SaaS tool without touching its API
An AI agent that answers in Slack and calls several tools per message
What it costs
n8n lists prices in euros and Zapier in US dollars, so each column keeps its own currency; Zapier's pricing page has a currency switch if you want both in euros. All prices are per month. The units differ: an n8n execution is a whole workflow run and a Zapier task is one successful action, so multiply your runs by the actions in each run before comparing the columns.
marks the side the facts favour on that row. Rows without one are a draw or a matter of fit.
Swipe the table sideways to see Zapier.
| Compared | n8nNode-based workflow automation | ZapierManaged workflow automation |
|---|---|---|
| Free option19418 | No free cloud plan. 14-day trial with 1,000 executions, no card needed. The self-hosted Community edition is free. | Free: $0 with 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps and 1 seat |
| Lowest paid plan118 | Advantage: Starter: €20 a month billed annually, or €24 monthly, for 2,500 executions | Professional: $19.99 a month billed yearly, or $29.99 monthly, for 750 tasks |
| Price at 10,000 a month118 | Advantage: Pro, 10,000 executions: €50 a month billed annually, or €60 monthly | Professional, 10,000 tasks: $129 a month billed yearly, or $193.50 monthly |
| Price at 50,000 a month118 | Advantage: Pro, 50,000 executions: €120 a month billed annually, or €144 monthly | Professional, 50,000 tasks: $289 a month billed yearly, or $433.50 monthly |
| Team plan118 | No per-seat plan. Pro adds 3 shared projects and admin roles, with unlimited users. | Team: from $69 a month billed yearly, or $103.50 monthly, for 2,000 tasks and 25 seats. $399 billed yearly at 50,000 tasks. |
| Self-hosted paid plan118 | Business: €667 a month billed annually, or €800 monthly, for 40,000 executions. Adds SSO, environments and Git version control. Self-hosted only. | None |
| Going over your plan limit211820 | Starter and Pro: each new execution fails at once and is not queued; the count resets at the start of the calendar month. Business: workflows keep running and extra executions are billed at €4,000 per 300,000. | Pay-per-task billing at a higher per-task rate set by your plan and billing cycle, up to 3 times the plan limit. Then Zaps pause until the next period. |
| AI model usage1419 | Your own provider key, or prepaid Gateway credits on Cloud Starter and Pro, billed per request at rates n8n publishes. Top-up credits expire after 12 months. | Billed in tasks: 1 per AI step on Standard models, 3 on Advanced, 5 on Premium, 1 with your own model |
| Agent pricing161826 | No separate plan. An agent turn is one execution from your plan. | AI steps draw on plan tasks. Zapier Agents plans are still listed: Free with 400 activities a month, Pro with 1,500 for $33.33 a month billed annually ($400) or $50 monthly. |
| Discounts118 | Annual billing saves 17%. Start-up plan: 50% off Business for companies under 20 employees. | Yearly billing saves 33%. Non-profits: 15% off any paid plan. |
What changed recently
n8n released version 2.43, which opens Browser Use in n8n Assistant to all users. 17
Zapier announced that Zapier Agents is now AI by Zapier: agents run as an AI step in the Zap editor, on task pricing. 25
Zapier unveiled Next Gen Zaps at ZapConnect 2026, in early access on paid plans. 28
n8n launched Agents in Preview on all plans, in n8n 2.40. 16
n8n added Gateway credits on Cloud Starter and Pro: prepaid AI model usage with no provider API key. 16
n8n stopped counting error workflow runs towards the execution quota, on every plan. 16
Zapier began pricing AI by Zapier steps by model tier: 1, 3 or 5 tasks a step. 27
Questions people ask
Is n8n cheaper than Zapier?
For workflows with several steps or steady volume, yes. n8n Pro covers 10,000 runs for €50 a month billed annually, however many steps each has. Zapier Professional at 10,000 tasks is $129 a month billed yearly, and a Zap with four actions spends those tasks in 2,500 runs. At the very bottom Zapier wins: Zapier Free includes 100 tasks a month and n8n Cloud has no free plan. 118
Is n8n free?
The self-hosted Community edition is free, and n8n says it has almost the complete feature set. You provide and maintain the server. n8n Cloud is paid: after a 14-day trial with 1,000 executions, plans start at €20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions. SSO, environments and Git version control need a paid licence key. 4391
Can I use self-hosted n8n for client work or inside my product?
Yes, within limits. The Sustainable Use License allows internal business use, and n8n's licence FAQ says you can build automations for clients on your own instance and charge for setup, consulting and maintenance, as long as clients cannot create or edit workflows. Hosting n8n for others to build on, white-labelling it, or letting end users build workflows through your product needs a commercial agreement. 67
What is the difference between an n8n execution and a Zapier task?
An execution is one complete run of a workflow; a task is one successful action inside a run. A workflow with a trigger and five actions that runs 1,000 times is 1,000 n8n executions and 5,000 Zapier tasks. Zapier does not charge for triggers, for checking for new data, or for built-in steps such as Filter, Formatter, Paths and Delay. 81819
How many apps do n8n and Zapier connect to?
Zapier lists 9,000+ apps and the n8n directory lists 2,368 integrations, both counted on 13 October 2026. n8n narrows the gap with an HTTP Request node for any API and installable community nodes, but both take more setup than a ready-made app. 211011
Which is better for AI agents, n8n or Zapier?
n8n, if the agent calls many tools. Its Agents feature, in Preview since 21 September 2026, has tools, skills, sub-agents, memory and channels such as Slack, and each turn is one execution. Zapier announced on 6 October 2026 that its agent features now live in the AI by Zapier step: 1, 3 or 5 tasks per step and again per tool call, model included. Zapier suits one agent step inside a Zap you already run. 12162519
Sources
Each page was read on the date beside it. The links open the current version, which may have changed since.
- 1n8n: plans and pricing
- 2n8n Help Center: execution limit FAQ
- 3n8n Docs: choose how to use n8n
- 4n8n Docs: compare self-hosted editions
- 5n8n Docs: install options
- 6n8n Docs: Community license (Sustainable Use License)
- 7n8n Docs: license FAQ
- 8n8n Docs: understand executions
- 9n8n Docs: try free then choose a plan
- 10n8n: integrations directory
- 11n8n Docs: nodes
- 12n8n Docs: build and manage agents
- 13n8n Docs: use n8n Assistant
- 14n8n Docs: Gateway credits
- 15n8n Docs: connect to n8n MCP server
- 16n8n Docs: changelog
- 17n8n Docs: release notes
- 18Zapier: plans and pricing
- 19Zapier: task usage rates
- 20Zapier Help: how pay-per-task billing works
- 21Zapier: app directory
- 22Zapier: security and compliance
- 23Zapier: Zapier MCP
- 24Zapier Docs: MCP security
- 25Zapier Blog: Zapier Agents is now AI by Zapier
- 26Zapier Help: migrating from Agents to AI by Zapier
- 27Zapier Help: AI by Zapier model-based pricing
- 28Zapier Community: the next generation of Zaps is here
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