n8n vs Zapier (and Zapier Agents)

Two of the most-used automation platforms, both now pitched for AI agents. Here is how hosting, pricing, usage billing and agent features differ, according to their own pricing pages, docs and help centers.

Short answer: n8n rates higher (8.5/10 vs 8.0/10). Pick n8n if you want to self-host for free or run long, many-step workflows: cloud plans charge per full workflow execution, with unlimited users. Pick Zapier for the biggest app catalog (9,000+ apps) and a fully hosted, no-code start: the Free plan includes 100 tasks a month and basic access to Agents. Note that Zapier is moving Zapier Agents into AI by Zapier steps inside Zaps, billed in tasks.

Last updated Oct 23, 2026 · Facts checked Oct 23, 2026 · By VibeFinch · How we rate

How we researched this: every fact here comes from each product's official pages, checked Oct 23, 2026 (sources below). VibeFinch ratings are researched from official docs and pricing, not hands-on tests, and scores are never paid. Safety tip: agents that act in your browser or accounts can be misled by hidden instructions on web pages (prompt injection), so keep approvals on for anything that sends, buys or deletes. There are no affiliate links on this page. How we rate · Disclosure

	n8n	Zapier
What it is	Per n8n: a fair-code platform to build and deploy AI agents and workflows, combining a visual canvas with custom code	Per Zapier: a no-code automation platform connecting 9,000+ apps. Zapier Agents (an add-on) are AI agents with company knowledge that work across those apps
Where it runs	n8n Cloud (data stored in the EU, in Frankfurt), or self-hosted on your own infrastructure	Hosted by Zapier; Agents can also be used from a Chrome extension. No self-hosted edition is listed on its pricing page
Free option	Community Edition: free to self-host, with almost the complete feature set. n8n Cloud: free trial (1,000 executions), no credit card	Free plan: 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps, with basic access to Agents, Chatbots and Zapier MCP. 14-day free Professional trial, no credit card
Paid plans	Cloud Starter €20/month and Pro €50/month, billed annually. Business €667/month (self-hosted only). Enterprise: contact sales	Professional from $19.99/month billed annually ($29.99 monthly) for 750 tasks. Team from $69/month billed annually for 2,000 tasks. Enterprise: contact sales. Annual billing is 33% off monthly
How usage is counted	Per full workflow execution, regardless of how many steps it has or how much data it processes. All plans include unlimited users, workflows and every integration	Per task: each successful action step uses tasks; failed actions, triggers and built-in tools such as Filter, Formatter and Paths don’t. AI steps cost more depending on model tier and tool calls. One Zapier MCP tool call = 2 tasks
When you run out	Business and Enterprise: workflows keep running and overage charges may apply (Business: €4,000 per extra 300,000 executions)	With pay-per-task on (paid plans), Zaps keep running at 1.25× (annual) or 2.5× (monthly) the base task rate, up to 3× your plan’s tasks. With it off, usage stops until the next cycle
Users	Unlimited users on every plan	1 seat on Free and Professional, 25 on Team, unlimited on Enterprise
AI agents	AI Agent node and AI steps, MCP client and MCP Server Trigger, human approval for tool calls, hosted and embedded chat. Starter includes AI models without API keys	Zapier Agents is billed in activities (Free 400/month, Pro 1,500/month from about $33.33/month billed annually), separate from tasks. Zapier is migrating Agents into AI by Zapier steps in the Zap editor, billed in tasks, with per-tool approvals; no shut-off date has been set
Code	JavaScript or Python code steps on all plans; custom nodes and bash scripts when self-hosted	Code by Zapier runs JavaScript or Python: 1 second of included runtime per step on Free, 30 seconds on Professional and Team
Integrations	1,500+ integrations (per n8n’s GitHub README), plus custom HTTP and GraphQL requests	9,000+ apps. Premium apps and webhooks need a paid plan
Paid-only features	On self-hosted n8n, SSO, Git version control, environments, projects and workflow sharing need a paid plan	Multi-step Zaps, webhooks, premium apps, filters and paths need Professional; SAML SSO and shared workspaces need Team
VibeFinch rating	8.5/10 · review	Zapier Agents: 8.0/10 · review

Which should you pick?

Pick n8n if you need to self-host or keep data on your own servers. The Community Edition is free; SSO, Git version control and sharing need a paid plan.
Pick n8n if your workflows have many steps or many people building them: you pay per full execution, and every plan has unlimited users.
Pick Zapier if the apps you use are niche: it lists 9,000+ apps, versus n8n’s 1,500+ (n8n can still call any API over HTTP).
Pick Zapier if you want a no-code start with nothing to host. Its Free plan covers two-step Zaps and basic Agents; multi-step Zaps need Professional.
If you’re starting with Zapier Agents today, note that Zapier is moving agents into AI by Zapier steps billed in tasks, so plan your costs in tasks, not only activities.
Before paying for either, cost out one typical run: n8n counts it as one execution, while Zapier counts a task for each successful action step, and more for AI steps.

Read the full n8n and Zapier Agents reviews, compare n8n vs Make, see all AI agent builders, or browse agent builders by rating.

Sources

All facts below were taken from official pages, checked Oct 23, 2026. Plans and prices change often, so confirm on the official page before you buy.