n8n vs Make: which to choose in 2026

The same idea, two operating models

Make and n8n both let you drag nodes onto a canvas, connect them and watch data move through. A developer or a skilled operations person can build in either. The difference is not the canvas. It is who runs the machine underneath.

Make is a hosted service. You sign in, build and pay for what you use. Updates, uptime and security of the platform are the vendor's job.

n8n offers a hosted cloud and also lets you run the software on your own server. Its license is source-available under the vendor's own terms rather than a standard open source license, so read it if you plan to resell workflows to clients as a service. For internal business use it is widely used and free to self-host. Free to run still means someone has to run it.

Decision table

Plan limits and prices change often. Confirm both vendors' current plans before budgeting, and count your own steps per run.

Three ways to run n8n

The middle row is where most teams start and where most surprises arrive. Plan for them.

The upkeep checklist for self-hosting

If you choose to run n8n yourself, these are the jobs that now belong to you:

• Use a proper database such as PostgreSQL for production rather than the default file database, and back it up on a schedule.
• Back up the encryption key separately. Credentials stored in n8n are encrypted with it, and without it a restored database cannot use them.
• Put it behind HTTPS with a reverse proxy, and restrict who can reach the editor.
• Pin the version and read release notes before upgrading, since a node may change behavior.
• Monitor disk usage. Stored execution history grows quickly, so set a retention limit.
• Alert on failed workflows to a channel a person actually reads.

None of this is hard for a developer. All of it is invisible work that nobody notices until it fails. If no one in your company will own it, use Make or n8n Cloud instead. Our n8n automation team can run it for you.

Where each one wins

Make wins on polish and speed for a business team. Scenarios are easy to read, scheduling and error handlers are built in and there is no server. For standard flows between common apps it is hard to fault.

n8n wins when a flow is long and dense. A workflow with forty nodes that runs 20,000 times a month is cheap to host yourself and costly on any tool that meters every step. It also wins when you want a code step to clean data, when you call an internal API that has no ready module, or when a customer's rules say data must stay on your systems.

AI-heavy flows lean toward n8n, where agent nodes with memory and tools are first-class. For design ideas, see our list of n8n workflow templates.

Switching cost and a recommendation

Neither imports the other's files. Moving means rebuilding each workflow, and the mapping logic usually transfers cleanly when you have written it down. Expect to spend the most time on error handling and on credentials, which have to be re-created.

1. Under 10 flows, no technical ownerStay on Make, or choose n8n Cloud.
2. Long flows, high run counts, or code neededMove to n8n, and decide hosted or self-hosted by who owns upkeep.
3. Strict data location rulesSelf-host n8n and document the hosting setup.
4. UnsureRebuild your single busiest flow in the other tool and compare for two weeks.

We can run that comparison on your actual flows. Use the contact page and we will send a fixed quote after a short call. For the third major tool, see Make vs Zapier.