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Zapier alternatives: Make, n8n, Power Automate and custom code

Short answer

Make charges less per run for multi-step workflows, n8n bills per workflow execution and can be self-hosted, and many Microsoft 365 plans already include Power Automate for basic flows. Custom code fits high-volume, business-critical automations you want to own. Stay with Zapier for its large app catalog and quick, low-volume automations.

  • Last reviewed October 2026
  • Prices from each vendor’s own site. See sources
  • Disclosure: OWNIT builds custom software, one of the options here
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Same workflow, three different meters

Zapier counts tasks, Make counts credits and n8n counts executions. Set the size of a workflow and how often it runs to see what each one would meter in a month.

  • Zapier: every successful action is a task. Triggers, filters and paths are free.
  • Make: every module action is a credit, the trigger included, on every run.
  • n8n: one execution per run, however many steps it has.
Task mathOne workflow, per month
Steps, trigger included 5 steps
  • Zapier4,000 tasks
    Above Pro’s entry tier of 750 tasks
  • Make5,000 credits
    Fits the $9 plan (5,000 credits)
  • n8n1,000 executions
    Fits Starter (2,500 executions, €20 a month)
  • Power Automateper user or bot
    Licensed per user ($15) or per bot ($150) a month, not per run
  • Custom code (OWNIT)no meter
    No per-run fee. You pay hosting and any API usage directly

Assumes one item per run, every step succeeds, and no loops or AI steps, which change the count on every platform. Units are not prices: a credit is not a task. Rules and allowances checked October 2026.

Zapier and four alternatives, side by side

Automation tools differ most in what they meter. That decides your bill once a workflow runs thousands of times a month.

Zapier and four alternatives, side by side. Prices as of October 2026.
OptionPricing modelWho owns data and codeLock-in and exitLimits to knowBest for
ZapierPer-task automationPer task: each successful action counts; triggers, filters and paths don’t. Free 100 tasks a month; Pro from $19.99 a month billed yearly for 750; Team from $69.Your accounts and data; Zapier’s platform runs the workflows.Zaps are Zapier-specific, so moving means rebuilding each workflow.With pay-per-task on, tasks over your plan bill at 1.25× the base rate on annual plans and 2.5× on monthly.Quick automations across popular apps, built by non-developers.
MakePer-credit automationPer credit: each module action uses one, including the trigger on every run. Free 1,000 credits a month; paid from $9 a month for 5,000.Your accounts and data; Make’s platform runs the scenarios.Scenarios are Make-specific, so moving means rebuilding them.Some AI modules use more than one credit. The Free plan runs no more often than every 15 minutes.Visual, multi-step workflows with branching logic, at a lower price per run.
n8nPer-execution, self-hostablePer workflow execution, whatever the number of steps. Cloud Starter €20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions; self-hosted Community Edition free.Self-hosted, the workflows and data stay on your servers. Source-available under the Sustainable Use License.Self-hosting keeps the workflows and data on infrastructure you control.Self-hosting means you run updates, security and uptime. The license limits offering n8n to others commercially.Technical teams with heavy or complex workflows.
Power AutomatePer-user or per-bot licensePer user, $15 a month, or per unattended bot, $150 a month, paid yearly. Many Microsoft 365 plans include basic cloud flows with standard connectors.Runs in your Microsoft tenant, under Microsoft’s terms.Flows are built for Microsoft’s platform, so moving means rebuilding.Premium and custom connectors need a premium license. Desktop automation needs Premium (attended) or Process (unattended).Teams that live in Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and Excel.
Custom code by OWNITBuilt and ownedOne-time build at a fixed price. No per-task fees; hosting and API usage are billed to your own accounts.You own the code, the workflows and the accounts.Documented code any developer can pick up. Host it anywhere.An upfront cost. Changes need a developer, or a care plan.High-volume or business-critical flows, and logic the tools can’t express.

List prices in US dollars unless marked, from each vendor’s site in October 2026, before tax, add-ons and promotions. Sources

30 minutes. We will tell you honestly if renting is the better deal for you.

Each option, described fairly

What each tool does well, what to watch, and what it costs as of October 2026.

Zapier

Per-task automation

A simple way for non-developers to connect apps, backed by a very large catalog of integrations.

Strong at

  • A very large catalog of app integrations
  • Simple to build and change without a developer
  • Triggers, filters and paths don’t use tasks

Watch for

  • Every action step counts, so long workflows add up fast
  • Overage tasks cost more than plan tasks

Price check, October 2026Free 100 tasks a month. Pro from $19.99 a month billed yearly ($29.99 monthly) for 750 tasks. Team from $69 a month billed yearly for 2,000 tasks. Source

Make

Per-credit automation

A visual workflow builder with strong branching and data handling, priced per module action.

Strong at

  • A visual canvas with routers, filters and branching
  • 3,000+ app integrations
  • A low entry price for multi-step workflows

Watch for

  • The trigger uses a credit on every run, even when nothing new arrives
  • AI and code steps can use more than one credit

Price check, October 2026Free up to 1,000 credits a month. Paid plan from $9 a month for 5,000 credits, with discounts for annual billing. Enterprise custom. Source

n8n

Per-execution, self-hostable

A developer-friendly workflow tool you can run on your own servers, metered per run instead of per step.

Strong at

  • One execution per run, however many steps it has
  • A free self-hosted Community Edition for internal use
  • JavaScript or Python code steps when you need them

Watch for

  • Self-hosting needs someone to run and secure it
  • Source-available, not open source in the OSI sense

Price check, October 2026Cloud Starter €20 and Pro €50 a month billed annually (2,500 and 10,000 executions). Community Edition free to self-host. Source

Power Automate

Per-user or per-bot license

Microsoft’s automation layer, closest to Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and Excel.

Strong at

  • Basic cloud flows included with many Microsoft 365 plans
  • Deep links into Microsoft 365 and Dataverse
  • Desktop automation (RPA) for older systems

Watch for

  • Premium connectors need a paid Power Automate license
  • Licensing has several layers to plan for

Price check, October 2026Premium $15 per user a month, Process $150 per bot a month, Hosted Process $215 per bot a month, all paid yearly. Source

Custom code by OWNIT

Our option

Integrations written as code you own, with logging, retries and alerts built in.

Strong at

  • No per-task fees that grow with your volume
  • Every run logged, failed steps retried, and alerts when something breaks
  • Any logic, any API, in your own repository

Watch for

  • You pay for the build up front
  • Usage of AI and messaging APIs still costs money, billed to you directly

How we priceA fixed price agreed in writing before work starts. Automation packages are listed on our pricing page. See pricing

When Zapier is the right choice

Zapier earns its price in plenty of businesses. Stay if this sounds like you.

  • Your automations are simple and low volume, and the bill is small.
  • You rely on a connector for a niche app that the alternatives don’t offer.
  • Non-developers build and change the automations themselves.
  • You are still testing which workflows matter. Zapier is a fast way to prove them before building anything.

How OWNIT does it

Own the automations that matter

We still use Zapier or Make where they fit. For the workflows your business depends on, we build owned integrations: code in your repository, running on hosting in your name, with every run logged, failed steps retried and alerts when something breaks. No per-task fees that grow with your success. AI and messaging usage is billed to your own accounts at the providers’ standard rates.

See AI automation
See integrations

You own

  • The code and the workflow logic
  • The repository and documentation
  • The hosting and API accounts
  • The run logs and data

You still pay for

  • Hosting, usually a small monthly bill
  • AI, SMS and email usage at the providers’ rates
  • Changes after launch, unless they are in your care plan

Questions, answered

Short, straight answers. Anything else, ask us on a free call.

Go deeper in the OWNIT Journal

n8n, Zapier, Make or custom code: choosing your automation layer
What is the cheapest alternative to Zapier?

For multi-step workflows, Make’s paid plan starts at 5,000 credits for $9 a month, against Zapier Pro’s 750 tasks from $19.99 billed yearly, as of October 2026. Self-hosted n8n has no license fee for internal use, but you pay for the server and the time to run it.

How do Zapier tasks compare with Make credits?

Zapier counts each successful action as a task and doesn’t count triggers, filters or paths. Make uses a credit for each module action, including the trigger on each run. So a five-step workflow uses four Zapier tasks or about five Make credits per run, before any AI steps.

Is n8n really free?

The Community Edition is free to self-host for your own internal business use under n8n’s Sustainable Use License. n8n’s cloud plans are paid, starting with Starter at €20 a month billed annually.

Does Microsoft 365 include Power Automate?

Many Microsoft 365 plans include Power Automate for cloud flows that use standard connectors. Premium connectors, custom connectors and desktop automation need a Power Automate Premium or Process license.

When should we move automations to custom code?

When a workflow runs thousands of times a month, touches money or customers, needs logic the tools struggle with, or when usage fees have become a line item you notice. Keep quick experiments on Zapier or Make and move the proven, critical flows.

Sources

We checked every price and feature above on the vendor’s own website in October 2026. Prices change and some vary by region, so confirm on the vendor’s page before you buy. If something here is out of date, tell us at hello@ownit24.com and we will fix it.

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