---
title: "n8n vs Zapier (2026): Pricing, GTM Use, Verdict"
description: "n8n vs Zapier for GTM automation: verified 2026 pricing, per-execution vs per-task billing, self-hosting, and when code beats both."
url: https://getaob.com/n8n-vs-zapier
---

# n8n vs Zapier (2026): which one should run your GTM automations?

Pick Zapier if the people building your automations are reps or marketers who need an app connector for almost anything and will run modest volume; pick n8n if someone on the team is comfortable with JSON and code, your workflows have many steps or loop over lists, or you want to self-host. For GTM work specifically (lead routing, enrichment, CRM sync, reply handling) the pricing models matter more than the feature lists: Zapier charges per task (each action step that runs), n8n charges per workflow execution no matter how many steps it has.

An honest disclosure up front: I run most automations for OneGTM and my clients as code written with Claude Code, with Deepline for data calls, Supabase as the database and GitHub Actions for schedules, so I use neither tool day to day. This page compares them on their own pricing and docs as of November 2026, explains where each one still beats writing code, and covers the GTM workflows people actually build in them.

By [Garrett Wolfe](https://garrettawolfe.com), founder of OneGTM (Clay Artisan Solutions Partner) and former GTM engineer at Unify. Updated November 1, 2026.

Key takeaways

- Zapier Pro starts at $19.99 a month billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly) for 750 tasks; every action step in a Zap counts as a task.
- n8n Cloud Starter is $20 a month billed annually ($24 monthly) for 2,500 executions with unlimited steps; Pro is $50 annually ($60 monthly) for 10,000.
- n8n Community Edition is free to self-host, but it leaves out projects, SSO, Git version control and credential sharing.
- Zapier lists 10,415+ apps against n8n's 2,587 integrations, though n8n's HTTP Request and Code nodes cover any API.
- For a 10-step enrichment workflow on 1,000 leads a month, Zapier burns about 10,000 tasks ($129 a month annually on Pro) while n8n counts 1,000 executions.

## n8n

### [n8n](https://n8n.io/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=n8n-vs-zapier)

A node-based workflow builder you can self-host for free (Community Edition) or run on n8n Cloud, priced per workflow execution regardless of how many steps it has.

**Best for:** Technical teams, high-volume or AI-heavy workflows, self-hosting

**Pricing:** Community Edition free to self-host. Cloud Starter $20 a month billed annually or $24 billed monthly (2,500 executions). Pro $50 annually or $60 monthly (10,000 executions). Business 667 euros a month annually (self-hosted only). Enterprise on request.

## Zapier

### [Zapier](https://zapier.com/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=n8n-vs-zapier)

The biggest no-code automation catalog, with 10,415+ connected apps, Zaps built as linear steps, plus Tables, Forms, Agents and Chatbots.

**Best for:** Non-technical teams that need the widest app coverage

**Pricing:** Free (100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps). Pro from $19.99 a month billed annually or $29.99 a month billed monthly for 750 tasks. Team from $69 a month annually ($103.50 monthly) for 2,000 tasks. Enterprise on request.

Choosing tools for an outbound build?

Send me your current stack and what you want it to do. I'll tell you what I'd keep and what I'd change.

Get a stack review

## Also consider

### [Make](https://www.make.com/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=n8n-vs-zapier)

A visual builder that sits between the two: more branching control than Zapier, less setup than n8n, priced in credits.

**Best for:** Branching ops workflows on a small budget

**Pricing:** Free with 1,000 credits a month; Core $9 a month billed annually ($10.59 monthly) for 10,000 credits

Prices are from each vendor's site as of November 2026 and change often, so check before you buy. This is an opinionated list, not a paid ranking. Some links are referral links that may earn us a credit; that never changes what you pay or who makes the list.

## n8n vs Zapier at a glance

| Tool | Best for | Starting price |
| --- | --- | --- |
| n8n | Technical teams, high-volume or AI-heavy workflows, self-hosting | $20 a month billed annually, $24 monthly (Starter) |
| Zapier | Non-technical teams that need the widest app coverage | $19.99 a month billed annually, $29.99 monthly (Pro, 750 tasks) |
| Make | Branching ops workflows on a small budget | Free with 1,000 credits a month |

Starting prices as published by each vendor in November 2026.

## n8n vs Zapier: side by side

|  | n8n | Zapier |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starting paid price | $20 a month billed annually, $24 monthly (Starter) | $19.99 a month billed annually, $29.99 monthly (Pro, 750 tasks) |
| Free option | Community Edition, free to self-host | Free plan: 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps |
| Billing unit | Workflow execution, any number of steps | Task: each action step that runs |
| Volume at about $50 a month | 10,000 executions (Pro, annual) | 2,000 tasks (Pro at $49, annual) |
| Integrations | 2,587 listed, plus HTTP Request and Code nodes | 10,415+ apps |
| Self-hosting | Yes (Community Edition, Business plan is self-hosted only) | No |
| Code steps | JavaScript and Python on all cloud plans | Code by Zapier; 1 second of runtime per step on Free |
| Users | Unlimited on every plan | 1 seat on Pro, 25 on Team |
| AI agents | AI Agent node, MCP client and server on all cloud plans | Zapier Agents billed in activities (400 a month free, 1,500 on Pro) |
| Polling speed | Webhooks and schedules you set | 15 min on Free, 2 min on Pro, 1 min on Team |
| SSO | Business and Enterprise | Team (SAML SSO) and Enterprise |

As published on each vendor's own site on November 1, 2026. Plans and prices change often, so check before you buy.

## n8n vs Zapier pricing compared

The two pricing models diverge fast once a workflow has more than a couple of steps. A typical GTM flow, say a new HubSpot contact triggers an enrichment lookup, a qualification check, a CRM update, a Slack alert and a sequence enrollment, is roughly five to ten action steps. On Zapier each of those steps is a task, so 1,000 leads a month through a 10-step Zap is about 10,000 tasks, which is the $129 a month Pro tier on annual billing ($193.50 monthly). On n8n the same run is one execution per lead, so 1,000 executions fits inside the $20 Starter plan, and 10,000 leads fits inside the $50 Pro plan.

Zapier narrows the gap in two ways: the 750-task Pro tier at $19.99 is cheap for light use, and Zapier includes managed hosting, more native app connectors and email support. n8n's self-hosted Community Edition costs nothing in licence fees, but you pay for the server and for someone to keep it patched. If you need team features on n8n you jump to Business at 667 euros a month billed annually (800 euros monthly), which is self-hosted only.

- Zapier Free: $0, 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps, 15-minute polling.
- Zapier Pro: $19.99 a month annually ($29.99 monthly) for 750 tasks up to $3,389 annually for 2,000,000 tasks; 1 seat.
- Zapier Team: $69 a month annually ($103.50 monthly) for 2,000 tasks, 25 seats, SAML SSO, shared Zaps.
- n8n Starter: $20 a month annually ($24 monthly), 2,500 executions, 5 concurrent executions, 1 shared project.
- n8n Pro: $50 a month annually ($60 monthly), 10,000 executions, up to 50 concurrent, workflow history.
- n8n Business: 667 euros a month annually, 40,000 executions, SSO, Git version control, self-hosted only; Enterprise on request.

## Features compared

Both tools can build the standard GTM automations. The difference is how much they hide. Zapier hides almost everything and assumes a linear flow; n8n shows you the JSON between every node and expects you to handle loops, branches and errors yourself.

- Building style: Zapier walks you through a linear trigger and action list with Paths for branching; n8n is a canvas of nodes where data passes as JSON items you can inspect at each step.
- Looping over lists: n8n processes arrays natively, which suits enriching a CSV or a batch of CRM records; in Zapier, looping is possible but every action inside the loop costs tasks.
- Custom APIs: n8n's HTTP Request node imports cURL commands and handles pagination; Zapier adds webhooks on Pro and up, but most users stay with native app actions.
- AI and agents: n8n ships an AI Agent node, MCP client and MCP server trigger on every cloud plan; Zapier offers AI by Zapier steps on Pro and up plus Zapier Agents, billed in separate activities.
- Reliability tooling: n8n has error workflows, retries and execution search on Pro; Zapier adds analytics, an observability API and log streams on Enterprise.
- Collaboration: n8n gives unlimited users on all plans but gates projects; Zapier gates shared workspaces and SSO behind Team.
- Hosting and data control: n8n can run entirely on your own infrastructure, which matters for regulated data; Zapier is cloud only.

## Who should pick n8n

- Someone on the team reads JSON and is happy writing a JavaScript or Python step.
- Workflows loop over lists or run many steps per record, like enrichment waterfalls.
- You want to self-host for cost or data control.
- You are building AI agents that call your own tools or MCP servers.

## Who should pick Zapier

- Reps, marketers or ops people with no coding background will own the automations.
- You need a native connector for a niche SaaS app that n8n does not list.
- Volume is low: a few hundred tasks a month fits the $19.99 tier.
- You want hosting, uptime and support handled by the vendor.

## The verdict

For most GTM teams without an engineer, Zapier is the safer start: it connects to nearly everything and anyone can fix a broken Zap. The bill climbs quickly once you run multi-step enrichment or routing on thousands of leads, and that is usually when teams look at n8n.

n8n is the better tool for technical operators and high-volume work. Per-execution pricing makes long workflows cheap, and the Code node means you rarely hit a wall.

My own setup skips both. Once an automation is worth running on a schedule for a client, I write it as code with Claude Code, store state in Supabase and schedule it with GitHub Actions. That gives me version control, tests and no per-task bill. I would still hand a client Zapier for simple internal glue their team will maintain, and n8n when they have a technical ops person who wants a visual layer over code.

## Sources

Every price and feature claim above was checked on these pages on November 1, 2026. Something out of date? Email [team@getaob.com](mailto:team@getaob.com).

- [n8n pricing](https://n8n.io/pricing/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=n8n-vs-zapier)
- [n8n Community Edition features (docs)](https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/community-edition-features/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=n8n-vs-zapier)
- [n8n integrations directory](https://n8n.io/integrations/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=n8n-vs-zapier)
- [Zapier pricing](https://zapier.com/pricing?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=n8n-vs-zapier)
- [Zapier app directory](https://zapier.com/apps?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=n8n-vs-zapier)
- [Make pricing](https://www.make.com/en/pricing?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=n8n-vs-zapier)

## n8n vs Zapier FAQ

### Is n8n cheaper than Zapier?

Usually, for multi-step workflows. n8n Starter is $20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions of any length, while Zapier Pro charges per action step, starting at $19.99 a month annually for 750 tasks.

### Is n8n free?

The self-hosted Community Edition is free and needs no licence key, but you pay for your own server. n8n Cloud starts at $20 a month billed annually or $24 billed monthly.

### Does Zapier have more integrations than n8n?

Yes. Zapier lists 10,415+ apps and n8n lists 2,587 integrations. n8n's HTTP Request node can call any REST API, so the gap matters most for non-technical users.

### Which is better for sales automation?

Zapier suits simple sales glue like form to CRM to Slack owned by reps. n8n suits enrichment, lead scoring and routing that loop over many records, where Zapier's per-task billing gets expensive.

### Can I self-host Zapier?

No. Zapier is cloud only. n8n can be self-hosted through the free Community Edition or the paid Business plan at 667 euros a month billed annually.

### Do I need either tool if I can code?

Not always. I write most scheduled GTM automations as code with Claude Code and GitHub Actions instead. The tools still win when non-engineers need to see and edit the workflow.

Picking between n8n and Zapier for a GTM build? I can help you scope it.

## Related

- [Best workflow automation tools](https://getaob.com/workflow-automation-tools): Claude Code, n8n, Zapier, Make, Clay and more for GTM automation, with what OneGTM runs and pricing.
- [n8n vs Make](https://getaob.com/n8n-vs-make): n8n vs Make compared with verified 2026 pricing: per-execution vs per-credit billing, self-hosting, code steps, and who should pick which.
- [Zapier vs Make](https://getaob.com/zapier-vs-make): Zapier vs Make with verified 2026 pricing: tasks vs credits, 10,415+ vs 3,500+ apps, branching, and which no-code tool fits your team.
- [All GTM tool guides](https://getaob.com/gtm-tools): Every tool category we cover, from cold email and LinkedIn to signals and dialers.

## Talk through your GTM stack

Tell me what you're building. I reply the same day.

Book a call at [getaob.com/#contact](https://getaob.com/#contact) or email [team@getaob.com](mailto:team@getaob.com).