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COMPARE/AUTOMATION/N8N · ZAPIER
AUTOMATION · HEAD TO HEAD● YOU PICK THE WINNER
n8nvsZapier
Two tools. Verified data. Side by side. Everything on this page is vendor-sourced and dated. We don't pick a winner. That's your call. Use the Lens to apply your own criteria.
n8n
Starts at$24/mo
Free planNo
Plans4 tiers
Features17 features
Integrations46 native
PlatformsWeb · API · Self-hosted
MCP serverYes
Zapier
Starts at$19.99/mo
Free planYes
Plans4 tiers
Features8 features
Integrations12 native
PlatformsWeb · API · Slack · iOS · Android
MCP serverYes
● THE LENS · YOUR COMPARISON · YOUR WINNER
Build the lens. Watch it lean.
Your criteria. Your weighting. Your verdict. Pick your axes and watch the data respond. You decide what's best for you, not us.
PRESETS
Based on your selections, the data leans this way, scroll down to read more.
AXES · 8 · PICK ANY
ALL TOOLS UPDATED 2026.04.30
CAPABILITIES
Where they overlap, where they don't
Functional roles from both tools, split by coverage. The corners are where the two tools become different products.
Only n8nRoles covered exclusively by this tool.
1- Code Writer
Both6 of 8 roles in the verified union.
6- Workflow Automator
- Trigger Handler
- Data Router
- Scheduler
- Webhook Manager
- Api Caller
Only ZapierRoles covered exclusively by this tool.
1- Form Handler
ROLE COVERAGE···
PLAN LADDER
Every plan, mapped to one ladder
Both tools laid out by ascending monthly cost. Expand any plan to see what's included.
AT A GLANCE
More comparable fields
Every data point from both tools, side by side. Nothing hidden, nothing weighted.
FACT
Category
Automation
Automation
Starting Price
$24/mo
$19.99/mo
Pricing Model
Paid
Freemium
Plans
4 tiers
4 tiers
Free Plan
No
Yes
Free Trial
Yes
Yes
Platforms
Web · API · Self-hosted
Web · API · Slack · iOS · Android
Top Features
17 features
8 features
Integrations
46 native
12 native
Public API
Yes
Yes
Webhooks (In)
Yes
Yes
INTEGRATIONS · 52 TOOLS
Integrations from both tools, side by side
Integrations sourced from each tool's own documentation. Where both tools connect to the same app, you see it once. The rest shows where their ecosystems diverge.
BOTH6
40
6UNION52
INTEGRATION
NOTES
Airtable
✓
✓
Both. Pre-built node for database and spreadsheet-style data management in Airtable.
Gmail
✓
✓
Both. Pre-built node for sending and managing emails via Gmail. Available across all plans.
Google Sheets
✓
✓
Both. Pre-built node for reading, writing, and managing Google Sheets data. Listed as the most popular integration on n8n.io/integrations.
DEEP READ
What it does
Features and capabilities sourced from each tool's own documentation, structured for comparison.
n8n
TOP FEATURES · 17
F01
Visual Workflow Builderautomationn8n's leading visual canvas editor lets you build automation workflows by connecting modular nodes without writing boilerplate code. Outputs appear right next to your settings at every step, enabling fast iteration, and you can execute just the last step rather than the entire sequence.
F02
Code-When-You-Need-It (JS & Python)apiWrite custom transformations in JavaScript or Python using a built-in code editor that integrates directly into workflow nodes. On self-hosted instances, you can also import npm packages for additional power, and use expressions with dynamic parameters in every node.
F03
500+ Pre-Built Integrations & HTTP Request Nodeintegrationn8n ships with over 500 pre-configured native integration nodes covering apps, databases, AI models, vector stores, and MCP servers, eliminating API boilerplate and credential complexity. For anything not covered, the HTTP Request node lets you connect to any REST API using existing credentials or an imported curl command.
F04
AI Agent BuilderaiBuild production-ready AI agents by connecting an AI Agent node to any LLM, memory module, and tool set on the visual canvas. Supports multi-agent orchestration, planning agents, deep research agents, and RAG agents, with human-in-the-loop checkpoints at any workflow stage. The AI Agent Builder draws on 70+ LangChain-based nodes covering models, memory, and tools, with every agent decision visible and traceable directly on the canvas.
F05
RAG System BuilderdataBuild complete Retrieval-Augmented Generation pipelines inside n8n without manually stitching separate tools. The platform handles the full pipeline, data ingestion, chunking, embedding, vector store connection, retrieval, and LLM response, using native integrations for popular vector databases and LLMs.
F06
MCP (Model Context Protocol) SupportapiEnable MCP on your n8n instance to make your workflows callable by any AI platform, including Lovable, Claude, and other MCP clients. You can also call other MCP-enabled tools from within your own workflows, connecting to a growing ecosystem of AI-ready services.
Zapier
TOP FEATURES · 8
F01
Zaps, Trigger-Action AutomationautomationBuild automated workflows called Zaps by connecting a trigger app to one or more action apps. Supports multi-step Zaps, conditional logic, and runs across 8,000+ app integrations without writing code.
F02
Filters and Paths (Conditional Logic)settingsAdd Filters to run workflows only when specific conditions are met (e.g. deal value exceeds $5,000 in Salesforce), and use Paths to route data to different teams or actions based on if/then branching logic.
F03
WebhooksapiConnect to any API or web service without writing code. Send data to or receive data from any service via webhooks, enabling integrations beyond Zapier's native app library.
F04
Tables and FormsdataStore and manage data with built-in Tables that your Zaps can read and update. Forms reflect table logic in real-time, automatically updating Table records when responses come in. Both are included across all Zapier plan tiers at no extra cost.
F05
AI Automation and AgentsaiConnect 300+ AI tools to workflows. Build AI Agents using the Templates Hub (pre-built configurations for common tasks) or configure agents via Copilot using plain language. AI Chatbots handle customer-facing questions. AI guardrails and governance controls (added February 2026) give enterprise teams visibility into all automated AI interactions.
F06
Data Formatting, Looping, and SchedulingtemplateTransform dates, currencies, and text into the required format with Formatter. Process line items by running actions multiple times with Looping. Schedule workflows for any time increment and add Delays between steps.
WHO IT'S FOR
Who each tool is built for
Use cases and fit tags from each tool's own positioning. Match these to your context, not their marketing.
Developers and AI engineersTeams use n8n to build production-ready AI agents by connecting LLM nodes, memory modules, tool integrations, and human-in-the-loop checkpoints on a visual canvas. Multi-agent systems coordinate specialized sub-agents (e.g., research, writing, QA) to complete complex workflows. Planning agents break large tasks into steps, while RAG agents retrieve real-time data from internal documents, wikis, or databases to generate accurate, grounded responses, all without building custom orchestration infrastructure.
IT teams and system administratorsIT teams use n8n to automate the full range of operational tasks: onboarding and offboarding employees across multiple systems, triaging and routing helpdesk tickets with AI-powered categorization, auto-resetting passwords via self-service triggers, monitoring infrastructure uptime with scheduled checks, and sending real-time alerts for incidents. Workflows replace manual, error-prone processes with consistent, auditable automation that resolves issues faster and reduces toil.
Security engineers and SOC analystsSecurity teams use n8n as a lightweight SOAR platform, enriching incident tickets with threat intelligence, correlating alerts from SIEMs and TIPs, automating case management in tools like Elastic Security, and triggering playbook responses based on severity rules. The visual builder makes complex Python-based playbooks readable by the entire team, while the built-in code editor handles edge cases that need custom logic.
KEEP COMPARING
Related comparisons
Other head-to-heads featuring one of these tools.
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The decision is yours.
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