n8n vs Make: choosing between two visual automation platforms

What each platform is

Make (formerly Integromat) is a cloud automation service. You build “scenarios” from modules, and they run on Make’s infrastructure. n8n is a workflow automation platform from n8n GmbH that you can self-host or use through n8n’s cloud. Veyrox implements n8n for clients but has no affiliation with either company.

Building style

Make is known for a polished visual editor with routers, iterators, and aggregators that handle branching and lists without code. n8n uses a node-based canvas as well. Both now support custom code when a visual step is not enough: n8n has a Code node, and Make has a Code app, both for JavaScript or Python (Make bills code execution time in credits). Teams with no developer often find Make easier to start with. Teams that want to self-host, or to mix code freely into most workflows, more often choose n8n.

Hosting and data control

This is the clearest difference. Make is cloud-only; your data passes through Make’s servers. Make’s Enterprise plan includes an on-prem agent that lets cloud scenarios reach systems on your local network, but the scenarios themselves still run in Make’s cloud. n8n can run on a server you control, which matters when data residency, internal databases, or client confidentiality are part of the requirement. If self-hosting is a must, Make is not an option.

Pricing models

Make prices plans in credits: each module action in a scenario uses credits from your monthly allowance. n8n Cloud and n8n’s paid self-hosted plans are priced per workflow execution, meaning one full run however many steps it has. The free self-hosted Community Edition has no usage fee, but it needs a server and someone to maintain it. Prices change, so check both vendors’ current pages rather than trusting a number in an article. The useful exercise is to estimate your real monthly volume and the time someone will spend maintaining each option.

AI and custom logic

Both platforms now have agent features: Make offers Make AI Agents (in beta at the time of writing) and an AI toolkit, and n8n has an AI Agent node and other AI nodes inside workflows. In n8n, the Code node makes it practical to apply your own business rules before or after an AI step. That is why it is common for workflows where an AI classifies a message, a rule decides what is allowed, and a person handles the exceptions.

When to stay on Make

• A small number of scenarios already work and nobody complains about them
• Nobody on the team wants to own a server, updates, or backups
• Your data has no residency or confidentiality constraint that rules out a third-party cloud

When moving to n8n makes sense

• Usage costs are growing faster than the value of the workflows
• You keep needing logic that prebuilt modules do not support
• Data must stay on infrastructure you control
• You are adding AI steps that need your own rules and a human handoff

What migration really involves

A Make scenario cannot simply be opened in n8n; the two platforms structure workflows differently. Plan for each scenario to be rebuilt as an n8n workflow, tested on sample data, and switched over one at a time. That is also a good moment to remove steps that only existed as workarounds. Veyrox migrates the Make scenarios a business already runs into production n8n workflows after a free audit; the approach is outlined on managed n8n automation.

Comparing Zapier as well? Read choosing between n8n and Zapier. Deciding where n8n would run? See self-hosted n8n vs n8n Cloud.