n8n vs. Zapier TCO Scorer
Zapier bills per task (every step). n8n bills per execution (each run). As workflows grow in complexity, the cost gap widens. Calculate your true total cost of ownership.
Task-based vs. execution-based billing. ~3 min.
Your Workflow Profile
e.g. email + read PDF + log CRM = 3
Billing Model Difference
At 5,000 runs × 5 steps = 25,000 Zapier tasks/mo.
n8n counts 5,000 executions — same workflow, 400% fewer billable units.
Zapier
$299/mo
$3,588/yr • Task-based
n8n Cloud
$50/mo
$600/yr • Execution-based
Save $2,988/yr vs. Zapier
n8n Self-Hosted
~$415/mo
VPS + 5h × $80/hr
Hidden Costs & Recommendation
- Zapier: Loops, retries, HITL multiply task count. No native branching.
- n8n: Self-hosted is "free" but engineering time can reach $300k/yr at scale.
n8n Cloud or Self-Hosted — task multiplication kills Zapier at this scale.
Get Your TCO Report
Email your comparison with annual savings, hidden cost notes, and the Security Handbook. Share with your dev team.
Building agentic workflows?
OpenClaw + n8n = deterministic pipelines with AI autonomy. Get a Technical Spec for your orchestration layer.
Generate Blueprint →Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between Zapier tasks and n8n executions?
- Zapier bills per task: every step (email sent, row added, API call) counts. A 5-step workflow run 1000 times = 5000 tasks. n8n bills per execution: one run = one execution regardless of steps. Same workflow = 1000 executions. Execution-based scales better for complex, multi-step agentic workflows.
- When does Zapier become more expensive than n8n?
- When workflows have 5+ steps and run 2000+ times/month, Zapier's task multiplication drives cost up fast. Loops, retries, and Human-in-the-Loop steps multiply Zapier tasks. n8n's execution model keeps cost predictable. Switch when your monthly task count exceeds 10k.
- Is n8n self-hosted really free?
- n8n is open source; self-hosting has no licensing fee. You pay for a VPS (~$15/mo) and engineering time for setup and maintenance. At scale, dev hours can reach $300k/yr. n8n Cloud ($20–250/mo) removes ops burden for most teams.