n8n vs Make
n8n and Make are the two leading European app-automation platforms, and they differ on where the engine runs. n8n, from Berlin, can be self-hosted free with no operation meter and adds code nodes. Make, from Prague and now part of Celonis, is hosted only, with deeper visual logic and over 2,000 integrations. Operators choose n8n; teams avoiding infrastructure choose Make.
Choose n8n if
your workflows touch credentials that must stay on your own servers, run at high volume, need JavaScript or Python for awkward transformations, or include AI agents as steps.
Read the n8n reviewChoose Make if
you want powerful branching automation without running a server, need one of its 2,000-plus integrations, and are content to pick the EU data centre at signup.
Read the Make reviewn8n and Make side by side
| n8n | Make | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | n8n GmbH | Make (Celonis) |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany | Prague, Czech Republic |
| Founded | 2019 | 2012 |
| Jurisdiction | EU (Germany) | EU (Czech Republic) |
| Where the data sits | Your own servers, or EU cloud | EU or US data centre, chosen at signup |
| Pricing | Free self-hosted / Cloud from about €24/month | Free (1,000 operations/month) / Core from about $9/month |
| Free tier or trial | Free Community Edition | Free tier |
| Source code | Source-available (Sustainable Use Licence) | Closed source |
| Usually replaces | Zapier, Make, Workato, Tray.io | Zapier, Workato, Power Automate |
| Position in our Automation & Integration guide | #1 of 13 | #2 of 13 |
Both are listed in our European Automation & Integration guide. The table is built from the same directory data as those entries; how we check it is described in the editorial process.
Where n8n and Make differ
Across the four points below, n8n has the edge on 1 point, Make on 2 points and one is a tie. A count like that is a summary, not a verdict: the point that matters to you may be the one the other product wins.
Where the credentials live
An automation platform holds the keys to every system it connects. Self-hosted n8n keeps them on infrastructure you control, so you remain the sole controller. Make has no self-hosting: the vendor holds your credentials, although choosing the EU data centre at signup keeps processing and stored credentials inside European jurisdiction. For payroll, patient or financial systems, n8n is the safer design.
Edge: n8n
How the bill grows
Make charges per operation and every step counts, so a scenario with a router, three branches and an aggregator uses several operations per run. Its free tier covers 1,000 operations a month and Core starts around $9. Self-hosted n8n has no per-task meter; its cloud starts from about €24 a month. High volume favours n8n, a few light workflows favour Make.
No clear winner on this point.
Integrations and visual logic
Make offers more than 2,000 integrations plus custom API modules, against n8n's 400-plus. Its routers, iterators, aggregators and error handlers are rated the deepest visual logic among hosted options, with debugging that shows what entered and left each module. n8n closes the integration gap differently, through JavaScript and Python code nodes, but on ready-made connectors Make leads.
Edge: Make
Operational effort
Make asks for no infrastructure at all. Self-hosting n8n requires real effort: a server, a queue, upgrades and someone who notices when a workflow silently stops; for a handful of low-volume automations that person's time can exceed any subscription. n8n's EU cloud removes the servers at a price. For a team without operations capacity, Make is lighter.
Edge: Make
When neither n8n nor Make fits
Neither is built for data pipelines or for machines. Kestra orchestrates pipelines as declarative YAML under Apache 2.0, reviewable like code, and Node-RED speaks MQTT and Modbus on hardware down to a Raspberry Pi, which no app-to-app platform reaches.
n8n vs Make: questions
Make is closed-source SaaS. n8n is source-available under the Sustainable Use Licence rather than classic open source: the code is readable and self-hosting is free for internal business use, but the licence restricts offering n8n as a service to others. That matters mainly to vendors planning a product on top of it.
Make, with over 2,000 integrations plus custom API modules for anything not covered. n8n offers more than 400, alongside JavaScript and Python code nodes that let you write the missing piece yourself, and webhooks. If a ready-made connector for an unusual service decides the matter, check Make first.
Yes, in different ways. n8n GmbH is based in Berlin and n8n runs on your own servers or its EU cloud. Make is based in Prague and lets you choose an EU or US data centre at signup; choosing EU keeps processing and stored credentials in European jurisdiction. That choice is made once.