n8n alternatives
Automation · n8n.io
n8n is a workflow automation platform where pricing is based on monthly workflow executions, available as an n8n-hosted cloud service or self-hosted deployment.
Switching to Make, which covers 33% of the compared capabilities.
Find my alternative
Way less money.
Top n8n alternatives
We compared 10 products and found 2 cheaper options (0 of them cover at least half the compared features) · vs n8n Starter at $26.85/mo · scenario: 1,000 runs/month of a 3-step workflow (trigger + 2 actions), monthly billing, USD.
n8n costs $26.85/mo on the Starter plan at 1,000 runs/month of a 3-step workflow (trigger + 2 actions), monthly billing. We found 2 assessed alternatives that are cheaper in this scenario; 0 of them cover at least 75% of the 6 compared capabilities.
| Product | Match | Price | Annual savings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Make Core plan · missing: Self-hosted deployment, Custom code steps, Git version control, AI agents | 33% | $10.59/mo how? ⓘ | $195.12 / year 61% cheaper | |
Activepieces Plus plan · missing: Custom code steps, Git version control, Audit logs, Execution logs | 33% | $20/mo how? ⓘ | $82.20 / year 26% cheaper |
Which n8n alternative for which situation
Picked by the numbers in this scenario — same subtype unless stated, assessed products only.
- Best open source or self-hosted
- Activepieces — $20/mo (Plus plan) · covers 33%
- Best paid drop-in
- Make — $10.59/mo (Core plan) · covers 33%
- Need self-hosted deployment or AI agents?
- Activepieces — from $20/mo (Plus plan)
- Need audit logs or execution logs?
- Make — from $10.59/mo (Core plan)
What you give up
Capabilities n8n has that the top alternatives lack.
- Self-hosted deployment — Run the automation platform on your own infrastructure.Missing from Make.
- Custom code steps — Add a custom code step within an automated workflow.Missing from Make, Activepieces.
- Git version control — Version workflow changes with Git.Missing from Make, Activepieces.
- Audit logs — Track who changed what within the automation platform.Missing from Activepieces.
- AI agents — Use AI agents to complete steps within a workflow.Missing from Make.
- Execution logs — Review logs of past workflow runs.Missing from Activepieces.
Price at your volume
The same comparison recomputed at three sizes. Plan caps change who is cheapest.
Feature comparison
n8n vs the top alternatives, on the 6 compared capabilities.
| Capability | n8n | Make | Activepieces |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted deployment | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom code steps | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Git version control | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Audit logs | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI agents | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Execution logs | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Scenario price cheapest qualifying plan | $26.85/mo Starter | $10.59/mo Core | $20/mo Plus |
✓ means the product offers the capability — possibly only on a higher tier than the plan priced below it. The price row shows the cheapest plan that qualifies for our comparison scenario, with its plan name; a $0 free plan may not include every checked capability.
What n8n covers
The capability set used for comparison. Grey entries are not available on self-serve plans.
- ✓ Self-hosted deployment
- ✓ Custom code steps
- ✓ Git version control
- ✓ Audit logs
- ✓ AI agents
- ✓ Execution logs
Price ladder
Observed prices from the official pricing page.
Who switched
Anonymous: no account, no email, no IP stored. Reports are shown once a switch has 3 or more and never change ranking or order — alternatives are computed from prices and capabilities only.
Sources
Every claim traces to an official source and a check date.
- https://n8n.io/pricing/ (official_pricing, checked 2026-10-28)
- https://n8n.io/pricing/ (official_pricing, checked 2026-10-26)
Frequently asked
How much does n8n cost?
n8n's Starter plan costs $26.85/mo in our scenario (1,000 runs/month of a 3-step workflow (trigger + 2 actions), monthly billing).
Is there a free n8n alternative?
We have not verified a free plan that fits this scenario among the assessed alternatives.
What is the cheapest n8n alternative?
In our scenario (1,000 runs/month of a 3-step workflow (trigger + 2 actions), monthly billing), Make is the cheapest assessed alternative at $10.59/mo (Core plan).
Does n8n have a free plan?
No. n8n has no free plan on its official pricing page.
When were these prices checked?
Between 2026-10-26 and 2026-10-29, on the vendors' official pricing pages.