n8n vs Zapier: One Execution per Run or One Task per Action
Two separate services with separate meters. n8n counts one execution each time a workflow runs, however many steps it passes, and can run on your own server. Zapier counts a task for each action that succeeds, while triggers, filters and formatting are free. This page counts three monthly workloads in both units and lists what self-hosting adds.
By Elias Brandt · Updated 8 Oct 2026 · About 7 min read · Plan terms taken from each tool profile
The short answer
Choose Zapier if one builder runs short Zaps within about 25 tasks a day, triggers poll apps that change rarely, and nobody should maintain servers. Choose n8n if runs chain many app actions, since a six-action run is still one execution, if several colleagues build workflows, because every plan allows unlimited users, or if data must stay on infrastructure you control.
n8n or Zapier: which one, when?
Pick by how many actions a run has and where it must live
In shortFew actions per run and no server to look after favour Zapier; long action chains, many builders or in-house hosting favour n8n.
Zapier for a solo builder with simple hand-offs
Professional is one seat with multi-step Zaps, premium apps and 2-minute polling, and idle polls are free, so a few low-volume Zaps stay inside its entry task tier.
n8n Cloud for multi-step work at volume
Pro lists 10,000 executions and 20 concurrent runs at EUR 50 a month billed annually, and each execution covers a complete run whether it has 3 nodes or 30.
Self-hosted n8n when data must stay on your servers
Community needs no subscription, only someone who updates and restores it; SSO and Git-backed environments arrive with Business or Enterprise.
Six everyday jobs, side by side
In shortRead across a row: the job, then what each tool does and what it counts.
| If the job is… | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Wait for new records in a slow-moving app | Each scheduled run is an execution; Starter allows about one run every 18 minutes | Polls never use tasks; Free checks every 15 minutes, Professional every 2, Team every minute |
| Enrich a lead through six apps | One execution per run | Six tasks per run when every action succeeds |
| Add custom logic | Code node in JavaScript or Python; library limits depend on Cloud or self-hosting | Code step in JavaScript or Python at 1 task, more with extended runtime |
| Run an AI agent with tools | Agents combine several model providers, tools and registry MCP servers; self-hosted uses your own model key | AI by Zapier priced by model tier; Zapier Agents use a separate activity quota |
| Alert on a failed run | Error workflow starting with an Error Trigger node | Errored actions are not billed; paid plans add automatic replay |
| Move changes from test to production | Git-backed environments on Business and Enterprise | Zap versions on paid plans |
The basics
In shortRead live from each profile.
| What do you need? | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| In short | Build workflows in managed Cloud or on your own infrastructure. | One event in one app, an action in another. |
| Free access | Free access available | Free access available |
| Plans |
|
|
| Price check | Pricing review due · Sep 24, 2026 | Prices confirmed · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Full profile | n8n profile | Zapier profile |
Values come from each tool’s profile and update with it, in the currency each vendor shows.
Visit n8n (opens in a new tab) Visit Zapier (opens in a new tab)
How is each one built?
In shortAn n8n workflow is a canvas of nodes that you can run from the editor before publishing. A Zap is one trigger followed by actions; on Free it is one trigger and one action.
Five differences that decide it
- Billing unit
- Zapier uses one task per successful action step, with triggers, filters, paths and Formatter free; n8n counts one execution per complete workflow run, however many nodes it passes through. Source: help.zapier.com
- Worked example
- Assume a six-action lead-enrichment workflow that runs 20 times a day for 30 days. Zapier: 6 x 20 x 30 = 3,600 tasks, above Team's 2,000-task entry tier. n8n: 600 executions, about a quarter of Starter's 2,500. Prices are in USD and EUR, so compare quotes instead of dividing. Source: n8n.io
- Hosting
- Zapier's Free, Professional and Team plans run on Zapier's hosted service. n8n runs as managed Cloud or on servers you operate, where Community has no licence fee but upkeep is yours. Source: docs.n8n.io
- Seats
- Zapier Free and Professional have 1 seat, Team 25 and Enterprise unlimited. Every n8n plan, Starter included, allows unlimited users, so adding builders does not change the invoice. Source: zapier.com
- Free access
- Zapier Free is a plan, not a trial: 100 tasks a month with two-step Zaps. n8n Cloud offers a 14-day trial with 1,000 executions; its lasting free route is self-hosted Community. Source: docs.n8n.io
Feature matrix
In shortFifteen capabilities marked from the two profiles and this comparison’s sources. A dash means the sources do not cover it, not that the tool lacks it.
| Capability |  n8n |  Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Building a workflow | ||
| Several actions in one workflow | Offeredunlimited steps on every plan | Partlypaid plans; Free is one trigger and one action |
| Write code in a step | OfferedCode node, JavaScript or Python | OfferedCode step, JavaScript or Python, 1 task |
| Call any REST API | OfferedHTTP Request node, cURL import | Not listednot covered in the sources checked |
| Start from a template | Offeredtemplate library; self-hosted can serve its own | Not listednot covered in the sources checked |
| AI | ||
| AI step inside a workflow | OfferedOpenAI, Anthropic, Google and other providers | OfferedAI by Zapier, billed by model tier |
| AI agents | Offeredtools and memory | OfferedZapier Agents, own activity quota |
| MCP | Offeredregistry servers as agent tools | OfferedAI clients run Zapier actions, 2 tasks a call |
| Running it | ||
| Pick up new records in an app | Partlyscheduled runs, each one an execution | Offeredfree polling: 15, 2 or 1 minute by plan |
| Retry or replay a failed run | Offeredfilter executions by status, retry | Offeredreplay from Zap history; automatic on paid plans |
| Alert when a run fails | Offerederror workflow, e.g. email or Slack | Not listednot covered in the sources checked |
| Runs in parallel | Offered5 on Starter, 20 on Pro | Not listednot covered in the sources checked |
| Hosting and control | ||
| Run on your own server | OfferedCommunity, no licence fee | Not listedFree, Professional and Team are hosted |
| Single sign-on | PartlyBusiness: SSO, SAML, LDAP | PartlyTeam: SAML SSO |
| Versions or environments | PartlyGit-backed, Business and Enterprise | PartlyZap versions, paid plans |
| Shared work | Offeredshared projects: 1, 3 or 6 by plan | PartlyTeam: shared Zaps, folders, connections |
offered partly or with limits not listed on the profile.
Do you need to write code?
Not to start: both build from ready-made steps, and both accept JavaScript or Python in a step when those fall short. The difference sits at the edge of the app catalogue. n8n has an HTTP Request node that takes a pasted cURL command to reach a REST API the catalogue lacks, and its Code node’s library limits depend on Cloud or self-hosting. On Zapier, confirm that the app exposes the exact trigger, action and fields your process needs before you build on it.
Sources: n8n Code node, n8n HTTP Request node, Zapier rates.
What does a month cost, counted in executions and tasks?
In shortn8n counts how often a workflow starts. Zapier counts how many actions succeed. Count your load in both units first, then compare prices in the same billing period.
The units, row by row
| Work | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| A scheduled or polling check that finds nothing | 1 execution: every scheduled run counts | 0 tasks: polls never use tasks |
| Trigger, filter, branching and formatting steps | Inside the run’s single execution | 0 tasks: Filter, Paths, Formatter and Delay are free |
| One app action that succeeds | Inside the run’s single execution | 1 task |
| Ten app actions in one run | Still 1 execution | 10 tasks |
| An action that errors | The run shows as failed and can be retried; its execution count is not covered in the sources checked | 0 tasks: errored or halted actions do not count |
| Code inside a step | Inside the execution; limits depend on hosting | 1 task at standard runtime, more with extended runtime |
| An AI step | Inside the execution; self-hosted calls the model with your own key | More than 1 task, set by the model tier |
Units as each profile states them. Replaying a whole Zap run counts its earlier successful steps again.
Sources: n8n pricing, How Zapier measures task usage, Zapier rates.
Three monthly loads, counted
In shortSame work, two meters. A 30-day month, every action succeeding, no AI or code steps.
| Load | n8n executions | Zapier tasks |
|---|---|---|
| New sheet rows, about 5 a day, each copied to a CRM and posted in chat; n8n checks every 30 minutes | 1,440 (48 × 30), whether a check finds rows or not: inside Starter’s 2,500 | 300 (5 × 2 × 30): inside Professional’s 750; Free cannot run two actions |
| A form sends 60 submissions a day, each creating one CRM contact | 1,800 (60 × 30): inside Starter’s 2,500 | 1,800 (60 × 30): above Professional’s 750 entry tier; Team’s entry tier holds 2,000 |
| 10 orders a day; a filter passes 4 large ones to an eight-action fulfilment chain | 300 (10 × 30): one per order that starts the workflow, filtered or not | 960 (4 × 8 × 30): orders stopped by the filter cost nothing; above Professional’s 750 |
Arithmetic on the per-run and per-action rates above. The first n8n count assumes a scheduled check, as in the “Wait for new records” row of the jobs table. Zapier’s Professional price rises with larger task tiers, so check which tier holds the second and third counts.
Scheduled checks are what n8n pays for and Zapier does not; long action chains are what Zapier pays for and n8n does not. When every run has one action, as in the second load, the two counts match exactly, so the plan tier and its currency decide.
What each plan includes
Price per month on yearly billing, from the n8n profile. Bars compare plans of this tool only.
Price per month on yearly billing, from the Zapier profile. Bars compare plans of this tool only.
n8n Cloud bars are monthly equivalents on annual billing, in euros. Zapier bars are yearly billing at each entry task tier, in US dollars; larger task tiers cost more. Neither is converted into the other’s currency.
Hosting and teams: what do you take on?
In shortZapier hosts its Free, Professional and Team plans. n8n Cloud is hosted too; self-hosting swaps the subscription for a server and someone to run it.
Self-hosted n8n: the cost lines
| Cost line | Community | Business (self-hosted) |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | None | EUR 667 a month, billed annually |
| Executions included | Not covered in the sources checked | 40,000 a month |
| Servers, updates and restores | Your team | Your team |
| External services the workflows call | Yours to run | Not covered in the sources checked |
| Shared projects | Not covered in the sources checked | 6 |
| Single sign-on (SSO, SAML, LDAP) | Not listed | Included |
| Git-backed environments | Not listed | Included; also on Enterprise |
The licence is the only line with a published price. Server cost is not covered in the sources checked, so price your own hosting and the hours for updates and restores before setting it against a Zapier invoice. If nobody on the team can restore the installation or trace a failed run, n8n Cloud runs the same product without those lines.
Sources: Choose how to use n8n, n8n source control and environments, n8n pricing.
Teams, sign-in and run history
| n8n | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing work | Shared projects: 1 on Starter, 3 on Pro, 6 on Business | Team: shared Zaps, folders and app connections |
| Single sign-on | Business, a self-hosted licence | Team, a hosted plan |
| Run history kept | 7 days on Starter, 30 days on Pro | Not covered in the sources checked |
| Parallel runs | 5 on Starter, 20 on Pro, 200+ on Enterprise | Not covered in the sources checked |
| Admin controls | Not covered in the sources checked | Enterprise: advanced admin controls |
Single sign-on sets the cheapest route for a team that needs it: on Zapier it starts at Team, USD 69 per month billed yearly for 2,000 tasks; on n8n it starts at Business, EUR 667 per month billed annually, which you host yourself. Security certifications and data-residency terms are not covered in the sources checked; ask each vendor before you sign.
Sources: Zapier pricing, n8n pricing.
Videos, questions and what this page does not judge
Official videos
In shortFrom each vendor’s YouTube channel. They load only when you press play.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, n8n or Zapier?
Zapier Professional lists USD 19.99 a month billed yearly, or USD 29.99 monthly, for 750 tasks; n8n Starter lists EUR 20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions. The currencies and units differ, so neither price divides into the other. Self-hosted Community has no licence fee, but a server and someone's maintenance time replace the subscription.
Can I pay monthly on both?
Yes. n8n's upgrade screen offers annual or monthly payment and says annual billing saves 17%; its listed plan prices are the annual rates. Zapier shows both terms for each paid plan and advertises a 33% saving on yearly billing. Compare the same term on both sides before judging which entry plan costs less.
Can an AI assistant such as Claude call these tools?
The direction differs. Zapier MCP lets an AI client run Zapier actions as tool calls without building a Zap, at 2 tasks per successful call. n8n works the other way round inside a workflow: an agent node can use registry MCP servers as tools, or connect other servers through the MCP Client Tool node.
What happens when a trial ends?
An n8n Cloud trial that is not upgraded expires after 14 days and its workspace is removed, although workflows stay downloadable for 90 days. When a Zapier paid trial ends without an upgrade, the account falls back to Free, so multi-step Zaps, premium apps and faster polling stop working until each Zap fits one trigger and one action.
How do retries of failed runs work?
In n8n you can filter the execution list by status and retry failed runs, and a Stop And Error node can force a failure on a chosen condition. On Zapier, replaying a whole run counts its earlier successful steps again, so fix the failing step and replay only that action where possible to avoid paying twice.
What this page does not judge
Ease of learning, the number of app integrations, run speed and uptime, support quality and forum opinion are the topics most comparisons rank on, but neither profile documents them in a way we can check, so they are not judged here. We have not built the same workflow in both; the test below measures the counts on your own data.
On a Zapier Professional trial and the n8n Cloud trial, build the same flow: a new row in a test sheet, a filter that passes rows marked “yes”, then two actions. Add 20 rows, 8 of them marked “yes”. The rates above predict 16 Zapier tasks (8 × 2) and, on n8n, one execution per run, whatever the number of steps. Then break the second action on purpose, retry the failed runs in each tool and read whether the counts move.
How this comparison was made
Plans, units and limits come from the n8n and Zapier profiles on this site and the vendor pages they cite, each with its own check date; live tables read those profiles on every page load. Sections follow the topics top-ranking pages cover, limited to what the vendors document. No rating is given. See our editorial policy.
