N8N vs Make.com: The Definitive Comparison for SMBs in 2026

A head-to-head comparison of N8N and Make.com with pricing breakdowns at 3 usage levels, the same workflow built in both tools, a decision framework, and a…

The Full Feature Comparison

Pricing Breakdown: What You Actually Pay

Same Workflow, Both Platforms: Lead-to-CRM Pipeline

When N8N Wins

When Make.com Wins

Migration Guide: Moving from Make.com to N8N

Decision Flowchart

Houston Business Context: What Local Industries Choose

This table covers every dimension that matters when choosing between these platforms. I have used both extensively and verified each row against current 2026 offerings.

This is where the conversation gets real. Pricing models differ fundamentally: Make.com charges per operation (each node execution in a workflow counts as one operation), while N8N Cloud charges per workflow execution and self-hosted N8N costs only your server bill.

Here is a concrete comparison at three usage levels. I am using a typical SMB workflow (5 nodes per execution) to normalize the comparison.

Make.com's operation counting is the hidden cost multiplier. A workflow with 5 nodes that runs 10,000 times costs you 50,000 operations. Add error-handling branches and filters, and a "simple" workflow can consume 8-12 operations per run. Always calculate your actual operation count before choosing a Make.com plan — multiply your expected monthly workflow runs by your average node count.

The best way to compare platforms is to build the same thing in both. Here is a common SMB workflow: a new lead submits a form on your website, gets filtered for quality, gets added to HubSpot CRM, and triggers a Slack notification to your sales team.

If your team can write JavaScript or Python, N8N's code nodes unlock capabilities that Make.com simply cannot match. Custom data transformations, complex conditional logic, API calls with retry logic — all natively in the workflow. For Houston tech companies and MSPs, this is the deciding factor.