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Why Smart Teams Are Switching to n8n for Workflow Automation
If you’ve ever built a multi-step Zap or Make scenario, you know the sticker-shock moment: the bill lands and you discover that a “simple” five-step flow ran 1 000 times last month … which the platform translated into 5 000 billable tasks. At $0.013 per task, that is suddenly $69+, even before you add filters, formatters, or the really useful stuff.
n8n is quietly becoming the fastest-growing alternative because it attacks that pain point head-on. Below is the math, the model, and the momentum that explain why developers, agencies, and SaaS founders are migrating in droves.
1. The Pricing Model That Changes Everything
| Metric (5-step flow) | Zapier / Make | n8n Cloud | Self-hosted n8n |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 000 exec./mo. | ~$69 | ~€20 | €0 |
| 10 000 exec./mo. | ~$690 | ~€200 | €0 |
| 100 000 exec./mo. | ~$6 900 | ~€2 000 | €0 |
Key difference
- Zapier & Make charge per task/step
- n8n charges per complete workflow execution—whether it contains 5 nodes or 150 nodes
The larger and more sophisticated your automation, the wider the gap becomes.
2. What “Per Execution” Really Means
Imagine an onboarding flow:
- Catch webhook from payment provider
- Create customer in CRM
- Add row to Google Sheet
- Send Slack alert
- Enroll user in Teachable course
Traditional platforms = 5 billable tasks
n8n = 1 billable execution
Scale that to 10 000 customers a month, and you just saved more than $1 000—on a single workflow.
3. Unlimited Runs When You Self-host
n8n’s open-source core can be deployed anywhere: Docker on a $5 VPS, a Kubernetes cluster, or even a Raspberry Pi. Once it’s running, you pay for infrastructure only. CPU and RAM are cheap; tasks are not.
Companies processing millions of operations per month routinely report 90–100% cost reductions after moving from cloud-only iPaaS to self-hosted n8n.
4. No Trade-off in Power
Cost savings would mean little if features were missing. n8n gives you:
- 350+ native integrations (plus anything with an HTTP node)
- Code-by-default: write vanilla JavaScript wherever you need it
- Branching, merging, loops, waits, webhooks, cron triggers
- Built-in versioning & instant rollback
- Optional queue mode for horizontal scaling
- Full source code to audit security or add custom nodes
In short, you gain control without losing capability.
5. The Community Flywheel
GitHub stars rarely lie. n8n crossed 40k faster than most dev-tools repos, and the forum adds ~1,000 new members every month. When costs drop, experimentation explodes. More experiments → more shared templates → more newcomers. That flywheel is why the ecosystem is accelerating.
6. When Does n8n Not Make Sense?
- You need a one-step, 50-runs-a-month automation, and you value zero setup time above all else.
- Your corporate policy forbids self-hosting, and you expect fewer than 2 000 executions monthly (then the savings versus Zapier are modest).
For every other scenario—multi-step flows, high volume, mission-critical logic, or anything touching PII that you’d rather keep in your own VPC—n8n is the clear winner.
7. Try the 10-Minute Test
- Spin up a free n8n cloud trial (no card)
- Import the “Cost-Calculator” template (community-built)
- Paste your current Zapier/Make usage numbers
- Watch the projected yearly cost drop by 70-95%.
Seeing the figure in black and white is usually all it takes.
Bottom line
Task-based billing was a brilliant way to monetize simple Zaps in 2013. In 2024, workflows are longer, data is heavier, and margins are thinner. Paying per step is a tax on complexity—and n8n just removed it.
The bigger you are, the more you save. That’s why n8n isn’t another open-source curiosity; it’s quickly becoming the default for teams who refuse to burn budget on busywork.
Ready to stop counting tasks?
Grab the ready-made Docker compose, deploy in 60 seconds, and turn your next automation project into a line item you’ll actually smile at.
