Zapier vs Make vs n8n vs Gumloop pricing the same workflow

Zapier vs Make vs n8n vs Gumloop starts with four meters, tasks, module credits, workflow executions, and credits plus an orchestration fee. The same illustrative workflow below shows how each bill adds up, with AI and API charges kept separate.

Zapier vs Make vs n8n vs Gumloop, billing models

USD and EUR figures appear as listed, without conversion. Starting prices buy different capacity on each tool. See each company’s linked pricing page for billing cycle selections and tax treatment.

Five-step workflow, credits, tasks and executions compared

Consider a form submission followed by four ordinary app actions. For this illustrative five module Make scenario, assume five credits per successful run. For a Zap with one trigger and four standard billable actions, assume four tasks. For n8n, one successful complete workflow run is one execution. Gumloop cannot be assigned a comparable credit count until you choose the specific nodes, tools and model.

Successful runs a month	Make credits	Zapier tasks	n8n executions	Gumloop credits
100	500	400	100	Measure in product
1,000	5,000	4,000	1,000	Measure in product
10,000	50,000	40,000	10,000	Measure in product

Read these as unit estimates, since they carry no prices. Polling, loops, retries, AI steps and plan restrictions can change the outcome. At 1,000 runs the illustrative Make workload fits within 10,000 credits, while Zapier’s $19.99 entry price may fall short of 4,000 tasks. n8n’s Starter allowance covers 1,000 executions, subject to other plan limits. At 10,000 runs the n8n count equals the 10,000 executions on its Pro plan, and Make would need a tier of 50,000 credits.

Choose the workflow builder your team can maintain

Make suits people who like a visual scenario builder and can estimate usage module by module. Zapier makes sense when your workflows depend on its app integrations, provided you model task use, including AI and code steps. n8n is another option for multi step workflows, where paying per full execution can work out cheaper, especially if your team can handle setup or self hosting. Gumloop is aimed at AI heavy agent workflows, so measure its credit use on your chosen model before comparing bills.

Check how Make and Zapier count each step

Make generally meters module actions as credits. Zapier generally meters successful billable steps as tasks, and many built in tools are excluded. The gap shifts when you add branching or AI. Zapier’s published task rate table lists different task multipliers for model tiers and certain actions, so assuming one task for every Zapier action will understate the bill. Check Zapier’s task rate table.

See when n8n execution billing helps

n8n’s cloud plans count a full workflow execution rather than charging separately for every step. A ten step flow running 1,000 times is roughly 1,000 executions on n8n, while a Make flow with ten one credit modules would use roughly 10,000 credits. That gap in units stops short of a ten to one price saving. Platform prices, execution limits, hosting, model APIs and failures all affect the bill. Self hosted n8n also requires server operations, upgrades and backups.

Gumloop vs Zapier and n8n, AI costs to measure

Gumloop’s listed Pro starting price is $37 a month for 20,000 credits plus an 8% orchestration fee; confirm which spend attracts that fee. For Gumloop vs Zapier, run the same AI task and record both credit usage and Zapier’s model-tier task multiplier. For Gumloop vs n8n, include model/API charges alongside credits or executions. A cheap credit does not establish a cheap completed workflow.

Include setup and maintenance in the decision

Compare the same real workflow in each trial, covering app authentication, data mapping, error recovery, retry behaviour, execution logs, permissions and maintenance time. If your team needs approvals, shared credentials or audit logs, check the exact tier, because the base plan may leave them out. Before switching, inventory triggers, branches, API keys, webhooks, logs and any custom code.

Measure cost per successful workflow

Effective cost per successful run = (platform subscription + usage overages + model and API spend + estimated maintenance cost) ÷ successful completed runs. Use your workload. A 100 run trial should record both billed units and failed or manually repaired outcomes. Compare a normal month and a peak month, then check what happens when usage caps are reached.

Questions to settle before choosing

Make against Zapier on cost

Make’s published entry price is lower, yet that alone leaves the cheaper workflow undecided. Count Make credits and Zapier tasks for your actual steps, then compare the required plan tiers and any AI usage.

n8n against Make for complex automations

n8n charges per full workflow execution on its cloud plans, while Make generally charges per module action. More steps can therefore increase Make usage faster, though hosting, concurrency and plan limits may change total cost.

Zapier charges for AI steps

Task consumption varies by AI model tier and tool calls. Zapier’s published rate table lists Standard, Advanced and Premium model tiers with different multipliers.

Gumloop pricing against n8n

The two use different units. Gumloop uses credits and an orchestration fee, while n8n uses workflow executions. Benchmark the same AI workflow, including model and API charges, to estimate a meaningful cost per completed run.

Best platform for a small business

Start with the integrations your team uses every day. Run one representative workflow, calculate the billed units and check support, permissions and error handling on the plan you would buy.

Sources

• Make pricing and Make credit rules, checked 14 October 2026.
• Zapier pricing, task rates and AI model tiers, checked 14 October 2026.
• n8n pricing, checked 14 October 2026.
• Gumloop pricing and credit tier guidance, checked 14 October 2026.

Unit scenarios are illustrative. Plan prices as listed on 14 October 2026.

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For the hosting decision, read our n8n vs Make comparison for European teams, covering cloud hosting, self-hosting and data checks.