Make vs n8n: credits per step against executions per run
Make bills every module action as a credit. n8n bills each full workflow run, whatever the number of steps. What that means at 10,000, 40,000 and 150,000 credits, from each vendor's pricing page.
About this guide
Published by StackOnSale. Publisher: Emmanuel Grenier. Guide updated: 2026-09-23.
Research based on official vendor pages, not a hands-on review.
StackOnSale may earn a commission through disclosed affiliate links on the site. This does not decide which tool fits your needs.
The two offers we list
Make in US dollars, n8n in euros, before tax. Your cost depends on steps per run and runs per month.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-23. These are dated plan details, not a live checkout quote. Confirm current pricing and eligibility on the official pages.
Some vendor links on offer pages are disclosed affiliate links; this is not a paid ranking.
| Plan | Recorded price | Billing and limits | Before choosing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make Core | $12/month | 10,000 credits a month, billed annually; $16 billed monthly. US price, read November 3, 2026 | Each module action counts as one credit. Make also has a free plan with 1,000 credits a month. |
| n8n Community Edition | Free | Self-hosted, from GitHub | You run and pay for the server. n8n Cloud starts at €20 a month billed annually. |
The short answer
Make counts module actions. Its pricing page says each module action in a scenario "counts as one credit". n8n counts full workflow runs: its plans are "based on monthly workflow executions, regardless of complexity", with unlimited steps.
Make has a free cloud plan with 1,000 credits a month and no time limit. n8n's cloud plans start at €20 a month billed annually, and its Community Edition is free to self-host, on a server you run and pay for.
For a workflow with many steps, the unit matters more than the list price: ten steps run 1,000 times is 10,000 Make credits and 1,000 n8n executions.
Prices were read in a browser on each vendor's pricing page on September 23, 2026. Make shows US dollars and n8n shows euros; we do not convert currencies. StackOnSale has not tested either product.
How each one counts
Make: "Each module action in your scenario, like adding a Google Sheet row or fetching Gmail account data, counts as one credit." Running custom code in the Make Code app uses 2 credits per second of execution time. AI modules can bill differently; Make's help pages cover those cases.
n8n: one execution is one full run of a workflow from start to finish, "with unlimited steps". n8n's page says it does not charge per step or per user, and every plan includes unlimited users and workflows.
So the same automation can be 10 units on Make and 1 unit on n8n. Count your steps and your monthly runs before you compare prices.
Make prices by credit tier
Make sets the price by the number of credits you buy each month. The table shows three of the tiers on its slider. Annual billing no longer carries a single percentage. Compared tier by tier on November 3, 2026, it costs 25% to 27% less than monthly on the US price list, and about 20% to 31% less in Canada.
| Credits a month | Core | Pro | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 (Free plan) | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 10,000 | $12 annual, $16 monthly | $21 annual, $28 monthly | $38 annual, $51 monthly |
| 40,000 | $38 annual, $51 monthly | $69 annual, $94 monthly | $129 annual, $175 monthly |
| 150,000 | $129 annual, $175 monthly | $199 annual, $271 monthly | $379 annual, $515 monthly |
Read on November 3, 2026 from the US price list that make.com/pricing loads, and checked against the price cards for 10,000 credits in Canada, where Core is $11 annual, Pro $20 and Teams $36 at the same monthly prices, and higher tiers differ. On September 23, 2026 the same table showed Core at $9 annual and $10.59 monthly for 10,000 credits. Annual prices are per month, billed annually.
n8n prices by execution tier
n8n sets the price by the number of workflow executions a month. Annual billing is labelled "Save 17%". The Business plan is self-hosted and adds SSO, environments and version control with Git.
| Plan | Executions a month | Billed annually | Billed monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter (cloud) | 2,500 | €20 | €24 |
| Pro (cloud) | 10,000 | €50 | €60 |
| Pro (cloud) | 50,000 | €120 | €144 |
| Business (self-hosted) | 40,000 | €667 | €800 |
| Community Edition (self-hosted) | Not metered by n8n | Free | Free |
Read on n8n.io/pricing, Monthly and "Annually (Save 17%)" options and the Pro execution menu, September 23, 2026. Prices are shown in euros.
Three workloads, priced
The table prices one workflow of 10 steps at three monthly volumes, on each vendor's cheapest plan that covers it. It assumes each Make step is a standard module action using one credit, as Make's page describes. Make's Core plan and n8n's cloud plans do not include the same features, so check the limits below before you decide on price alone.
| Runs a month | Make usage and plan | n8n usage and plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 10,000 credits: Core, $12 a month billed annually | 1,000 executions: Starter, €20 a month billed annually |
| 4,000 | 40,000 credits: Core, $38 a month billed annually | 4,000 executions: Pro, €50 a month billed annually |
| 15,000 | 150,000 credits: Core, $129 a month billed annually | 15,000 executions: Pro 50k, €120 a month billed annually |
StackOnSale arithmetic on the prices above, assuming one credit per Make step. A workflow with fewer steps uses fewer Make credits; n8n counts the run either way.
Free options and plan limits
Make Free: 1,000 credits a month, 2 active scenarios, a 15-minute minimum interval between runs, a 5-minute maximum run time and 5 MB files. Paid Make plans lift those to unlimited active scenarios, 1-minute intervals and 40-minute runs.
n8n Cloud has a free trial with no credit card required, not a free plan. The Community Edition is free to self-host from GitHub; you pay for the server. On n8n Cloud, Starter allows 5 concurrent executions and 1 shared project, and Pro allows 20 concurrent executions and 3 shared projects.
n8n also offers a Start-up Plan: companies with under 20 employees can apply for 50% off Business.
What we could not verify
Whether every Make module in your scenario uses exactly one credit: AI modules and code are billed differently. Make and n8n prices between the tiers we read. Whether either vendor's annual price holds at renewal. What your own server would cost to self-host n8n. Currency conversion: Make's page shows dollars and n8n's shows euros.
StackOnSale earns a commission if you buy Make through our link. n8n declined our affiliate application, so its links are direct.
Questions
Is Make or n8n cheaper?
It depends on steps per run. Make charges per module action, n8n per full run. For one 10-step workflow run 4,000 times a month, Make Core is $38 a month billed annually (read November 3, 2026) and n8n Pro is €50 a month billed annually (read September 23, 2026).
Does n8n have a free plan?
n8n Cloud has a free trial, not a free plan. The Community Edition is free to self-host, on a server you pay for.
Does Make have a free plan?
Yes: 1,000 credits a month with no time limit, 2 active scenarios and a 15-minute minimum interval between runs.
How much do annual plans save?
Make shows no single figure: tier by tier on November 3, 2026, annual costs 25% to 27% less in the US and about 20% to 31% less in Canada. n8n labels it "Save 17%".
Is there an n8n discount for startups?
Yes. n8n's Start-up Plan gives companies with under 20 employees 50% off Business, if they qualify.
Related offers
Read next
- Make credits: calculate usage before choosing a plan
- Zapier alternatives: Make and n8n, priced against Zapier
- Zapier, Make and n8n: what automation actually costs
- Make vs Zapier pricing: credits, tasks and three workloads
- Black Friday Software Deals 2026: Confirmed Status & Costs
- Free software plans: useful limits, hidden costs and when to upgrade
Sources
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