Compare · prices checked 5 November 2026
Zapier vs Make vs n8n
The three best-known automation tools solve the same problem in different ways. Here is how they compare on the facts that decide it, and where a fourth option fits.
Quick answer
Zapier for the most apps, Make for visual scenarios, n8n for self-hosting. If your business runs on M-Pesa and WhatsApp, CiraIQ fits better than all three, from $20 a month with unlimited workflows.
Side by side
| Fact | CiraIQ | Zapier | Make | n8n |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 3 multi-step workflows, free forever | 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps only | 1,000 credits a month | Free self-hosted Community Edition; cloud trial with no card |
| Paid plans from | $20/month (Basic): unlimited workflows, 14-day free trial | $19.99/month billed annually, or $29.99 monthly (Pro, 750 tasks) | $9/month (Core, 10,000 credits) | €20/month billed annually (Starter, 2,500 executions) |
| Self-host for free | No | No | No | Yes |
| Apps | M-Pesa, WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail, Sheets, Shopify, WooCommerce, Paystack and more | 9,000+ apps | 3,000+ apps | See their app directory |
| Best for | Businesses in Kenya and Africa that run on M-Pesa and WhatsApp, and anyone who wants AI agents that ask before they act. | Connecting the widest range of SaaS apps, with the least learning. | Visual, branching scenarios across many SaaS apps. | Technical teams who want to self-host and write code inside workflows. |
| Not great for | Teams that need thousands of niche app integrations, or must self-host on their own servers. | High volumes on a small budget: price rises steeply with tasks. | Teams that must self-host on their own servers. | Non-technical owners who want ready-made business flows and local payments without setup. |
Which should you pick?
- Pick Zapier if you need the widest range of apps and the easiest setup, and the per-task price is fine for your volume.
- Pick Make if you build complex, branching visual scenarios across many apps.
- Pick n8n if you want to self-host for free and are comfortable with code.
- Pick CiraIQ if your business runs on M-Pesa and WhatsApp, or you want AI agents that ask before they act: $20 a month with unlimited workflows.
What CiraIQ adds
- M-Pesa built in. STK push, Paybill and Till payment triggers, B2C payouts and reversals, with your own Daraja keys. Paystack and Stripe too.
- AI agents on WhatsApp and Telegram. Agents with long-term memory that people talk to, by text or voice.
- Approval before anything irreversible. Sending, posting and spending wait for a person, approved from the app, Telegram or WhatsApp.
- Spend caps and broken-workflow alerts. Set a monthly AI budget per workflow, and workflows that fail 5 times in a row stop and tell you why.
- A marketplace that pays creators. Sell your workflows and keep 70% of each sale, paid to M-Pesa or a bank.
See the apps CiraIQ connects to and ready-made templates.
Questions
- Which is cheapest: Zapier, Make or n8n?
- n8n's Community Edition is free if you host it yourself. In the cloud, Make Core starts at $9 a month for 10,000 credits, Zapier Pro at $19.99 a month billed annually for 750 tasks, and n8n Starter at €20 a month billed annually.
- Which has the most integrations?
- Zapier, with 9,000+ apps by its own count. Make lists 3,000+.
- Which can I self-host?
- Only n8n, through its free Community Edition.
Competitor prices and plans were read from each company's own pricing page on 5 November 2026 and can change; follow the links for today's figures. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
Try CiraIQ on your own workflow
Start free with 3 workflows. No card needed. Install a template or build your own on the canvas.