Short version: Zapier is the fastest way to wire two apps together when you run a handful of simple tasks and have zero engineering capacity — that is genuinely what it is best at. n8n wins on cost at volume, scalability, complex logic, AI/agent nodes, and freedom from lock-in: workflows are portable JSON you own and can self-host. NexFlow has run 32 Zapier-to-n8n migrations (median 18 days, median payback 8 weeks) for teams that outgrew per-task pricing.
The honest one-line answer
If you run fewer than ~50 tasks a month, your Zaps are simple, and nobody on your team writes code, stay on Zapier — it is the right tool and not worth migrating. If your task volume is climbing, your bill is starting to sting, your logic needs real branching, or you are building AI-driven automations, n8n is the stronger long-term home. The usual trigger to switch is the moment a Zapier invoice crosses what a small server would cost.
Pricing in Australian dollars
Zapier bills per task — every action step in a Zap counts — so cost scales directly with how much you automate. That is fine at low volume and brutal at high volume. n8n self-hosted decouples cost from volume: a small server runs millions of executions for roughly the same flat infrastructure bill.
| Operations / month | Zapier | n8n self-host |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | ~US$29 | ~US$5 |
| 10,000 | ~US$119 | ~US$15 |
| 100,000 | ~US$799+ | ~US$50 |
The lines cross early. By the time you are running steady automation across a business, self-hosted n8n is typically an order of magnitude cheaper.
Scalability and capability
Zapier is built around simple, mostly linear Zaps and a huge app directory — that breadth is its superpower. n8n is built for engineering-grade workflows: multi-branch logic, loops, error handling, sub-workflows, code nodes (JavaScript and Python), queue-mode horizontal scaling, and native AI/agent nodes. If your automation needs to make decisions, call an LLM, or handle thousands of records reliably, n8n has the headroom.
Vendor lock-in
This is where the two diverge most. Zaps live inside Zapier — there is no portable export you can run elsewhere, so your automation logic is effectively rented. n8n workflows are JSON you export, commit to git, and run on infrastructure you control. With NexFlow you own the workflow code from day one; self-host it, fork it, or walk away from us entirely — your automation goes with you.
- Choose Zapier when: low volume, simple linear Zaps, no engineering capacity, and the widest possible app directory matters most.
- Choose n8n when: high volume, complex logic, AI/agent workflows, data residency, code ownership, or predictable cost at scale.
- Migrate Zapier → n8n when: your Zapier bill outgrows a small server, or a Zap has become too complex to maintain reliably.
Common questions
Is n8n cheaper than Zapier?
Almost always, once you move past trivial volume. Zapier bills per task and its higher tiers climb steeply — roughly US$29/month at 1,000 tasks and US$799+/month at 100,000 tasks. Self-hosted n8n runs the same 100,000 executions for roughly A$50/month of infrastructure because cost is decoupled from volume.
Does n8n scale better than Zapier?
Yes for volume and complexity. n8n supports multi-step branching, loops, code nodes, and queue-mode horizontal scaling, and self-hosting means execution count does not inflate your bill. Zapier is excellent for simple linear Zaps but gets expensive and constrained as logic and volume grow.
Is there vendor lock-in with Zapier?
Yes, in practice. Zaps live inside Zapier's cloud and are not portable — there is no export to a runnable format you own. n8n workflows are JSON you can export, version-control, and run on your own server, so you are never trapped on one vendor's pricing or roadmap.
The 15-minute map tells you yes, no, or “you don’t need us.”
Paid, focused, no deck. A single production workflow starts at A$2,400 (Spark) and ships in about two weeks; ongoing partnerships are A$1,800/month (Flow). Book a map or see pricing.