n8n AI Workflows
Open-source workflow automation with native AI agent nodes, self-hosting option, and a thriving developer community.
Zapier AI Automation
AI-powered workflow automation connecting 7,000+ apps with intelligent triggers, actions, and autonomous decision-making.
Make (Integromat) AI
Visual workflow automation platform with AI capabilities, powerful data transformation, and intuitive drag-and-drop scenario builder.
/// THE_VERDICT
Zapier takes the crown with 7,000+ integrations and the most intuitive AI-powered workflow builder — its natural language automation creation lets non-technical users build sophisticated workflows in minutes. The new AI features for suggesting and debugging zaps push it further ahead. Make offers the best visual workflow designer with a node-based canvas that power users love, plus competitive pricing for complex multi-branch automations that would cost significantly more on Zapier. n8n is the developer's choice — fully self-hostable, open-source, and increasingly powerful with native AI node support for building LLM-powered workflows without vendor lock-in.
SCORE BREAKDOWN
DEEP DIVE
n8n AI Workflows
Open-source workflow automation with native AI agent nodes, self-hosting option, and a thriving developer community.
/// JUDGE_SUMMARIES
"n8n leads in AI workflow automation for technical teams — 500+ integrations, native AI agent nodes with multi-provider LLM support, and free unlimited self-hosted execution. The real-time execution preview is a strong UX touch. However, conversational agent nodes lose all context when workflows end (no persistent memory), and the heavy reliance on JSON structures and JavaScript expressions creates a genuine barrier for non-technical users."
"n8n is an open-source automation platform that’s particularly strong for technical teams, with a self-host option and native AI/agent-style nodes. It can power sophisticated, tool-using workflows with good observability, but it’s not “no-code” in practice once you start doing real data mapping, error handling, and AI guardrails."
"n8n is the engineer's automation platform. Its LangChain integration allows you to build true LLM agents that can call tools, reason, and remember context. Being self-hostable makes it the default choice for privacy-conscious enterprises and developers who want full control."
/// STRENGTHS_WEAKNESSES
Technical teams and developers who want open-source, self-hostable workflow automation with native AI agent capabilities and full data control.
Zapier AI Automation
AI-powered workflow automation connecting 7,000+ apps with intelligent triggers, actions, and autonomous decision-making.
/// JUDGE_SUMMARIES
"Zapier's 7,000+ integration library remains untouchable — no competitor comes close to this breadth of app connectivity. The AI-powered Zap builder and Copilot for natural language workflow creation genuinely lower the barrier for non-technical users. However, task-based pricing scales poorly at volume (high-throughput teams can face $100+/mo bills quickly), and the AI reasoning in decision nodes is shallow compared to purpose-built agent frameworks."
"Zapier remains a top choice for cross-app automation, and its AI features make building and extending workflows easier with natural-language setup and agent-style experiences. The platform is extremely reliable and broadly compatible, but task-based pricing and AI-driven branching can make both cost and debugging more unpredictable as workflows scale."
"Zapier is the indisputable king of connectivity, now supercharged with AI. 'Zapier Central' and 'AI Actions' allow natural language to trigger workflows across 7,000+ apps. It excels at deterministic execution but is evolving into a probabilistic agentic platform. The 'Canvas' feature is a brilliant bridge between diagramming and building."
/// STRENGTHS_WEAKNESSES
Business users and teams who need to automate workflows across many different apps with AI assistance, especially those connecting CRM, marketing, and productivity tools.
Make (Integromat) AI
Visual workflow automation platform with AI capabilities, powerful data transformation, and intuitive drag-and-drop scenario builder.
/// JUDGE_SUMMARIES
"Make remains the best visual workflow builder with superior data transformation — complex branching with routers, filters, and iterators gives teams control that simpler platforms lack. With 3,000+ integrations and direct OpenAI/Claude/Google API modules, AI capabilities are functional though not native. The pricing starting at ~$10/mo with transparent operations-based billing is the strongest value proposition in workflow automation."
"Make is a powerful visual automation platform that shines when you need complex branching, data transformation, and reliable execution logs. Its “AI” story is mostly about plugging LLM calls into workflows rather than fully autonomous agents, but for teams building serious automations, it’s a strong and cost-predictable foundation."
"Make (formerly Integromat) remains the visual architect's choice. Its AI features focus on 'App-less' integrations—using AI to parse APIs it doesn't natively support. It's more visual and logical than Zapier, allowing for complex branching and error handling that feels like visual coding."
/// STRENGTHS_WEAKNESSES
Cost-conscious teams and power users who need sophisticated visual workflow automation with strong data transformation capabilities at a fraction of Zapier's price.
PRICING COMPARISON
| n8n AI Workflows | Zapier AI Automation | Make (Integromat) AI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | ✓ Free self-hosted with unlimited workflows and executions | ✓ Free tier with 100 tasks/month and 5 Zaps | ✓ Free tier with 1,000 operations/month and 2 active scenarios |
| Pro Price | $20/mo - n8n Cloud starter with 2,500 executions/month | $20/mo - 750 tasks/month, multi-step Zaps, AI features | $9/mo - 10,000 operations/month, unlimited scenarios |
| Team / Enterprise | $50/mo - n8n Cloud with 10,000 executions, team features | $69/mo - Shared workspace, unlimited users, 2,000 tasks/month | $16/mo - 10,000 operations/month, team features, priority execution |
RELATED BATTLES
/// SYS_INFO Methodology & Disclosure
How we rate: Each AI model receives the same structured prompt asking it to evaluate each agent across 8 criteria on a 1-10 scale. Models rate independently — no model sees another's scores. Consensus score = average of all three judges. Agreement level = score spread.
Agent criteria: AI agents are evaluated on Task Autonomy, Accuracy & Reliability, Speed, Tool Integration, Safety & Guardrails, Cost Efficiency, Ease of Use, and Multi-step Reasoning — different from coding tool criteria.
Affiliate disclosure: Links to tool signup pages may earn us a commission. This never influences AI ratings.