The verdict in three sentences
Make is unbeatable for getting simple, low-volume workflows live fast, as long as the per-operation bill stays under control. Self-hosted n8n becomes the best choice once volume passes a few tens of thousands of executions a month or data must stay in Europe on your own servers. Custom code should be reserved for the 2 or 3 critical workflows (invoicing, ERP sync, commission calculation) where an error costs more than the code.
What the three approaches really cost in 2026
Take a 40-person SME in Europe or North America that wants to automate 15 workflows: website leads into the CRM, invoice creation, overdue payment reminders, weekly reporting, client onboarding, stock sync. Typical volume sits between 20,000 and 80,000 operations a month.
| Item | Make | Self-hosted n8n | Custom code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly licence | EUR 10 to 30 (Core/Pro), then EUR 100 to 400 depending on operations | EUR 0 (community edition) | EUR 0 |
| Hosting and management | included | EUR 50 to 150 per month | EUR 30 to 120 per month |
| Building the 15 workflows | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 | EUR 4,000 to 10,000 | EUR 2,000 to 8,000 per critical workflow |
| Time to go live | 2 to 4 weeks | 3 to 6 weeks | 6 to 12 weeks |
| Marginal cost of one more workflow | low, but consumes operations | low | high |
| Data location | EU or US cloud depending on plan | your servers, EU or US | your servers |
| In-house skills needed | trained business user | light part-time technical profile | dev team or agency |
Make's trap is silent growth: a scenario that loops over 500 spreadsheet rows burns 500 operations every run. A client starting at EUR 29 a month can end up at EUR 300 a year later without adding anything strategic. In USD, expect roughly the same figures (USD 10 to 450 a month).
3-year comparison, maintenance and GDPR included
Total cost of ownership (TCO) covers licence, hosting, build, corrective maintenance and changes. The figures below are 2026 orders of magnitude for 15 workflows and 50,000 operations a month.
| Over 3 years | Make | Self-hosted n8n | Hybrid n8n + 3 custom workflows | Fully custom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licence | EUR 7,200 | EUR 0 | EUR 0 | EUR 0 |
| Hosting and management | EUR 0 | EUR 3,600 | EUR 4,300 | EUR 3,200 |
| Build | EUR 5,500 | EUR 7,000 | EUR 19,000 | EUR 60,000 |
| Maintenance and changes | EUR 4,500 | EUR 5,400 | EUR 7,500 | EUR 18,000 |
| 3-year total | EUR 17,200 | EUR 16,000 | EUR 30,800 | EUR 81,200 |
| Vendor lock-in risk | high | low | low | none |
| GDPR compliance | processor to document | full control | full control | full control |
Under GDPR, Make is a processor under Article 28: you must sign its DPA, list it in your records of processing and check transfers outside the EU. With n8n self-hosted on a server in the EU (OVHcloud, Hetzner, Scaleway), customer data never leaves your infrastructure, which simplifies audits and reassures enterprise clients. North American firms face similar questions under CCPA and SOC 2 vendor reviews.
Maintenance is the blind spot in most quotes. APIs change: a HubSpot, QuickBooks or Shopify connector breaks on average once or twice a year. On Make, the vendor often fixes it for you. On n8n, you need a provider who monitors error logs and updates the instance monthly.
Which workflow goes in which tool
The right answer is almost always hybrid. Convenience workflows (Slack notification, adding a lead to a sheet, sending a report) go into the no-code tool. Workflows that touch money or compliance deserve tested code.
| Workflow | Recommended tool | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Form lead into CRM | Make or n8n | simple, low risk |
| Dunning at D+7, D+15, D+30 | n8n | medium volume, sensitive data |
| Invoice generation and numbering | custom | legal requirement for continuous sequence |
| ERP to store stock sync | custom or n8n with tests | an error creates overselling |
| Weekly management reporting | Make or n8n | read-only |
| Sales commission calculation | custom | complex business rules, audit |
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Mini case study
Claire, CFO of a B2B services SME in Lyon, pays Make EUR 340 a month for 12 workflows, or EUR 12,240 over 3 years in licence alone. Migrating to self-hosted n8n: EUR 6,500 to rebuild the workflows and EUR 90 a month of managed hosting, so EUR 9,740 over 3 years. In parallel she has her invoicing workflow rewritten in code (EUR 5,000) after two duplicate invoice numbers in 2025. Net saving over 3 years: about EUR 2,500, but above all zero tax risk on numbering and data hosted in the EU.
FAQ
Is Zapier a credible alternative to Make?
Zapier is simpler but pricier: expect USD 70 to 100 a month for 2,000 tasks, where Make handles 10,000 for under USD 30. It remains relevant for a non-technical team with fewer than 5 workflows.
Is n8n really free?
The self-hosted community edition has no licence fee, but the Sustainable Use licence forbids reselling it as a service. The real cost is hosting and monitoring, around EUR 50 to 150 a month with a provider.
At what volume should you leave Make?
Above 40,000 to 50,000 operations a month, the Make bill usually exceeds EUR 150 and n8n pays back in under 18 months. The threshold drops if your workflows process sensitive personal data.
How long does migrating 15 workflows from Make to n8n take?
Allow 3 to 6 weeks, including one week of parallel running to compare outputs. Budget ranges from EUR 4,000 to 8,000 depending on complexity.
Does AI change the maths in 2026?
Both tools ship AI nodes (email classification, invoice extraction). Each model call costs EUR 0.001 to 0.02, which stays marginal unless you process several hundred thousand documents.
Let's scope your project. We map your workflows and price the no-code, n8n or custom option for each, with an indicative budget of EUR 4,000 to 30,000 and rollout in 4 to 10 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
