n8n vs Zapier:
where each one wins
Both platforms move work between your apps, and the useful split is a hosted connector service versus a platform you can run and reshape yourself.
n8n and Zapier are both workflow tools. They watch for an event in one system and carry out the next step in another. Most UK firms comparing them already know which transfers they want automated. You're deciding how much of the platform you want to own, and where the data sits while those processes run.
Zapier is the quicker start for simple connections between popular apps. n8n is the stronger fit when the process has branches, custom logic or data you don't want leaving your systems. Wanzo can build and run either. We build this work in n8n through the Bloodstone partnership, but that's not a reason to put it on a job Zapier would handle better.
| Factor | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | You install it yourself or use n8n Cloud. The editor is visual, but someone still has to think in workflows and handle the odd expression. | Sign up, pick two apps, and a simple Zap can be live the same afternoon. Non-technical staff can build the first connections without waiting for an engineer. |
| Data and hosting | You can self-host n8n on infrastructure you control, so workflow data never has to leave. There is also n8n Cloud if you do not want to run the servers. | Zapier is a hosted service. Your workflow data lives on Zapier's platform, which is simpler to live with and harder to relocate. There is no self-hosted edition. |
| App coverage | n8n has a large node library and will talk to anything with an API or webhook. Less common UK tools often need a custom node or some code. | Zapier's library of ready-made app connections is the reason most teams try it first. If your stack is mainstream SaaS, you'll find the connector already built. |
| Complex processes | Branching, loops and custom code are built in. That's why it holds up once a process stops being a straight line from one app to another. | Paths and filters exist, but they get awkward once a workflow has many branches, retries or data reshaping. Zapier is at its best on short, linear automations. |
| Pricing model | Self-hosted n8n has no per-task charge from the vendor. You still pay for the servers, and for whoever builds and watches the workflows. n8n Cloud bills on its own plan. | Zapier charges by task volume on a hosted plan. Light use stays cheap to start. High-volume or frequently firing workflows can become expensive without you changing the process. |
| Ongoing ownership | Someone has to host, update and monitor n8n. That is a real job. Wanzo takes that on as part of the monthly retainer when we build on n8n. | Zapier looks after the platform. You still own the Zaps: broken connections, changed app APIs and processes nobody documented. That work doesn't vanish because the hosting does. |
When n8n is the right call
- The processes have branches, loops or custom logic that a short Zap would fight.
- Workflow data needs to stay on infrastructure you control, not a vendor's hosted service.
- You are ready for someone to host, update and watch the platform after it goes live.
When Zapier is the right call
- You need a handful of simple connections between mainstream SaaS apps, live this month.
- Nobody on the team should have to host or patch an automation platform.
- Non-technical staff will build and tweak the Zaps themselves, without waiting on a developer.
What we’d recommend
Zapier is the right call when the job is a short list of simple connections between well-known apps, and nobody wants to run a platform. n8n is the right call when the process has real logic, the data should stay on your infrastructure, or task volume would sit badly on a metered plan. For the operational automation we build with Bloodstone, we'd put you on n8n and run it ourselves. For a handful of simple app connections, we would put you on Zapier. We can deliver both. The monthly retainer starts at £495, and covers the IT those workflows depend on if that is also in scope.
Questions people ask
Is n8n better than Zapier?
Neither is better in every case. Zapier is better when you want a hosted service, a large library of ready-made app connections, and a simple Zap live quickly. n8n is better when you need branching and custom logic, want to self-host, or do not want a per-task charge on every run. Wanzo can deliver either. For operational processes we usually recommend n8n and run it; for a handful of simple connections we would use Zapier.
Can n8n replace Zapier?
For many workflows, yes. Anything Zapier can do with a connector, n8n can usually do with a node, an HTTP request or a short piece of code. Complex branching, custom logic and self-hosting are n8n's ground, and Zapier will feel like a squeeze there. What you lose in a move is Zapier's convenience: the huge connector library and the fact that nobody has to host anything. A replacement only makes sense if you need that extra control or you are hitting Zapier's limits.
Is n8n cheaper than Zapier?
Self-hosted n8n has no vendor per-task charge, but it isn't free to run. You pay for servers, updates, monitoring and the people who build the workflows. n8n Cloud is a paid hosted product with its own plans. Zapier charges by task volume, which is easy to start and can climb as workflows fire more often. Which costs less depends on volume and whether you already have someone to run a platform. Wanzo's monthly retainer starts at £495.
Is n8n harder to use than Zapier?
Yes, for the first connection. Zapier's editor is built for someone who has never automated anything. n8n's editor is visual too, but expressions, error handling and self-hosting ask more of whoever is building. That gap shrinks once the workflows get complicated, because n8n's extra control stops being a burden and starts being the reason the process works. If your team will never want that depth, Zapier is the kinder tool. If they will, the extra learning is the cost of a platform that can grow.
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