# Automations

> “Connect my apps and automate tasks”. Ranked by expert consensus and what people use now; affiliate links never change the order.

Automation tools trade ease against cost at volume. Zapier is the easiest start, with a free plan, though the bill grows with each task it runs. Make draws branching workflows on a visual map and costs less than many rivals at high volume, with a steeper learning curve. n8n charges per workflow run and can be self-hosted, so technical teams keep their data on their own server. Airtable fits when the real problem is a tangled spreadsheet.

Last checked: 2026-10-06

## Ranking

1. **[Zapier](https://suiteintent.com/t/zapier?m=GB)**: No-code automation between thousands of apps. · Best for: Your first automations, with no developer · Free plan · 14 days ([Deals](https://suiteintent.com/deals/zapier))
2. **[n8n](https://suiteintent.com/t/n8n?m=GB)**: Workflow automation you can self-host. · Best for: Long workflows with many steps per run · Pricing on request · 50% ([Deals](https://suiteintent.com/deals/n8n))
3. **[Make](https://suiteintent.com/t/make?m=GB)**: Visual automations that connect thousands of apps. · Best for: Branching workflows at high volume · Free plan · 180 days ([Deals](https://suiteintent.com/deals/make))
4. **[Airtable](https://suiteintent.com/t/airtable?m=GB)**: A spreadsheet that works like a database. · Best for: Teams organising data without engineers · Free plan · 14 days ([Deals](https://suiteintent.com/deals/airtable))

## Side by side

| Tool | Price | Ease of use (1-5) | Team size |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Zapier | Free plan, 14-day free trial | 5 | solo, small team, growing team, large team |
| n8n | Pricing on request, 50% off Business for startups | 2 | small team, growing team, large team |
| Make | Free plan, Teams plan free for 6 months | 3 | solo, small team, growing team |
| Airtable | Pricing on request, 14-day free trial | 4 | small team, growing team, large team |

## Why these picks

- Prices last checked: 2026-10-06
- Ranked by expert consensus and what people use now; affiliate links never change the order.

## Head to head

- [Activepieces vs n8n: self-hosted automation](https://suiteintent.com/compare/activepieces-vs-n8n)
- [Activepieces vs Zapier: automate work between apps](https://suiteintent.com/compare/activepieces-vs-zapier)
- [Lindy vs Zapier: AI agent or fixed workflow](https://suiteintent.com/compare/lindy-vs-zapier)
- [Make vs n8n: automations with AI agents](https://suiteintent.com/compare/make-vs-n8n)
- [Zapier vs Make: which automation tool to start](https://suiteintent.com/compare/zapier-vs-make)
- [Zapier vs n8n: automating your spreadsheets](https://suiteintent.com/compare/zapier-vs-n8n)

## MCP setups

- [Let Claude take actions in any app via Zapier](https://suiteintent.com/mcp/automate-apps-zapier-mcp)
- [Track competitor pricing in Airtable](https://suiteintent.com/mcp/scrape-pricing-airtable)

## Questions

### Zapier, Make or n8n: where should a small team start?

Start with Zapier if nobody on the team writes code: it has a free plan and is the easiest of the three. Choose Make if your workflows branch a lot or run thousands of times a month, since it costs less at volume. n8n suits teams with a developer, because setup is harder and it pays off with long workflows. You can move later, though rebuilding automations takes time.

### How do automation tools charge, and what stays free?

Zapier and Make each run a few simple automations at no cost. Zapier's bill grows with the number of tasks it runs, so a busy workflow gets expensive. n8n charges per workflow run, however many steps the workflow has, which favours long workflows. Estimate your monthly runs before choosing a paid plan.

### I keep everything in Airtable. Do I need Zapier as well?

Airtable has its own automations and AI fields that handle repetitive updates inside your bases. You need Zapier or Make once data has to move between Airtable and other apps, such as a form tool, your CRM or Slack. Zapier also offers its own tables and forms, so small setups may manage with one tool. Pick based on where most of your data lives.

### Can I host my automations on my own server for GDPR?

n8n is source-available and you can run it on your own server, which keeps workflow data where you choose. Zapier and Make run as hosted services. Self-hosting means you handle updates, backups and security yourself. For most small teams a hosted tool with a data processing agreement is enough under GDPR.

### What breaks in automations, and how do I catch it?

Most failures come from a changed form field, an expired login or an app that renamed something. Make's error handling is precise, so you can decide what happens when a step fails. Turn on failure alerts in whichever tool you use and check the run history weekly. Keep each automation small so a failure is easy to trace.