n8n, Zapier, Make or Claude Code: which automation tool suits a small business?

01What are n8n, Zapier, Make and Claude Code?

A workflow automation tool is software that runs a fixed sequence of steps across your apps when a trigger fires, such as a new form entry going into your CRM. Zapier, Make and n8n are workflow automation tools. Claude Code is an agent: you give it instructions and it writes and runs the work.

The three workflow tools differ mostly in how they are built and billed. Zapier connects a very large catalogue of apps with a step-by-step builder; its pricing page describes Zapier MCP as connecting AI assistants to about 9,000 integrations¹. Make gives you a visual canvas of modules called a scenario. n8n has a similar editor, runs on its cloud or your own server, and suits technical users who want code steps.

Claude Code comes from a different direction. Anthropic's documentation describes Claude Code as an agentic coding tool that reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands and integrates with your development tools, and says it can connect to tools such as Google Drive, Jira and Slack through MCP². For a marketing team, the codebase can be a folder of briefs, voice rules and scripts. The pillar guide on what an AI marketing agent is explains the difference between an agent and a fixed automation in more depth.

02How does each tool charge?

Each tool counts usage differently. Zapier counts tasks, and every step and connector call uses them. Make counts credits, mostly one per action. n8n counts executions, one per full workflow run regardless of steps. Claude Code comes with a Claude subscription and draws on that plan's usage limits, with extra usage available at API rates.

The unit matters more than the headline price. Take a ten step workflow that runs 500 times a month:

• Zapier's pricing page says every step in a Zap and every external connector call uses tasks, with rates that vary by AI model tier, code runtime and connector type, and that one Zapier MCP tool call uses two tasks¹. That workflow could use thousands of tasks a month.
• Make's pricing page says most actions consume one credit, and that a scenario can use anywhere from two credits to thousands in a single run³. Routers and error handlers use no credits.
• n8n's pricing page defines an execution as a single run of your entire workflow, whatever the number of steps or the amount of data⁴. That workflow uses 500 executions.
• Anthropic's pricing page says Claude Code is included in all paid plans and shares the same usage limits as the rest of the plan⁵. Heavy use can move to pay-as-you-go API credits.

Seats differ too. n8n says all its plans include unlimited users and workflows⁴. Zapier keeps shared Zaps, shared app connections and SAML SSO for its Team plan. Claude is priced per seat.

03What does each tool cost for a small business?

Entry prices, checked on 16 October 2026, run from free tiers to about US$20 a month. Zapier Professional starts at US$19.99 billed yearly, Make's paid plans start at US$9, n8n Cloud starts at €20 billed annually, and a Claude Team seat is US$20 billed annually. Most prices are in USD or EUR, so NZD costs move with exchange rates.

Sources: Zapier's pricing page lists Professional from $19.99 a month at 750 tasks billed yearly and Team from 2,000 tasks for $69 a month, in USD, with NZD and AUD among its billing currencies¹. Make's own comparison page lists Core at $9, Pro at $16 and Team at $29 a month, each starting at 10,000 credits⁶; Make's pricing page did not display plan prices when checked and does not say on that page whether those figures are monthly or annual, so confirm at checkout. n8n's pricing page lists Starter at €20 and Pro at €50 a month billed annually, with annual billing saving 17%, and Business at €667 a month for self-hosted teams⁴. Anthropic's help centre lists Team Standard seats at $20 a month billed annually and $25 monthly, as US prices excluding tax⁷.

Add GST where it applies. For the full cost of a Claude or ChatGPT workspace for 5, 10 and 20 people, see what Claude and ChatGPT business plans cost a New Zealand team.

04Where does each tool win?

Zapier wins on breadth and speed for non-technical staff. Make wins when a visual, multi-branch workflow needs to run often at a low entry price. n8n wins on cost per run at volume and on self-hosting. Claude Code wins when the job needs judgement, such as reading several sources and drafting something a person then reviews.

In practice:

• Zapier suits an office manager who wants each new website enquiry to land in the CRM and trigger a reply, set up in an afternoon.
• Make suits an operations person who likes to see the whole flow on one canvas, with routers that send different records down different paths.
• n8n suits a business with a developer or technical marketer, where workflows call internal systems or run thousands of times a month.
• Claude Code suits recurring marketing work that changes each time: a weekly performance summary written from several exports, first drafts from a brief, or research on a list of accounts.

Many small businesses end up with two: one workflow tool for instant triggers between apps, and an agent for the work that needs reading and writing. The guide to AI marketing automation for small business lists the six automations most businesses should set up first, whichever tool runs them.

05Where does your data live, and can you self-host?

Only n8n can be fully self-hosted on servers you choose. Zapier stores data in the United States. Make lets you choose a US or EU data centre when you create the organisation. n8n Cloud stores data in Germany. Claude Code works on files on your machine and sends prompts to Anthropic, or a cloud provider you configure, for processing.

The vendors' own pages: Zapier's security page says Zapier stores data on Amazon Web Services in the United States⁸. Make's help centre says each organisation can choose a US or EU data centre, and the location cannot be changed after the organisation is created⁹. n8n's pricing FAQ says hosted plans store data in the EU on servers in Frankfurt, and self-hosted data sits wherever you host n8n⁴.

Self-hosting has terms and a cost. n8n's licence FAQ says that if workflows are only created or modified by you or people in your organisation, you can use the Community licence for free, and that hosting n8n as a service for clients to build workflows is not allowed under it¹⁰. n8n calls this licence fair-code and source-available. Its documentation also says self-hosting requires technical expertise, and that maintenance is your responsibility¹¹.

For New Zealand businesses, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner says that in most circumstances you remain responsible for personal information you put in the cloud¹², wherever the servers are. List the customer fields each workflow touches before you build it.

06How do n8n, Zapier, Make and Claude Code compare?

The four tools run from easiest to most flexible. Zapier is quickest for a non-technical person, Make adds visual control, n8n adds self-hosting and code, and Claude Code swaps fixed rules for an agent that follows written instructions. The table covers what matters to a 5 to 50 person business.

The credit expiry note comes from Make's pricing FAQ, which says credits expire at the end of the term³. Every tool here changes its plans often, so recheck prices on the day you buy.

07Which tool suits your team?

Match the tool to the person who will own it. A non-technical owner or office manager should start with Zapier. An operations-minded person who enjoys building should try Make. A team with a developer, or with strict data needs, should look at n8n. A marketer comfortable with files who wants drafting and reporting done should look at Claude Code.

The guide on running a whole marketing function on Claude Code shows the agent route in detail, including what broke.

08When should you hire an n8n, Zapier or Make consultant?

Hire a consultant when an automation touches customer data or payments, or must keep running across several systems without anyone watching, and nobody on the team has the hours to learn the tool. Do it yourself when the workflow is simple and low risk, and someone on the team will own and maintain it.

Each vendor publishes a directory to start from. Zapier's directory lists Zapier Solution Partners with tier labels, ratings and reviews¹³. Make's Partner Directory describes its partners as certified Make experts, ranked Platinum, Gold and Silver¹⁴. n8n's Expert Partners page says the programme is a closed pilot, with a directory of pilot partners¹⁵.

Whoever you hire, ask for these in writing:

1. A scope listing each workflow, its trigger, the apps it touches and the customer data it handles.
2. Accounts, connections and API keys in your company's name, never the consultant's.
3. Error alerts that go to a named person in your business.
4. Documentation a new staff member could follow, plus a recorded walkthrough.
5. A fixed price for the build, and a separate, optional price for maintenance.

The comparison of AI agencies, AI automation agencies and AI consultants covers how to vet providers more broadly, and the page on hiring a marketing automation consultant explains what a scoped automation build includes.

09What does maintenance cost?

Every automation needs upkeep. Apps change their connections, logins expire, usage grows past the plan and the person who built it leaves. Budget a few hours a month to check runs and fix errors, and expect the subscription to rise as volume grows. Self-hosted n8n adds server updates and backups to that list.

Know what happens at your limit before you hit it. Zapier's pricing page says that if you reach your task limit you are switched to pay-as-you-go unless you turn it off or move up a tier¹. Make's pricing FAQ says scenarios stop running until credits are added again³. Either behaviour can surprise a busy team.

Claude Code needs a different kind of upkeep. Its instructions and skills drift as your business changes, and its output varies between runs, so a person reviews anything that reaches a customer. Rules that must hold every time belong in automated checks. A monthly routine covers most of it:

• Review failed runs and error alerts, and fix the cause.
• Check usage against the plan and the month before.
• Reconnect any expired app connections.
• Read a sample of agent output against your marketing automation rules and voice guide.
• Update the documentation when a workflow changes.

10Where Flow AI fits

Flow AI provides AI marketing services for businesses in New Zealand and Australia. Amber Lan, an AI marketing engineer in Auckland, builds the AI agents that run search, content, outbound and reporting with your team, then hands them over. Amber's own stack is Claude Code, and Flow AI is not a partner of n8n, Zapier or Make.

If the agent route fits your team, the page on working with a Claude Code consultant explains how a build runs; each starts with a written scope and is priced per project. The skill library and free agent templates are open to inspect first. Companies hiring can reach Amber through the hiring page.

11The short version

Zapier is the quickest start for non-technical staff, Make gives visual control at a lower entry price, n8n gives per-run billing and self-hosting for technical teams, and Claude Code handles marketing work that needs judgement. Pick the one the person who will own it can run.

Before you buy, price your real workflows in the tool's own billing unit. After you buy, keep every account in your company's name and set aside time each month for upkeep.

To work out which route fits your team, talk to Amber.