Free Tool
AI Tool Cost Comparator
Three automation tools, three prices, three credit systems — and the cheapest headline is rarely the cheapest bill. This comparator puts them side by side on the same usage.
Planning estimate, not financial advice. All figures on this page are estimates or scenarios for planning purposes only, built from the numbers you enter. They are not financial, tax or legal advice, and no earnings are promised. Read the full financial disclaimer.
What this tool does
Enter the executions or credits you use per month, then compare three tools at once: the monthly price on your billing choice, the included executions or credits, the overage rate and the effective cost per thousand executions. Every preset is dated and editable — prices change, and a comparison that cannot be edited is a comparison that goes stale.
The presets are dated “last checked 15 November 2026”: n8n Cloud Starter costs €20 a month billed annually (€24 monthly) with 2,500 executions, and Make Core costs $12 a month billed annually ($16 monthly) with 10,000 credits. The third tool is left for you to enter, because its price was not verified at build time — a blank field is honest where an unverified number would not be.
Try it
Waiting. Fill in your monthly usage and the three tools, then press Calculate.
How it works
The total for each tool is the monthly price plus overage: usage above the included executions, divided by 1,000 and multiplied by the overage price per thousand. Usage at or under the included amount costs the monthly price alone. The effective cost per thousand executions is the total divided by the usage, times 1,000 — the number that makes tools with different included amounts comparable.
The cheapest tool is the one with the lowest total at your usage. That answer changes with usage: a tool that is cheapest at 2,500 executions can be the most expensive at 10,000, because the included amounts and the overage rates cross.
Assumptions and limitations
Every price here is a dated preset. Check the provider’s own page before you commit.
- Preset prices last checked 15 November 2026: n8n Cloud Starter €20 a month billed annually (€24 monthly, 2,500 executions); Make Core $12 a month billed annually ($16 monthly, 10,000 credits). Both are editable — if the provider has changed the price, the comparison must change with it.
- The third tool’s price is left for you to enter: it was not verified at build time, and a blank field is honest where an unverified number would not be. Use the placeholders as a starting point and check the provider’s page.
- Executions and credits are not the same unit. One n8n execution and one Make credit do different amounts of work — the comparison assumes your usage number means the same thing on each tool, and it does not if the tools count work differently.
- No free tiers, no annual discounts beyond the billed-annually price and no tax are included. Enter the price you actually pay, not the headline price.
Worked example
Example (illustrative inputs; presets dated 15 November 2026). 8,000 executions a month, no overage rates entered:
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| n8n Cloud Starter | 20.00 a month — 2,500 included |
| Make Core | 12.00 a month — 10,000 included |
| Zapier (user-entered) | 19.99 a month — 750 included |
| Cheapest at 8,000 | Make Core at 12.00 a month |
Frequently asked questions
Why is the cheapest tool not always the best choice?
Because price is one axis. A tool that is cheapest at your usage can still be the wrong choice if it lacks the integrations, the reliability or the support you need. The comparator answers the price question; it cannot answer the whole question.
Are executions and credits the same thing?
No. One n8n execution and one Make credit do different amounts of work, and some tools count a scenario run where others count each step. Use the same usage number only if you have measured it on each tool — otherwise the comparison is comparing different things.
Why are the presets dated?
Because automation prices change often, and a comparison built on a stale price is worse than no comparison — it looks certain while it is wrong. The date tells you when the number was checked; if it is old, re-check the provider’s page.
Why is the third tool’s price left for me to enter?
Because it was not verified at build time. Entering an unverified number as a preset would present a guess as a fact — a blank field with a placeholder is the honest choice, and the tool works exactly the same way once you fill it in.