Make vs Zapier vs n8n: Which Automation Tool Fits Your Store?
All three tools connect your apps together, but they differ enough in learning curve, cost and data control that the right pick depends on your specific setup.
The short version
Zapier is the easiest to start with and has the widest app support, but usage-based pricing adds up fast once you're running several workflows with real order volume. Make gives you more visual control over complex, branching workflows at a generally lower cost per task. n8n is the most flexible and, self-hosted, can be the cheapest at scale, but it asks more of you technically to set up and maintain.
Make in more detail
Make (formerly Integromat) uses a visual canvas where you can see your entire workflow laid out, including branches and error paths, which makes debugging a broken automation noticeably easier than Zapier's more linear step list. It supports more complex logic (loops, routers, aggregators) natively without needing workarounds. Pricing is based on "operations" rather than per-task in the same way Zapier charges, which tends to work out cheaper for workflows that touch a lot of data points per run.
When Zapier is still the right call
If the specific apps in your stack (a niche Indian payment gateway, a regional courier's tracking system, a specific POS tool) only have an official integration on one of these three platforms, that settles the decision regardless of price or flexibility. Zapier's integration library is the largest of the three, so it's worth checking there first if you use less mainstream tools.
When n8n is worth the extra setup
If you're running enough automation volume that per-task pricing on Zapier or Make starts to hurt, or if you specifically need your customer and order data to never leave a server you control (a real consideration under India's data protection rules for certain categories of data), self-hosted n8n removes both problems at the cost of needing someone comfortable maintaining a small server.
A practical way to decide
Map out your actual first 3 workflows before choosing a tool, not the other way around. Check which of the three has native integrations for the specific apps those 3 workflows touch, and let that answer, plus your comfort with self-hosting, make the decision rather than picking based on general reputation alone.