How we deploy no-code tools for our customers and internal processes

What are N8N.io and Make.com?

N8N.io and Make.com are so-called no/low-code tools that allow you to make connections between systems and automate processes. In other words, you do not need to be a developer to set this up, just some knowledge of the online systems you want to use. You connect systems by linking nodes (for N8N) or modules (for Make). If you link these tools to a database (such as Postgres or Baserow), you can make very extensive automations.

What is the difference between N8N.io and Make.com?

In theory, both systems do the same thing. Make.com’s strong point is that it has a super clear user interface and has many ready-made links to systems available (more than 1,200 integrations), making it easy to use for less-technical people.

N8N.io is technically a bit more challenging, but that is where its strength lies. With N8N, it is possible to automate more advanced processes. In addition, N8N is open-source and offers a self-hosted solution. Something that is ideal when running personal data through automation.

N8N is pushing hard to implement AI in processes. Therefore, it offers you easy options to create your own AI agents in N8N, for example, with native support for LangChain and around 70 AI-focused nodes.

Cost: the key difference

In terms of costs, the two appear similar at first glance, however, costs run at Make.com up quickly when you build a more elaborate integration.

The crucial difference is in the pricing model:

• At N8N you pay per full workflow execution. Whether your workflow has 2 steps or 200 steps, you pay for one execution when the entire workflow runs.
• At Make.com you pay per individual operation/step within your scenario. Each action in your workflow counts as a separate operation. A simple workflow soon consists of 20-100 operations.

Case study: Suppose you have a workflow with 5 steps that you need to run 2,500 times a month:

• N8N: This counts as 2,500 executions = €24/month (Starter plan)
• Make.com: This counts as 12,500 operations (5 × 2,500) = at least €10.59/month for 10,000 operations, but you would already be over your limit

So for complex workflows with many steps, N8N is often more advantageous. For simple workflows that run a lot, Make may actually be more beneficial.

How do we deploy these tools?

For small automations, it is often easier to do this in Make.com or N8N.io build rather than a custom-built link. Some use cases how we deploy this:

Use for customers

1. We extract PDF files from email boxes to convert them into sales orders in the web shop.
2. We link Exact Online to Ergonode PIM's GraphQL endpoints to synchronise product data.
3. Contact details from Visma CRM are automatically transferred to Klaviyo.

Internal use

1. Incoming notifications about customer environments (including deployment statuses and uptime monitoring) are routed to the right internal team on Slack through these tools.
2. Callback requests on our phone line are formatted via webhooks in these tools and routed to the right person via Slack.