n8n vs Zapier
A feature-by-feature comparison of n8n and Zapier across 7 capability categories.
Modalities — n8n Wins
| Feature | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
Text Input | Yes, requires free plan. Workflows and AI agents take prompts; natural language can become API calls. | Yes, requires free plan. Copilot, Agents, Chatbots, and AI fields take natural language. Free Copilot has a daily limit. |
Image Upload / Vision | Unknown. Nodes can fetch files. A first-party vision input was not confirmed. | Unknown. Zaps can move files. A first-party vision model was not on the pricing page. |
Image Generation | No. You can call image APIs via nodes. n8n itself is not an image model. | No. You can call an image API as a step. Zapier itself is not an image model. |
Voice Mode | No. No conversational voice loop is documented. | No. No conversational voice loop is documented on pricing. |
Video Understanding | No. Not a video-analysis product. | No. Not a video-analysis product. |
Video Generation | No. Not a video generation product. | No. Not a video generation product. |
File Upload (PDF, DOCX) | Yes, requires free plan. Workflows handle files, webhooks, and data tables. | Yes, requires free plan. Tables, Forms, and Zap steps move files and structured records. |
Code Execution | Yes, requires free plan. JavaScript or Python anywhere in a workflow; bash scripts; custom nodes. | Partial. Code by Zapier / webhooks on Professional. Not a general Python notebook. |
Audio Input | No. Not a speech product. You could wire a STT API as a node. | No. Not a speech product. |
Canvas / Artifact Editor | Yes, requires free plan. The product is a visual workflow canvas with code nodes beside it. | Unknown. Overlapping columns disagreed (yes vs partial); left unverified rather than copying a no. |
Screen Sharing / Computer Use | No. No computer-use desktop takeover. | No. No computer-use takeover. |
Memory & Context — Tie
| Feature | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
Persistent Memory | Partial. Workflows, credentials, and data tables persist. That is automation state, not chat memory of you. | Partial. Zaps, Tables, and storage persist. That is automation state, not personal chat memory. |
Large Context Window | Unknown. Depends on the model you connect. No n8n token window is published. | No. Task allowances, not a published LLM context window. |
Custom Instructions | Yes, requires free plan. Workflow logic, guardrails, and human-in-the-loop steps are the instructions. | Yes, requires free plan. Zap logic, filters, paths, and agent/chatbot instructions. |
Conversation History | Yes, requires free plan. Execution logs and workflow history (days vary by plan). | Yes, requires free plan. Zap run history. Agents/Chatbots keep their own threads. |
Integrations — Zapier Wins
| Feature | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
Web Search / Browsing | Partial. You can add search/HTTP nodes. Not a built-in cited search box. | Unknown. Agents can use apps that search. A built-in cited search was not listed. |
Plugins / Extensions | Yes, requires free plan. 500+ integrations, custom nodes, MCP, HTTP/GraphQL. | Yes, requires free plan. 9,000+ app connections. Premium apps need Professional. |
API Access | Yes, requires free plan. Control n8n via API and CLI. Trigger from webhooks. | Yes, requires pro plan. Webhooks, REST, and Zapier MCP. MCP calls consume tasks. Free is limited. |
Zapier Integration | No. n8n is a Zapier alternative, not a native Zapier app. Use n8n nodes instead. | Yes, requires free plan. This is Zapier. Native Zaps are the product. |
Custom GPTs / Bots | Yes, requires free plan. You build AI agents as workflows and expose them (e.g. chat/webhook). | Yes, requires free plan. Chatbots and Agents are standalone add-ons with basic access on Free. |
Real-time Collaboration | Yes, requires plus plan. Unlimited users; collaboration, RBAC, and workflow diffs on paid/business plans. | Yes, requires plus plan. Team: 25 users, shared Zaps and connections. Enterprise unlimited users. |
Live Social Data Integration | No. Not a live social-firehose product. You can add social nodes. | No. You can connect social apps. That is not a live sentiment firehose. |
Live Citation Mapping | No. Not a cited-search product. | No. Not a cited-search product. |
Developer — n8n Wins
| Feature | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
Function Calling | Yes, requires free plan. AI agent nodes call tools/integrations. Structured I/O is documented. | Yes, requires free plan. Agents, Chatbots, and MCP expose tools. Multi-step Zaps are Professional. |
Streaming Responses | Yes, requires free plan. Pricing table lists streaming and bulk operations. | Unknown. Zap runs are jobs. Token streaming of an agent reply was not specified. |
Fine-Tuning | No. You connect models. n8n does not train weights. | No. Zapier does not train foundation weights. |
Embeddings API | Partial. RAG setups are documented. That uses whatever embedding API you wire, not an n8n embeddings product. | No. Not an embeddings API. |
Structured Output (JSON) | Yes, requires free plan. Enforce structured inputs/outputs around AI steps. | Yes, requires pro plan. AI fields, webhooks, and structured Zap data. Professional unlocks the full builder. |
Reasoning / Thinking Mode | Yes, requires plus plan. AI Assistant (preview) plus inspectable agent reasoning on the canvas. | No. Copilot helps build Zaps. That is not a Deep Think reasoning mode. |
Local Execution | Yes, requires free plan. Community Edition self-hosts (Docker). Cloud is optional. | No. Cloud SaaS. Not self-hosted. |
Open Weights | Partial. Source is on GitHub. You can swap cloud or offline models. n8n is not a foundation-model release. | No. Closed platform. |
Multi-Agent Orchestration | Yes, requires free plan. Homepage: multi-agent setups and RAG, inspectable on the canvas. | Partial. Agents exist as an add-on. Not a multi-agent research swarm. |
Platforms — Zapier Wins
| Feature | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
Web App | Yes, requires free plan. Cloud editor at n8n.io; also a self-hosted web UI. | Yes, requires free plan. zapier.com editor, Tables, Forms, Agents, Chatbots. |
iOS App | No. No iOS app is documented. | No. Zapier's own Shortcuts article says Zapier does not have an App Store app; iPhone use is via Apple Shortcuts plus Webhooks. |
Android App | No. No Android app is documented. | Unknown. No first-party Android app page was checked this round. The Shortcuts article only covers the missing iOS App Store app. |
Desktop App | No. Docker/self-host or cloud. Not a branded desktop app. | No. Browser product, not a native desktop app. |
Chrome Extension | No. No Chrome extension is documented. | Yes, requires free plan. zapier.com/l/install-chrome-extension documents the official Chrome extension to trigger Zaps and show Reply to Chrome results without leaving the tab. |
Privacy — Zapier Wins
| Feature | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
GDPR Compliant | Partial. Hosted plans store data in Frankfurt, Germany. Self-host wherever you choose. A DPA was not read. | Yes, requires free plan. Zapier help states it complies with GDPR, UK GDPR, and CCPA, and points to the Data Privacy Overview, DTIA, and Legal pages. A DPA is published at zapier.com/legal/data-processing-addendum. |
Opt Out of Data Training | Unknown. Self-host keeps data on your infra. Cloud training policy was not checked. | Yes, requires free plan. Security & compliance FAQ: Enterprise is automatically opted out of AI training; other plans can opt out via Zapier's opt-out form. MCP docs repeat Enterprise default opt-out under AI Supplementary Terms. |
Enterprise Privacy Mode | Yes, requires enterprise plan. On-prem/air-gap, SSO SAML/LDAP, secret stores, RBAC, audit logs, SIEM streaming. | Yes, requires enterprise plan. Enterprise: SCIM, advanced admin, custom retention, observability. Team already has SAML SSO. |
Workspaces — Tie
| Feature | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
Projects / Folders | Yes, requires plus plan. Shared projects (1 on Starter, more on higher plans). | Yes, requires plus plan. Shared folders and Zap workflows on Team. Free is solo. |