Three platforms dominate workflow automation for Australian businesses: Zapier, Make.com, and n8n. Each has strengths and trade-offs. Here’s how they compare for real-world business automation.
Zapier is the simplest. Two-step automations (‘when X happens, do Y’) take minutes to build. The app library is massive (6,000+ integrations). Non-technical users can build basic automations independently. The downside is cost — the free plan allows only 100 tasks monthly, and pricing escalates quickly for volume. Best for: simple automations, non-technical users, businesses with light automation needs.
Make.com offers the best balance of power and price. Its visual canvas handles complex multi-step workflows with conditional logic, loops, and data transformation. Pricing is dramatically better than Zapier — 10,000 operations monthly for $10.59/month versus Zapier’s 750 tasks at $29.99. Best for: most Australian SMEs wanting serious automation at reasonable cost.
n8n is the most powerful and most technical. It’s open-source, self-hostable, and offers unlimited executions on its free self-hosted plan. The interface is similar to Make.com but with more technical capability — custom code nodes, advanced data processing, and complete control over your automation infrastructure. Best for: technically minded business owners or businesses with a developer resource.
For most Australian small businesses: Make.com is the right choice. It delivers 80% of n8n’s power at a fraction of the technical complexity, and 3x Zapier’s capability at one-third the price.