📐 Mathematical Formula & Derivation
T_{month} = W_{day} \times 30 \times S_{steps}, \quad \Delta_{saved} = C_{Zapier}(T_{month}) - C_{n8n} 🔬 Engineering Methodology & Benchmark Analysis
Zapier charges per "Task" (every action step after the initial trigger), whereas Make.com charges per "Operation" (including the trigger and internal routers/filters) but at a ~70%–80% lower unit rate per 10,000 operations.
In contrast, n8n charges either per full workflow execution on n8n Cloud (regardless of whether your workflow has 2 steps or 50 steps) or $0 in software fees when self-hosted via Docker on a standard cloud VPS.
🛠️ Step-by-Step Engineering Calculation Guide
- Workflows / Webhook Executions per Day: Configure "Workflows / Webhook Executions per Day" (default benchmark: 400) or select an industry preset.
- Average Action Steps per Workflow Run: Configure "Average Action Steps per Workflow Run" (default benchmark: 6) or select an industry preset.
- Self-Hosted n8n Cloud VPS Cost per Month: Configure "Self-Hosted n8n Cloud VPS Cost per Month" (default benchmark: 14) or select an industry preset.