Almost every SME we help comes with the same question: "which tool should I use to automate this?" The answer depends less on the tool and more on the problem.
Zapier
- When to use: non-technical teams, simple automations (1-3 steps), standard integrations (Gmail, Slack, Sheets).
- Real price: €30–70/month for serious use.
- Limit: gets expensive quickly as volume grows.
Make (formerly Integromat)
- When to use: visual flows with conditional logic, data manipulation.
- Price: best price-to-value ratio for medium volumes.
- Limit: steeper learning curve than Zapier.
n8n
- When to use: when you want full control, self-hosted, AI integrations, business-critical flows.
- Price: free self-hosted or ~€20/month cloud.
- Limit: you need someone technical (or us) to set it up.
To run these numbers for your own case, use the manual process cost calculator. The process automation guide brings the rest of the topic together in one place.
Our default choice
n8n self-hosted. Why? Because your data stays with you, it scales without extra cost, and it integrates with any AI model via API. For 90% of SMEs that orchestrate operations, it's the clear winner in 2026.
HB
Written by
Henrique Baeta
Commercial & Doer
Writes about applied AI, operations, GEO/SEO and how to turn companies into machines that keep running even when no one is watching.