n8n.io - When Make.com Is Not Enough

Your Make.com bill just hit $100/month. Next month it'll be $150. You're running 10 agents and scaling fast. There's a better way.

The Honest Truth About n8n

n8n is Make.com's more powerful, open-source cousin. It's free to self-host, unlimited in scale, but harder to learn.

The Tradeoff

Make.com:

• ✓ Easier to learn
• ✓ Great for beginners
• ✓ Managed service (no servers)
• ✗ Expensive at scale ($1/1,000 operations)
• ✗ Limited customization
• ✗ Vendor lock-in

n8n:

• ✓ Open source and free
• ✓ Self-hostable (your infrastructure)
• ✓ Unlimited operations
• ✓ Full control and customization
• ✗ Steeper learning curve
• ✗ You manage the infrastructure

When to Switch

Stick with Make.com if:

• Monthly bill < $50
• Running < 5 agents
• You're non-technical
• You value simplicity over cost

Switch to n8n when:

• Monthly bill > $50
• Running 10+ agents
• Need unlimited operations
• Want full control
• Have basic technical skills

The Two Ways to Use n8n

Option 1: n8n Cloud (Easy Start)

What it is: Managed n8n hosting (like Make.com)

Pricing:

• Free trial: 14 days, unlimited
• Starter: $20/month (2,500 executions)
• Pro: $50/month (10,000 executions)

When it makes sense:

• Testing n8n before committing to self-hosting
• Small to medium workloads
• You want someone else managing servers

Limitations:

• Still pay per execution (though cheaper than Make.com)
• Less control than self-hosting

Option 2: Self-Hosted (Maximum Value)

What it is: Install n8n on your own server

Pricing:

• n8n software: $0 (free forever)
• Server hosting: $5-20/month

When it makes sense:

• Month 3+ of using n8n
• Running 20+ agents
• Need unlimited executions
• Have technical team

Benefits:

• No operation limits (run 1 million executions if you want)
• Full control over data and privacy
• Custom integrations you can't get elsewhere
• Total cost: $5-20/month regardless of scale

Getting Started: The Smart Path

Recommendation: Start with n8n Cloud for 2-4 weeks. Learn the platform. Then decide to stay or self-host.

Why? Self-hosting requires Linux knowledge. Better to learn n8n first, hosting later.

Setting Up n8n Cloud (15 Minutes)

Step 1: Create Account

1. Go to n8n.io
2. Click "Get Started"
3. Fill in:
   • Name
   • Email
   • Password
   • Account name (subdomain: yourname.n8n.cloud)
4. Click "Try for Free"

No credit card required for 14-day trial.

Step 2: Answer Setup Questions

n8n asks about:

• Team size
• Automation experience
• How you found n8n
• Which apps you use

Be honest. It suggests better templates based on your answers.

Step 3: Explore the Interface

Key differences from Make.com:

| Make.com | n8n | |----------|-----| | Modules | Nodes | | Scenarios | Workflows | | Connections | Credentials |

Interface tour:

• Left panel: Workflows, Templates, Credentials
• Center canvas: Where you build
• Right panel: Node settings
• Top bar: Workflow controls (Save, Execute, Settings)

Your First n8n Workflow (20 Minutes)

Let's rebuild the email responder from Make.com. You'll see the key differences.

Step 1: Create New Workflow

1. Click "New Workflow" (top right)
2. Name it: Email Responder n8n
3. Click "Save"

Step 2: Gmail Trigger (The n8n Way)

Big difference: n8n uses proper OAuth with Google Cloud Console instead of simple Gmail connection.

Why? More secure, more control, follows industry standards.

Setting Up Gmail with Google Cloud

Don't panic. This looks complicated but takes 10 minutes.

A. Create Google Cloud Project

1. Open console.cloud.google.com
2. Click "Select a project" (top bar)
3. Click "New Project"
4. Name: n8n Workflows
5. Click "Create"
6. Wait 30 seconds
7. Select your new project

B. Enable Gmail API

1. In search bar (top), type: "Gmail API"
2. Click the "Gmail API" result
3. Click "Enable"
4. Wait for confirmation (usually instant)

C. Create OAuth Consent Screen

1. Left menu: "APIs & Services" → "OAuth consent screen"
2. Choose: "External"
3. Click "Create"
4. Fill in:
   • App name: n8n Gmail Access
   • User support email: Your email
   • Developer email: Your email
5. Click "Save and Continue"
6. Scopes page: Click "Save and Continue" (skip for now)
7. Test users: Add your email
8. Click "Save and Continue"

D. Create OAuth Credentials

1. Left menu: "Credentials"
2. Click "+ Create Credentials"
3. Select "OAuth client ID"
4. Application type: "Web application"
5. Name: n8n
6. Authorized redirect URIs: Click "Add URI"
   • Add: https://yourname.n8n.cloud/rest/oauth2-credential/callback
   • Replace yourname with your n8n subdomain
7. Click "Create"
8. Copy your Client ID and Client Secret

E. Connect to n8n

Back in n8n:

1. Add "Gmail Trigger" node to canvas
2. Click "Create New Credential"
3. Paste:
   • Client ID: From Google Cloud
   • Client Secret: From Google Cloud
4. Click "Sign in with Google"
5. Choose your account
6. Grant permissions
7. Click "Save"

Done! Gmail is now connected securely.

Step 3: Configure Gmail Trigger

In the Gmail Trigger node:

Event: message.received
Filters:

• Label IDs: INBOX
• Include Spam and Trash: false

Advanced options:

• Polling Interval: 1 minute (faster than Make.com's 15 minutes!)

Step 4: Extract Email Data

Add "Set" node after Gmail Trigger:

This cleans up the data for easier use later.

Values to set:

{
  "customer_email": "={{$json.from}}",
  "subject": "={{$json.subject}}",
  "message": "={{$json.text}}",
  "thread_id": "={{$json.threadId}}",
  "received_date": "={{$now}}"
}

Why? Gmail returns complex nested data. This flattens it.

Step 5: Add OpenAI Node

1. Add "OpenAI" node
2. Click "Create New Credential"
3. Paste your OpenAI API key
4. Save

Configure:

• Resource: Message
• Operation: Create
• Model: gpt-4o-mini
• Messages:

{
  "role": "system",
  "content": "You are a helpful customer service assistant."
}

{
  "role": "user",
  "content": "Write a professional response to this email:\n\nSubject: {{$json.subject}}\nFrom: {{$json.customer_email}}\n\nMessage:\n{{$json.message}}\n\nGuidelines:\n- Be friendly but professional\n- Keep under 150 words\n- End with a warm closing"
}

Step 6: Send or Draft Response

Add "Gmail" node:

Operation: Create Draft (start with review mode)

Configure:

• To: ={{$('Set').item.json.customer_email}}
• Subject: Re: {{$('Set').item.json.subject}}
• Message: ={{$json.choices[0].message.content}}

Step 7: Test the Workflow

1. Click "Execute Workflow" (top right)
2. Send yourself a test email
3. Wait 1-2 minutes
4. Check execution log for results

Success? You should see a draft created in Gmail.

n8n vs Make.com: Key Differences

1. Data Referencing

Make.com: Uses simple {{1.subject}} notation

n8n: Uses expressions: ={{$json.subject}} or ={{$('Node Name').item.json.subject}}

Pro tip: Use the Expression Editor in n8n (click fx button) to avoid mistakes.

2. Error Handling

Make.com: Basic automatic retries

n8n: Advanced error workflows

Example - Add Error Trigger:

1. Add "Error Trigger" node (separate workflow)
2. Configure to catch errors from specific workflows
3. Send Slack alert or email when errors occur

3. Custom Code

Make.com: Limited custom code, mostly in special modules

n8n: Built-in "Code" node for JavaScript/Python

Example:

// Process multiple emails at once
const items = $input.all();

return items.map(item => ({
  json: {
    email: item.json.from,
    summary: item.json.text.substring(0, 100),
    priority: item.json.text.includes('urgent') ? 'high' : 'normal'
  }
}));

4. Webhooks

Make.com: Create webhook, get URL, done

n8n: More powerful webhooks with:

• Request validation
• Custom headers
• Response customization
• Authentication built-in

Self-Hosting n8n (For Later)

Once you're comfortable with n8n, self-hosting saves massive money.

Quick Cost Comparison

Running 20 agents, 10,000 operations/month:

• Make.com: $100-200/month
• n8n Cloud Pro: $50/month (but limited)
• n8n Self-hosted: $10/month (unlimited)

Savings: $90-190/month = $1,080-2,280/year

Hosting Options

Easiest: DigitalOcean Droplet ($6/month)
Cheapest: Hetzner VPS ($4/month)
Managed: Railway.app ($10/month, auto-scaling)
Enterprise: AWS/Azure (starts $20/month)

Recommendation: Start with DigitalOcean. It has 1-click n8n installation.

Self-Hosting Setup (30 Minutes)

We'll cover this in detail in a future guide, but here's the overview:

1. Create DigitalOcean account
2. Launch n8n 1-Click App
3. Configure domain and SSL
4. Set up database backups
5. Migrate workflows from n8n Cloud

Resources: n8n has excellent self-hosting documentation

Migration Strategy: Make.com → n8n

Week 1: Learn n8n

• Sign up for n8n Cloud trial
• Rebuild 1-2 simple workflows
• Get comfortable with the interface

Week 2: Migrate Simple Workflows

• Move 3-5 simple agents
• Test thoroughly
• Keep Make.com as backup

Week 3: Complex Workflows

• Migrate complex multi-step agents
• Rewrite custom logic for n8n
• Document differences

Week 4: Full Switch

• Move remaining workflows
• Cancel Make.com (keep account for 1 month just in case)
• Monitor n8n closely

Month 2+: Consider Self-Hosting

• Evaluate costs and volume
• If spending $30+/month on n8n Cloud, self-host
• Set up proper monitoring and backups

Common n8n Gotchas

Gotcha 1: Expressions Are Strict

In Make.com, you can reference missing data and it just returns empty.

In n8n, missing data throws an error.

Solution: Use optional chaining:

={{$json.customer?.email ?? 'no-email@example.com'}}

Gotcha 2: Webhook Testing

n8n webhooks need to be "waiting" to test them. Click "Listen for Test Event" before sending test data.

Gotcha 3: Credentials Are Workflow-Specific

Unlike Make.com where connections are global, n8n credentials can be workflow-specific. Save credentials as "shared" to use across workflows.

Is n8n Right for You?

Use n8n If:

• ✓ Make.com costs > $50/month
• ✓ You need unlimited operations
• ✓ You want full control
• ✓ You have time to learn
• ✓ You value open source

Stick with Make.com If:

• ✗ Complete beginner to automation
• ✗ Monthly bill < $30
• ✗ Zero technical skills
• ✗ Need 24/7 support
• ✗ Running just 1-2 agents

Next Level: Building Real AI Agents

Now that you understand n8n, you can build agents with:

• Memory systems that remember past conversations
• Multi-agent orchestration where agents work together
• Custom tools that aren't available in Make.com
• Real-time processing at any scale

Check out our guide on Building Real AI Agents with n8n to see what's possible.

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Ready to make the switch? Start your n8n Cloud trial today and experience unlimited automation.

Need help migrating from Make.com? Contact us for migration assistance and custom setup.