Automation with n8n and Its Alternatives: Choosing the Right Tool

Introduction

Business process automation has become a standard: whether it’s integrating CRM with messengers, data processing, or DevOps tasks. In this article, we’ll look at what automation tools exist, how they differ, and how to choose the right solution for your needs.

SaaS Platforms

Zapier

Zapier is one of the oldest and most popular automation services (since 2011). Its strength is its huge ecosystem: more than 5000 integrations, including CRMs, messengers, marketing, and financial tools.

The convenience of Zapier lies in the fact that it is designed for “non-coders”: the interface is extremely simple, workflows (“Zaps”) can be built in just a couple of clicks, and there are thousands of ready-made templates. Scenarios are triggered by events (webhooks, schedules, app actions) and deliver instant results.

Zapier’s uniqueness is in its vast integration library: many services create a connector for Zapier first, and only later for other platforms. This is its main advantage — compatibility can almost always be found.

Make (formerly Integromat)

Make offers a more “engineering” approach: here processes are built as flowcharts. Each module (node) can be connected with branches, conditions, loops, and filters. This makes Make a constructor with a high degree of control.

The Make interface looks more complex, but that’s justified: the data flow is visible right on the chart, and each module has powerful tools for data transformation.

Make’s uniqueness is its integration depth and visualization. Many connectors not only “plug in” a service but also allow advanced API functions (e.g., parsing JSON, working with arrays). This makes Make stronger than Zapier where data processing matters.

Pabbly Connect

Pabbly Connect emerged as a more affordable alternative to Zapier. Its interface is similar to Zapier’s and easy to learn even for beginners. Scenarios are built linearly, without complex charts, making the tool convenient for small businesses.

There are fewer integrations compared to market leaders, but the list is growing, and popular services are already supported.

Pabbly’s uniqueness is its pricing model: lifetime licenses and fixed costs, regardless of the number of operations. For businesses, this is a huge plus: processes can be scaled without the risk of unexpected expenses.

Open-source and Self-hosted Alternatives

Activepieces

Activepieces is an open-source project focused on simplicity. Its interface follows the Zapier style: minimalism, steps, and ready-made blocks to connect popular services. Setup is simple, running via Docker.

Integrations are fewer than n8n’s, but the list is growing. There’s a marketplace with ready-made connectors, and if necessary, you can write your own.

Activepieces’ uniqueness is the balance between simplicity and a self-hosted model. It’s one of the few tools that offers a “Zapier-like experience,” but fully on your own infrastructure.

Windmill

Windmill stands out: it’s aimed at developers. There are no ready-made connectors for “everything under the sun.” Instead, you can write your own scripts in Python, TypeScript, Go, and Bash, which run in a managed environment.

The UI allows you to run these scripts as modules in chains and connect external APIs. For version control, there’s Git integration.

Windmill’s uniqueness is the “automation as code” approach. It’s a full-fledged script execution environment with a web interface and sharing, making it especially powerful for DevOps teams and developers.

Automatisch

Automatisch is a lightweight, minimalist self-hosted alternative. Inspired by Zapier, it allows you to quickly build simple automation chains. Deployment is literally a one-command setup in Docker.

The interface is extremely simple: steps, events, and actions. This makes Automatisch convenient for “smaller” tasks.

Automatisch’s uniqueness is its lightness. Unlike n8n or Windmill, it doesn’t overload the interface with complex settings. It’s a tool to “quickly and easily automate a couple of processes” on your own server.

Comparison Table of Automation Services