Zapier is the easiest. n8n is the cheapest at scale. Vida Tech builds in n8n exclusively — here's the math behind that decision.
We build every Vida Tech automation in n8n — because per-task metering traps growing businesses, and our customers shouldn't be throttled as they succeed.
For most small businesses past ~2,000 tasks/month, yes. Zapier meters every task, so the more your workflows succeed, the more they constrain you. n8n self-hosted runs unlimited executions on a fixed footprint you control, so growth doesn't penalize you. The trade-off flips in n8n's favor around 2K executions/month.
Three reasons: (1) Self-hosted means our customers own their workflows and data. (2) No per-task metering — execution volume doesn't throttle you once hosted. (3) Better economics at SMB scale — clients aren't penalized as they grow. We tell every customer upfront so they understand the trade-off.
Slightly. Zapier has 6,000+ pre-built integrations with cleaner UI. n8n has 400+ native nodes plus arbitrary HTTP/code nodes for anything missing. For non-technical users, Zapier is faster to start; for teams that need to scale, n8n wins on cost and flexibility.
Yes. n8n ships native nodes for OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, and others. Plus the code node lets you call any API directly. AI workflows in n8n are arguably more flexible than in Zapier because you control the prompt + response handling end-to-end.
You take them. n8n workflows export as JSON files. They run on any n8n instance — self-hosted or n8n Cloud. We hand over the workflow definitions plus the deployment configuration on cancel. With Zapier, you can't export workflows in a portable format.
No. n8n Cloud is available if you don't want to self-host. We deploy to either depending on the customer's compliance/data-residency needs. Most SMBs end up on either n8n Cloud (simpler) or a small Hetzner/DigitalOcean VPS (more control).
Custom automations wired into your CRM, calendar, billing — built in 14 days, tuned monthly.