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Workflow automation, costed per run — units converted.
If the busywork between your apps eats your evenings, a workflow platform is the most flexible agent you can buy. Zapier bills per task, Make per operation and n8n per execution, so headline prices can’t be compared — every listing here converts its unit to 1,000 and 10,000 runs a month.
One user · low = 1,000, typical = 10,000 workflow runs/month — billing units converted · Every figure from the vendor’s own pricing page
| # | Agent | Low | Typical | Billed | No-code | Solo fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZapierThe default connector for a one-person business — if two of your apps need to talk, Zapier almost certainly already speaks to both. | $39/mo | $129/mo | per task | Solo-Ready | |
| 2 | MakeThe visual workshop for founders who outgrow simple recipes — branching, looping scenarios at a fraction of Zapier's step price. | $9/mo | $9/mo | per operation | Solo-Ready | |
| 3 | GumloopAn AI-first builder for the jobs that need judgement — research, enrichment and drafting — not just moving rows between apps. | $37/mo | $37/mo | per credit | Solo-Ready | |
| 4 | TaskadeProjects, agents and automations in one workspace — the operations hub for founders who want their to-do list to do itself. | $10/mo | $25/mo | per execution | Solo-Ready | |
| 5 | AlbatoA budget-friendly Zapier-style connector with the AI features included on the entry paid plan, not gated behind a top tier. | $15/mo | from $15 | per task | Solo-Ready | |
| 6 | BardeenThe browser-side scout: it scrapes, enriches and qualifies leads from the pages you already browse, then files the results for you. | $50/mo | See pricing | per credit | Solo-Ready | |
| 7 | n8nThe powerful workshop you can own outright — whole workflows billed as one execution, if you are willing to run the workshop. | See pricing | See pricing | per execution | Technical |
Ranked picks
Reasons on every listing.Also covers this job
What to look for
- Cost at 10,000 runs, not the entry price — per-unit billing decides what scales
- Integration coverage for YOUR stack (accounting, CRM, store, inbox), not the biggest logo count
- Error handling: what happens at 2am when a step fails — alert, retry, or silent breakage
- The agent layer's limits: AI steps usually meter separately from normal runs
- Exit cost: can you export workflows, or is your operations knowledge locked in?
Questions, answered
Zapier, Make or n8n — which should a non-technical founder start with?
Zapier, for most: the widest integration library and the gentlest learning curve, at the highest per-run cost. Move to Make when a few high-volume workflows dominate your bill. Choose n8n if you are comfortable self-hosting or want AI workflows with your own model keys — powerful, but it is the Technical pick on this page and labelled as such.
Why does the same workflow cost different amounts on each platform?
Because the meter counts different things. A 5-step automation might be 5 Zapier tasks, 5 Make operations, or 1 n8n execution. At low volume the difference is pocket change; at 10,000 runs it can be tenfold. Each listing shows its unit and our conversion.
What can these platforms actually automate for a one-person business?
The proven solo set: new-lead capture into CRM + instant follow-up, invoice/payment chasing, form-to-spreadsheet-to-email pipelines, review requests after delivery, content repurposing queues, and daily summary digests. Start with one painful, daily, rule-based process.
Are the new 'agent' features worth paying for on top?
Sometimes — agent steps handle the fuzzy parts (drafting a reply, classifying a message) that classic if/then automation can't. They meter separately and cost more per run, so use them only where the step genuinely needs judgement. Each listing notes how its agent features are billed where the vendor publishes it.
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