n8n vs Make vs Custom Scripts: When to Use What for AI Workflow Automation I've built automations with all three approaches. Here's when each one wins and when it doesn't. Make (Integromat) — Best for non-technical teams, simple integrations, < 10 steps n8n — Best for technical teams, complex logic, self-hosted, AI integrations Custom scripts — Best for unique requirements, high volume, full control Beautiful visual builder 1,500+ pre-built integrations Zero infrastructure to manage Non-engineers can maintain it Gets expensive at scale ($9-29/mo for basic, $99+ for real usage) Complex branching logic is awkward AI/LLM integrations are limited Vendor lock-in Marketing automation (email sequences, social posting) CRM sync between tools Simple approval workflows Teams where a non-engineer needs to maintain it Self-hosted = no per-execution costs First-class AI agent support JavaScript/Python code nodes for custom logic Community nodes for niche integrations Can run on a $5/mo VPS Requires some technical skill UI is less polished than Make Self-hosting means you manage uptime Fewer native integrations than Make AI-powered workflows (Claude, GPT, embeddings) Data processing pipelines Workflows with complex branching Cost-sensitive teams processing high volume Developers who want control Total control over every aspect Best performance at scale No platform limitations Can do literally anything Highest build cost Requires developer to maintain No visual monitoring dashboard (unless you build one) Harder to hand off to non-technical team members High-volume data processing (1M+ records) Unique integrations with no existing connectors Real-time event processing ML model inference in the pipeline When the automation IS the product Factor Make n8n Custom Setup time 1 hour 4 hours 1-3 days Monthly cost (small) $29 $0-5 $5-20 Monthly cost (large) $299+ $20 $20-50 AI integration Basic Great Full control Maintenance Easy Medium Hard Scalability Limited Good Best Learning curve Low Medium High Start with n8n for most automation projects. Here's why: Free to start — self-host on any cheap VPS AI-native — first-class Claude and GPT nodes Escape hatch — code nodes let you do anything Make can't Growing fast — the community is shipping new nodes weekly Use Make when the person maintaining the automation is non-technical. Use custom scripts when you need raw performance, unique integrations, or the automation is complex enough that a visual builder becomes a liability. A client needed: form submission → AI analysis → CRM entry → email notification → Slack alert Make: $49/mo, 2 hours to build, works but AI step is awkward n8n: $0/mo (self-hosted), 3 hours to build, AI step is clean Custom: $0/mo, 8 hours to build, overkill for this use case We went with n8n. It's been running for 3 months with zero issues. Not sure which approach fits your workflow? Get an async audit →