Make to n8n: The Complete Concept Translation Map

Make and n8n: Closer Than You Think

Make (formerly Integromat) and n8n share more architectural similarity than Zapier and n8n do. Both platforms use a visual node-based canvas for workflow design. The core concepts translate more directly, and the main migration challenge is the billing model difference and a few Make-specific features with no direct n8n equivalent.

Core Concept Translation

• Scenario → Workflow — a complete automation from trigger to outputs.
• Module → Node — each module in a scenario maps to one or more nodes in n8n. Most popular app modules have direct node equivalents.
• Operation (billing unit) → Execution (billing unit) — Make counts every module execution as one operation. n8n counts the entire workflow run as one execution, regardless of node count. A 10-module scenario running 500 times = 5,000 operations on Make. The same workflow in n8n = 500 executions.
• Trigger module → Trigger node — the first node in a workflow. Schedule triggers, webhook triggers, and app-specific triggers all have n8n equivalents.
• Webhook → Webhook Trigger node — same URL migration issue as Zapier: Make webhook URLs will not transfer; external senders need to be updated to new n8n URLs.
• Router module → Switch node — Make's Router splits execution into multiple paths. The Switch node in n8n is the direct equivalent.
• Filter → IF node — conditional logic that stops or redirects the execution path.
• Aggregator module → Aggregate node — collects multiple items into a single bundle. The n8n Aggregate node works similarly, combining items from a loop or list into a summary output.
• Iterator module → Loop Over Items node — processes an array item by item. The Loop Over Items node in n8n is the direct equivalent.
• Error handler route → Error Output + Error Trigger workflow — Make allows you to attach error routes to individual modules. n8n handles errors at the workflow level: an Error Trigger workflow fires when any execution fails, and individual nodes have an Error Output connection you can route to fallback logic.

Make Data Store → External Database

Make's Data Store is a built-in key-value and table store for persisting data between scenario runs. n8n has no equivalent built-in. Replace it with an external store that fits your use case:

• Simple key-value pairs — Google Sheets or Airtable, with the key in one column and the value in another.
• Structured table data — Airtable, Notion database, or a Supabase table with the n8n Postgres node.
• Fast session state — Redis via the n8n Redis node for data that needs to be read and written quickly within a workflow.

The Operations vs Executions Billing Shift

This is the biggest financial change when moving from Make to n8n. Calculate your current Make usage by looking at your operations per scenario. Then count how many scenario runs those operations represent (total operations ÷ modules per scenario). That run count is your n8n execution equivalent. For workflows with many modules and high trigger frequency, the savings are substantial.

What Make Does Better

Make has a more polished visual interface and stronger built-in data mapping tools. Its module connection UI is intuitive for non-developers. n8n's interface requires more initial learning. If you have non-technical team members who actively build automations, factor their ramp-up time into the migration decision.