Zapier to n8n: When the Switch Pays for Itself

If you’re running a UK SME with 10+ Zapier workflows, you’re probably spending £200-£800 per month on automation. What if I told you could cut that by 40-60% while gaining more control and flexibility?

The Economics

Here’s the math for a typical SME:

Current Zapier spend:

• Professional plan: £49/month
• 50,000 tasks/month
• 15 active Zaps
• Total: £588/year

n8n alternative:

• Self-hosted on a £10/month VPS, OR
• n8n Cloud starter: £20/month
• Unlimited workflows
• Total: £120-£240/year

Annual savings: £348-£468

That’s a migration project that pays for itself in 2-3 months.

When to Make the Switch

Consider migrating if:

1. You’re spending over £50/month on Zapier
2. You’re hitting task limits regularly
3. You need more complex error handling
4. You want audit logs and version control
5. Your workflows are business-critical

The Migration Checklist

1. Audit Phase (Week 1)

• Export all Zapier workflows
• Document dependencies
• Identify API rate limits
• Map data transformations

2. Build Phase (Week 2)

• Set up n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted)
• Rebuild workflows one by one
• Add error handling
• Test with live data in parallel

3. Cutover Phase (Week 3)

• Run both systems in parallel
• Monitor for discrepancies
• Switch DNS/webhooks
• Decommission Zapier

Common Gotchas

Authentication: n8n handles OAuth differently. Budget extra time for re-authentication.

Webhooks: You’ll need to update webhook URLs in your apps.

Custom code: Zapier’s Code steps translate directly to n8n’s Function nodes, but syntax differs slightly.

Scheduling: n8n uses cron syntax. Zapier’s “every hour” becomes 0 * * * *.

Is n8n Right for You?

Choose n8n if:

• You have technical capacity (or a partner like us)
• You want full control over your automations
• Cost reduction is a priority
• You need advanced features (branching, loops, complex data transformation)

Stick with Zapier if:

• You have simple workflows (under 5 Zaps)
• You need absolute zero-config simplicity
• You don’t have technical support

Getting Help

At Voozo, we handle the entire migration for £900+. That includes:

• Complete audit of current flows
• Rebuild in n8n
• Parallel testing
• Deployment
• 2 weeks of monitoring and fixes

ROI: Most clients save the migration cost within 3-4 months and continue saving £30-40/month indefinitely.

Ready to cut your automation costs? Book a migration assessment →

About the Author: This post was written by the Voozo team, specialists in automation for UK SMEs. We’ve migrated over 200 workflows from Zapier to n8n, saving our clients thousands in recurring costs.

Featured image by Hanna Pad from Pexels