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Tools · Comparison

Cresta vs n8n vs Zapier AI

All three are automation tools. Here is what separates them.

Crestan8nZapier AI
What it isSave money, increase revenue, and build customer loyalty with the only unified platform for human and AI agents that transforms every customer experience.Workflow automation you can self-host, with AI agent nodes and the option to write code in a step.Build and scale AI workflows and agents across 9,000+ apps with Zapier—the most connected AI orchestration platform. Trusted by 3 million+ businesses.
CategoryAutomationAutomationAutomation
PricingPaidFreemium · Free (self-hosted) · Cloud from €24/moFreemium · $19-$69/mo
How it billsNot publishedFreeFlat monthly
Free tierNoYesYes
RatingNot yet ratedNot yet rated4.3 from 4,800 reviews
Features—
  • Self-hostable with no task limits
  • Hundreds of integrations
  • Code steps in JavaScript or Python
  • AI agent nodes with tools and memory
  • Fair-code licence
  • Natural language automation
  • 7,000+ app connections
  • AI actions in workflows
  • Chatbots builder
  • Tables database
  • Conditional logic
  • Multi-step zaps
  • Team collaboration
What works—
  • No per-task cost when self-hosted
  • Escape hatch to code
  • Data can stay on your infrastructure
  • Massive app library
  • No-code setup
  • AI-powered creation
  • Reliable execution
  • Great documentation
What does not
  • No free tier — it has to be paid for before it can be tried
  • Does not publish a price on its own site, so the cost is only clear after signing up
  • 39 other tools in this catalogue claim to do the same job
  • 19 tools in the same category have a free tier
  • Self-hosting is real work
  • Fewer polished integrations than Zapier
  • Steeper learning curve
  • Can be expensive
  • Task limits on plans
  • Complex workflows hard to debug
  • Some app limitations
Visit CrestaVisit n8nVisit Zapier AICompare more tools