Best Zapier and Make alternatives agencies: move off without breaking live workflows
Published
Zapier and Make are easy to start with and expensive to outgrow. Zapier bills every action step as a task. Make bills operations, and a scenario that loops over 50,000 records with 8 modules burns 400,000 of them in a month. At some point the invoice stops being a rounding error and someone asks what it would cost to run the same logic on n8n or in plain code.
The hard part is the switch itself. No tool converts a Zap or a scenario into a working n8n workflow with the edge cases intact, so every automation gets rebuilt by hand while the business keeps running on the old one. This list covers agencies that do that work for you. We judged them on how they migrate, whether you can predict the cost, and whether your live workflows keep running while the new ones are tested.
The ranking below puts the firms that pair a stated migration method with a way to control cost first. A cheap quote means little if it comes with an overnight cutover.
The short list
| # | Name | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AY Automate | Teams with a pile of failing Zaps or Make scenarios who want them rebuilt with retries and alerts, run side by side with the old ones, and cut over only after the new ones prove reliable. | Single workflow typically low four figures. Ongoing partnership from $3K a month, cancel anytime. Multi-system automation takes 4 to 8 weeks inside the monthly partnership. |
| 2 | Samioda | Teams that want a documented, staged migration to self-hosted n8n with shadow runs and a rollback path. | Not published. The site promises fixed prices. |
| 3 | Optimum Web | Small stacks of 10 workflows or fewer where you want a hard fixed price and a short timeline. | $490 fixed price for up to 10 workflows (VAT excluded), plus $35 for each additional workflow |
| 4 | GolmTech | Larger Zapier accounts with 20 to 50 active Zaps that need prioritizing by savings and risk before anything moves. | Fixed-price projects with a $2,500 minimum |
| 5 | nocode.expert | Teams that want the rebuilt workflows to live in their own n8n instance, with fixes included for a month after launch. | Fixed price per system, 30 days of fixes included. No dollar figure published. |
| 6 | Kodes Inc | Make users whose monthly bill passes $400 and who can handle some self-hosting. | Not published. A free workflow audit is offered. |
How we picked and ranked them
We looked for firms that sell n8n or custom automation builds on their own site, and gave extra weight to those that name Zapier or Make migration directly. We left out anyone who showed up in the top results for "zapier to n8n migration agency", "make.com alternative agency" and "best zapier alternatives agency", plus global consultancies and firms over roughly 200 staff. We also skipped migration software, freelancers and directories.
Every claim below comes from the firm's own pages or from the AY Automate pages we re-fetched on 2026-11-09. Where a firm does not publish pricing or headcount, we say so. Each entry gets one honest watch line. We score four things: a clear migration method, a parallel run before cutover, a pricing model you can forecast, and handover documentation.
The list
1. AY Automate
Best for: Teams with a pile of failing Zaps or Make scenarios who want them rebuilt with retries and alerts, run side by side with the old ones, and cut over only after the new ones prove reliable.
- Type and base: Global, remote engineering team (60+ companies served, per its site)
- Services: Zapier and Make migration, n8n workflows (cloud or self-hosted), custom workflow code, Claude Code agents, maintenance
- Pricing: Single workflow typically low four figures. Ongoing partnership from $3K a month, cancel anytime. Multi-system automation takes 4 to 8 weeks inside the monthly partnership.
AY Automate states its migration method plainly. The team audits your existing Zaps or scenarios and maps each one, then rebuilds the most failure-prone first with proper error handling. The old and new versions run side by side until the new one is confirmed reliable. Only then does the cutover happen. Nothing touches live data until it has passed testing in staging.
Cost control is built into the delivery model. Workflows run on cloud or self-hosted n8n, or on your own infrastructure, so you pay a flat cost instead of per-task billing. Every build ships with retries, failure alerts and a documented handover. When an API call fails, the workflow retries, holds the record and alerts your team instead of dropping the data. Access is limited to the minimum scopes each system needs, and credentials sit in encrypted secrets storage.
The engineers are the same people who ship production work. Published case studies include an omnichannel marketing system on n8n and the Meta API that automated 95% of campaign tasks, a compliance document checker on Next.js, Supabase and Claude that eliminated more than 10K euros in fines and applies Dutch work-permit rules for 195 nationalities (V1 shipped in one sprint), and an EdTech platform where one tool replaced three. A 90-day replacement guarantee applies, and the free audit is a 30-minute call.
Why it's on the list:
- AI-native engineers embed in your Slack and rebuild failing Zaps and Make scenarios with retries and alerts, running old and new side by side until the new ones prove reliable.
- Speed: "Live in 10 days, not 10 weeks." The embedded engineer gets repo access and ships the first working automation in week two.
- Engagement is a monthly retainer, which most teams stay on, with engineers from $3K a month, cancel anytime, and a 90-day replacement guarantee.
Proof: Autonomous omnichannel marketing system built on n8n and the Meta API, automating 95% of campaign distribution across all platforms. (source)
2. Samioda
Best for: Teams that want a documented, staged migration to self-hosted n8n with shadow runs and a rollback path.
- Type and base: Zagreb, Croatia
- Services: n8n automation, Zapier and Make migration, web and app development
- Pricing: Not published. The site promises fixed prices.
Samioda calls itself a small, senior-only team that specializes in n8n, and it publishes the most detailed migration playbook we found from an actual agency. The steps are catalog each automation including hidden filters and volumes, map every trigger and action to an n8n node or custom code, set up environments and logging, rebuild on shared subworkflows for error handling, and validate parity with edge-case data.
The part we like most is the shadow run. Both systems receive the same events, but only one performs side effects, so you can compare outputs before anything switches. Cutover is phased by domain to prevent duplicate processing, and a rollback path stays ready. The article closes by offering to audit your Zapier or Make account, estimate effort and ROI, and run a staged migration.
The site cites 50+ projects delivered and sells fixed-price work with discovery sprints of 1 to 2 weeks.
Why it's on the list:
- Migrates Zapier and Make to self-hosted n8n with a staged playbook of cataloging, shared error handling, shadow runs, phased cutover and a rollback path.
- Fits teams with many automations, high-volume cost pressure or sensitive data that can take on self-hosting.
- Pricing not published; the site says fixed prices, and the team offers an audit of your Zapier or Make account first.
Proof: No public case study found.
Watch for: No price list or headcount is published, so you need a call to learn what a migration costs.
3. Optimum Web
Best for: Small stacks of 10 workflows or fewer where you want a hard fixed price and a short timeline.
- Type and base: Chisinau, Moldova
- Services: Zapier and Make to n8n migration, self-hosted n8n install, workflow documentation, team training
- Pricing: $490 fixed price for up to 10 workflows (VAT excluded), plus $35 for each additional workflow
Optimum Web is the one firm here with a productized migration offer and a price on the page. The $490 covers analysis of your Zapier or Make workflows, a self-hosted n8n install in Docker on your server, and up to 10 workflows migrated and tested with their webhooks, APIs and app integrations replicated. Delivery is 7 to 10 business days.
The page says both systems run in parallel during migration, and you cancel Zapier or Make only after verifying the n8n workflows. You also get documentation for each migrated workflow and training on editing them. A 14-day warranty covers migration issues at no extra cost, with a money-back guarantee if a problem recurs and is not fixed.
The page states a single senior engineer with 5+ years of experience does the work, with no junior staff or subcontractors. The company reports 27+ years in business and 172+ projects.
Why it's on the list:
- Sells a productized migration: analysis, self-hosted n8n in Docker on your server, and up to 10 workflows migrated and tested in 7 to 10 business days.
- Fits small stacks of 10 workflows or fewer; one senior engineer does the work, with training and documentation per workflow.
- $490 fixed (VAT excluded) for up to 10 workflows, $35 for each extra, with a 14-day warranty.
Proof: Migration page shows a 4.8/5 rating with three attributed client reviews and links to Clutch; the site reports 172+ projects. (source)
Watch for: The fixed offer fits simple migrations. Workflows with heavy branching or data stores will likely need a separate scope.
4. GolmTech
Best for: Larger Zapier accounts with 20 to 50 active Zaps that need prioritizing by savings and risk before anything moves.
- Type and base: Not published
- Services: n8n consulting, Zapier to n8n migration, care plans for ongoing workflow ownership
- Pricing: Fixed-price projects with a $2,500 minimum
GolmTech lays out a seven-step process. Inventory every Zap, prioritize by savings and risk, map steps to n8n nodes, rebuild credentials, add error handling, run n8n in parallel with the live Zap, then cut over and decommission. Prioritizing by risk is the right order, because the Zaps that fail most are the ones worth rebuilding first.
The page estimates 2 to 4 weeks end to end for a typical account and 4 to 8 weeks of calendar time for 20 to 50 active Zaps, and says those are general estimates rather than a commitment. It also offers a second opinion on whether migrating is worth it, which is useful if your volume is low. Optional care plans cover ongoing ownership afterward.
Why it's on the list:
- Migrates Zapier accounts to n8n in seven steps: inventory, prioritize by savings and risk, rebuild, add error handling, run in parallel, cut over.
- Fits teams whose Zapier bill has passed a few hundred dollars a month, or that need branching, loops, custom code or data on their own infrastructure.
- Fixed-price projects with a $2,500 minimum; optional care plans cover ongoing ownership after launch.
Proof: No public case study found.
Watch for: Location and team size are not stated, and the $2,500 minimum makes it a poor fit for one or two small Zaps.
5. nocode.expert
Best for: Teams that want the rebuilt workflows to live in their own n8n instance, with fixes included for a month after launch.
- Type and base: Not published (footer credits Model Pipeline AI Inc., United States)
- Services: n8n expert hire, audit of Zapier and Make setups, rebuild in your own n8n instance, handover
- Pricing: Fixed price per system, 30 days of fixes included. No dollar figure published.
The process on the page is a free 30-minute audit call, an audit of your existing workflows, a rebuild in your own n8n instance with error handling and documentation, and a full handover. Owning the instance matters for cost control, since nothing stays tied to the agency's account.
A typical project goes live in a week or two, according to the page. Fixed pricing per system makes the bill predictable even though the figure is not listed.
Why it's on the list:
- Audits Zapier and Make setups, rebuilds them in your own n8n instance with error handling and documentation, and hands everything over.
- Fits teams with heavy Zapier or Make overages, and agencies that want to resell the service white-label.
- Fixed price per system with 30 days of fixes included; no dollar figure published, quote after a free 30-minute call.
Proof: No public case study found.
Watch for: No pricing, team size or named case studies are published, so ask for references on the audit call.
6. Kodes Inc
Best for: Make users whose monthly bill passes $400 and who can handle some self-hosting.
- Type and base: Not published (serves the USA, UK, UAE and Saudi Arabia)
- Services: n8n and Make.com automation, AI workflow automation, custom AI agents, LLM integration
- Pricing: Not published. A free workflow audit is offered.
Kodes Inc lists n8n and Make.com automation as a service and says it has built 80+ production automations across both platforms. Its write-up reports three Make to n8n migrations in 18 months. It gives a clear rule of thumb, which is to migrate when Make spend exceeds $400 a month and is still growing, and quotes a 3 to 4 month payback including migration cost.
The method notes are specific. Standard integrations translate directly, while Make data stores, aggregators and router modules get rebuilt from scratch. Every workflow gets a trigger architecture review, and after delivery monitoring checks output data quality instead of only whether a run completed. One example shows three enterprise clients going from $2,000 to $4,000 a month on Make to under $200 a month self-hosted.
Why it's on the list:
- Builds n8n and Make automations and custom AI agents, with a trigger architecture review on every workflow and monitoring of output data quality.
- Fits Make users whose monthly bill passes $400 and keeps growing, and teams that can run self-hosted n8n.
- Pricing not published; a free workflow audit is offered, and maintenance is available as retainers with no prices stated.
Proof: No public case study found.
Watch for: Its migration write-up covers Make only and does not mention Zapier, and no migration fees are listed.
How to choose
Start with the bill. If you run a few simple Zaps on a free or starter plan, migrating costs more than it saves, and two of the firms above say as much. The case gets strong when a Make or Zapier invoice passes a few hundred dollars a month and keeps growing, or when you need data to stay on your own infrastructure.
Then ask three questions. Will you run old and new in parallel and compare outputs before cutover? Who owns the n8n instance and credentials at the end? What happens when a call fails at 3am, meaning retries, held records and alerts? A firm that answers all three with specifics has done this before. A firm that quotes you a price before auditing your Zaps has not.
Check the scope of any fixed price too. Ask what counts as a workflow, whether credentials and webhook recreation are included, and whether post-launch fixes cost extra. In one published 23-scenario Make migration, recreating credentials and webhooks ate about 40% of project time, so a price that ignores them is a price that will change. Finally, decide who runs the server. Self-hosting removes per-task billing, but someone has to patch, back up and watch it, and your agency should say whether that is you or them.
FAQ
Can Zapier or Make workflows be imported into n8n automatically?
No. Every source we checked, including the agencies above, says each Zap or scenario is rebuilt by hand. Migration tools can speed up the first draft, but triggers, filters and error paths still need manual review and testing.
How long does a migration take?
It depends on volume. Optimum Web quotes 7 to 10 business days for up to 10 workflows. GolmTech estimates 4 to 8 weeks for 20 to 50 active Zaps. AY Automate runs a single workflow in hours after the audit and multi-system work over 4 to 8 weeks.
Will my automations stop during the switch?
They should not. The firms here run the old and new versions side by side and cut over only after the new one is confirmed reliable. Ask for a rollback path as well.
When is it not worth moving off Zapier or Make?
When you have a handful of simple workflows and a low monthly bill. Self-hosted n8n also needs monitoring, backups and updates, so factor in who handles that.