How to Migrate from Zapier to n8n

Zapier's free plan gives you 100 tasks/month. Professional starts at $29.99/month for 750 tasks. Heavy users pay $100-600+/month. n8n is the self-hosted alternative — unlimited workflows, unlimited executions, 400+ integrations. Here's how to migrate.

Step 1: Deploy n8n

# Docker — running in 1 minute
docker run -d \
  --name n8n \
  -p 5678:5678 \
  -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n \
  -e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true \
  -e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin \
  -e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=changeme \
  n8nio/n8n

Access at localhost:5678. For production, add PostgreSQL and a reverse proxy.

Step 2: Audit Your Zaps

Before migrating, list your active Zaps:

1. Go to Zapier → My Zaps
2. Export or screenshot each Zap's trigger and actions
3. Categorize by complexity:
   • Simple (2-3 steps) — migrate first
   • Medium (4-6 steps with filters) — migrate second
   • Complex (branching, multi-path) — migrate last

Step 3: Recreate Workflows

Zapier concept → n8n equivalent:

Zapier	n8n
Zap	Workflow
Trigger	Trigger node
Action	Action node
Filter	IF node
Formatter	Function node or built-in transforms
Path	Switch node
Delay	Wait node
Webhooks by Zapier	Webhook node
Schedule	Cron/Schedule node

Example: Slack → Google Sheets (Simple)

Zapier: New message in Slack channel → Add row to Google Sheet

n8n:

1. Add Slack Trigger node → configure channel
2. Add Google Sheets node → Append Row
3. Map fields: message → column A, user → column B, timestamp → column C
4. Activate workflow

Example: Form → Email + CRM (Medium)

Zapier: Typeform submission → Filter (score > 50) → Send email + Create HubSpot contact

n8n:

1. Webhook node (receive form data)
2. IF node (check score > 50)
3. True path: Split into two branches:
   • Send Email node (Gmail/SMTP)
   • HubSpot node (Create Contact)
4. False path: Optional — log or ignore

Step 4: Connect Services

For each integration, authenticate in n8n:

1. Click a node → Credentials → Create New
2. Follow OAuth flow or enter API key
3. Test connection

Common integrations and n8n node names:

Service	n8n Node
Slack	Slack
Gmail	Gmail
Google Sheets	Google Sheets
HubSpot	HubSpot
Stripe	Stripe
GitHub	GitHub
Jira	Jira
Notion	Notion
Airtable	Airtable
Salesforce	Salesforce
PostgreSQL	Postgres
HTTP API	HTTP Request
Webhook	Webhook

Step 5: Use Code Nodes (n8n Superpower)

Zapier's "Code by Zapier" is limited. n8n lets you write full JavaScript or Python:

// n8n Code node — transform data mid-workflow
const items = $input.all();

return items.map(item => ({
  json: {
    fullName: `${item.json.firstName} ${item.json.lastName}`,
    email: item.json.email.toLowerCase(),
    source: 'website',
    score: item.json.revenue > 10000 ? 'enterprise' : 'standard',
  }
}));

Step 6: Set Up Error Handling

n8n has built-in error handling Zapier doesn't offer:

1. Error Trigger — catches errors from any workflow
2. Retry on failure — automatic retries with backoff
3. Error workflow — route errors to Slack/email notifications

Cost Comparison

Usage	Zapier	n8n Self-Hosted	Savings
750 tasks/month	$30/month	$5/month (VPS)	$300/year
2,000 tasks/month	$49/month	$5/month	$528/year
50,000 tasks/month	$299/month	$10/month	$3,468/year
Unlimited	$599/month	$10/month	$7,068/year

Migration Timeline

Week	Task
Week 1	Deploy n8n, recreate simple Zaps (2-3 steps)
Week 2	Recreate medium Zaps, test all workflows
Week 3	Recreate complex Zaps, set up error handling
Week 4	Monitor, verify, deactivate Zapier Zaps

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