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Which tool should a Shopify store start with?
For most stores, the free Shopify Flow app comes first. It runs on Basic and every plan above it. Reach for Zapier if you want the widest app list and the easiest setup. Make suits branching workflows and owners who watch every credit. n8n makes sense when someone can self-host it, or you'd rather pay per full run.
Flow is free, which is why it comes first. The other three count usage in different ways, and that's what moves the bill when orders spike.
Start with Shopify Flow before paying for anything
Shopify Flow is a free app on the Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus plans, per Shopify's Flow help pages. It watches store events and acts on them. Tagging customers, hiding sold-out products, and alerting staff all fit inside it.
One limit matters. The Send HTTP Request action is only on Grow, Advanced, and Plus. On Basic, Flow mostly stays inside Shopify and the apps that plug into it.
Flow is enough when every step stays inside Shopify. A step in Google Sheets, Slack, a CRM, or a supplier's system needs an outside tool. That's when the three below come in.
How each tool counts one unit of work
Zapier tasks — each successful action step is one task · triggers and polling are free · so are built-in helpers like Filter, Formatter and Paths.
Make credits — most module actions use one credit · routers and error handlers use none · reading or polling data still counts.
n8n executions — one full workflow run is one execution, however many steps it has.
Take one flow as an example. A Shopify order arrives, a row goes into Google Sheets, and Slack gets a message. Zapier bills the two actions as tasks. Make bills each module that runs, including the check that found the order. n8n bills the whole run once.
Which bill ends up lower depends on the workflow. A ten-step run costs n8n one execution, while Zapier and Make count steps. Short, frequent flows can be cheap on any of them. On Make, watch polling, since empty checks still use credits.
Free tiers and entry plans
| Tool | Free tier | Entry paid plan | Billing unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps only | Professional from $19.99 a month billed yearly, or $29.99 monthly, for 750 tasks | Task |
| Make | 1,000 credits a month | Core: price depends on your country's price list on the page | Credit |
| n8n | Self-hosted Community Edition | Starter at €20 a month billed annually (hosted) | Execution |
Make's pricing page picks a price list by country, and its comparison page shows a different starting figure. So we've left the Make price out. Check it on the page for your billing country. Zapier's pricing page says annual billing is 33% off monthly.
n8n's pricing page lists Pro at €50 a month billed annually. Its hosted plans store data in Frankfurt, Germany. Some EU stores will care about that. Zapier bills in USD by default and supports 19 local currencies.
If Make looks like the fit, create a free Make account and build one scenario against your trial store. Watch the credit counter for a week before you choose a plan.
How deep each Shopify connector goes
Make's Shopify app has triggers for products, orders, and events. Its modules cover orders, products, variants, customers, articles, fulfillments, and inventory. When a module is missing, it can make a raw GraphQL API call.
On Zapier, Shopify counts as a premium app, so it needs a paid plan. Its Shopify app lists 20 events, including new orders, abandoned carts, and inventory updates. Don't design around the free tier.
n8n's Shopify node covers create, update, get, and delete for orders and products. A separate Shopify Trigger node starts workflows. For anything else, its docs point you to the HTTP Request node using the same credential.
Errors and duplicate orders
Automations fail quietly. A timeout can create the same Google Sheets row twice. A retry can tag a customer twice. Each tool handles this its own way.
Retry tools — autoreplay and per-Zap error settings on Zapier paid plans · error handler routes on Make that use no credits · automatic retries on n8n Starter, Pro and Enterprise.
A lookup step helps in every tool. Search for the order ID before writing a row or a tag. If it's already there, stop the run.
Testing on a trial store before going live
Each of these tools lets you run a workflow by hand before it goes live. Do that before any customer sees a result. One wrong field mapping can tag the wrong people or flood a Slack channel with alerts.
Test run — a trial store · two or three test orders · a hand check of every new row and message · go live only after a clean run.
We'd watch usage closely in the first week. Zapier, Make, and n8n all show how many tasks, credits, or executions ran. A number well above your order count usually means a trigger fires more often than you meant. Fix that before picking a paid tier, since it changes which plan you'll need.
Self-hosting n8n and who looks after it
n8n's Community Edition is free to self-host from GitHub. It isn't free to run, though. Someone has to keep the server patched, backed up, and online.
Self-hosting chores — server updates · backups of workflows and credentials · uptime checks · safe storage for API keys.
Hosted plans take those chores off a solo owner's list. A store with a developer can take them on. Either way, name the person who fixes it during a sale.
Picking a tool by store situation
| Situation | Tool to try first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Every step stays inside Shopify | Shopify Flow | Free app on Basic and up |
| Many different apps, simple steps | Zapier | Large app list and a guided editor |
| Branching scenarios, close eye on cost | Make | Visual builder and per-module credits, with free routers |
| Long workflows, or a developer on staff | n8n | One execution per run, self-host option |
For workflow ideas, see five Make automations that replace spreadsheet work and the one-person Shopify operations playbook. For content flows, read automating Shopify copy with an approval sheet. And before paying for any of them, check what Shopify Sidekick can already automate.
Still deciding between two? Build the same small order flow in both, using Make's free plan and Zapier's 14-day Professional trial. Send test orders through for a week, then compare the usage counters.
Cost, free plans and when Flow is enough
Is Make cheaper than Zapier for Shopify?
Not always. Zapier bills action steps, and Make bills most modules, polling checks included. Price both against your own order volume.
Does Zapier's free plan work with Shopify?
Zapier lists Shopify as a premium app, and premium apps need a paid plan. The free plan also limits you to two-step Zaps.
Is n8n free?
The self-hosted Community Edition is free to download. Hosted plans start at Starter, €20 a month billed annually, per n8n's pricing page on November 10, 2026.
When is Shopify Flow enough?
It's enough when every step happens inside Shopify or its connected apps. Flow is a free app on Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus, and Send HTTP Request needs Grow or higher.