Why N8N Is Replacing Zapier for Agency Owners

I kept hearing about N8N but never really understood where it fits. I have Zapier. I know people who use Make. There are a bunch of these connector tools. So I brought Robert Simons on to walk me through it and do a live demo -- because I needed to see it, not just hear about it.

Click on the image above to watch the full video.

Robert laid it out pretty simply. In terms of what you can do:

If all you need is basic automations at low volume, Zapier works fine. But if you are doing hundreds or thousands of executions per month, or you need capabilities beyond what default app integrations offer, that is where N8N starts making a lot of sense.

The Pricing Difference That Matters

This is the part that got my attention. In Zapier, you are charged per action. So if your workflow has 50 steps, that is 50 charges every time it runs. In N8N, you are charged per workflow execution. Those same 50 steps count as one execution.

Robert self-hosts on Render. The community edition is free -- you just pay for the server. If you are currently paying $300-500/month for Zapier because of high execution volume, the savings are real.

Built-In AI Agents

This is where N8N really separates itself. Zapier and Make are behind on this.

N8N has native AI agent nodes. You set up the agent with a prompt -- just like you would in ChatGPT -- and then connect tools to it. The agent decides which tools to call and when.

You can use any LLM: OpenAI, Google Gemini, Ollama, or even your own custom model. If you are in healthcare with HIPAA requirements and cannot use a public LLM, you can plug in your own. The memory connects to a Postgres database instead of cramming conversation history into a custom field.

Expanding CloseBot and Assistable

One of the most practical things Robert showed was using N8N as a tool server for chatbots like CloseBot and Assistable.

His example: a cell phone repair shop with hundreds of repair prices in a SQL database. A customer chats in and asks "How much to replace a Samsung Galaxy S3 battery?" The chatbot calls N8N, N8N queries the database, sends back "$80," and the bot responds with the price and offers to schedule an appointment.

Another example: a mortgage rate calculator. The bot collects the loan amount, term, and credit info, sends it to N8N, N8N calls a mortgage rate API, does the math, and sends the monthly payment back. These are capabilities that do not exist inside a chatbot alone.

GoHighLevel Integration -- Live Demo

Robert walked through the entire process of connecting N8N to HighLevel via OAuth. This is the part that used to take him three or four hours to figure out. Now it takes about 15 minutes.

The process:

1. Create a private app in the HighLevel marketplace
2. Set up your scopes (what the app is allowed to do)
3. Copy the OAuth redirect URL from N8N
4. Grab the client ID and client secret
5. Add the scopes in N8N (separated by spaces)
6. Connect and authorize

Once connected, you can do things that go way beyond the default HighLevel app in N8N. The default app gives you maybe 10 actions -- update a contact, book an appointment, basic stuff. With the custom API connection, you have access to the entire HighLevel API -- custom objects, invoices, sending messages, anything the API supports.

Robert demoed sending an SMS through the GoHighLevel API in real time. Webhook triggers an event, N8N grabs the contact ID and phone number, sends the message through GHL. When something fails, you can click into any individual node in the execution history and see exactly what data went in and what error came back. That troubleshooting capability alone is a big deal.

Need help connecting N8N to GoHighLevel? Create a ticket today -- our specialists can set it up for you.

What About Switching From Zapier?

I asked Robert this directly. If Zapier is working and you are paying $30-40/month, is it worth the hassle of switching?

His answer: if all you need is to replicate your existing Zapier workflows at the same volume, the main benefit is cost savings at scale. But the real reason people switch is capabilities. AI agents, custom API connections, database queries, hosting custom APIs -- these are things Zapier simply cannot do, or cannot do well.

Robert put it this way: "In 5 years from now, N8N is going to be way bigger than Zapier and Make ever was." It is open source, AI-friendly, and the community is growing fast.

5 Steps to Get Started

1. Sign up for the free trial at n8n.io/pricing -- 14 days free on any cloud plan
2. Explore the template library -- thousands of free workflows you can download and tweak
3. Ask AI about your use case -- both ChatGPT and Claude know N8N well. Describe what you need and ask if N8N can do it
4. Join the community -- N8N forums, Facebook groups, and Skool communities have active members sharing workflows and templates
5. Book a call with Robert if you want custom automation built -- rocketgrowthmedia.com

Robert also has a 6-hour training on building AI tools with N8N at createaitools.com.

See Also

• N8N -- Platform overview and comparison
• Zapier -- The tool N8N is replacing for many agencies
• HighLevel -- The CRM that N8N connects to via custom API
• CloseBot -- Expand chatbot capabilities with N8N tools
• Connectors and Integrations -- Other automation options
• MyTechSupport.com -- Get help with automation setup