Comparison between n8n, OpenAI Agent Platform, Google Opal and Make.com as automation and AI agent platforms

Comparison of tools


Introduction

Organizations in the present day depend on automation systems and AI agent platforms to optimize their operations at scale. The platforms differ from each other through their design methods which range between visual construction of workflows and development of conversational AI applications. This page assesses n8n, OpenAI Agent Platform, Google Opal and Make.com through their pricing models, core functionality, hosting flexibility and LLM options.

 

Pricing💰

The n8n platform provides unlimited workflows and steps and users to all plans while charging customers based on the number of workflow executions. The plans starts from $20 per month with 2,500 executions, up to $50 per month with higher execution limits. The Community Edition of n8n operates as a free version for users who want to host it themselves. There is a 50% discounted plan for startups with fewer than 20 employees and less than $5M revenue.

 

The OpenAI Agent Platform uses API-based token pricing instead of subscription-based pricing for its services. The Standard model pricing structure applies to GPT-5 models which cost between $2.50 and $10 per million input tokens based on the model version.

 

The Google Opal service operates without cost during its experimental US-only public beta phase as a Google Labs project. It is difficult to predict its future pricing structure because no commercial rates have been disclosed.

 

Make.com operates with an operations-based pricing system which includes a free plan that allows 1,000 operations per month. The platform offers different pricing plans which start with hobby use and progress to enterprise solutions through operation-based pricing instead of workflow-based pricing.

The n8n UI.


Hosting Options 🏠

n8n provides users with complete hosting flexibility since it supports both self-hosted deployments and cloud-based options. The Community Edition of n8n allows users to deploy n8n on their infrastructure on Docker or VPS or Kubernetes systems for full control over their operations. All plans from n8n support deployment through cloud hosting and self-hosting options for users who want to keep their data more private.

 

The OpenAI Agent Platform operates exclusively in the cloud through API requests that direct data to OpenAI's processing infrastructure. Organizations need to transmit their data to OpenAI servers because there are no available self-hosting options.

 

The entire system of Google Opal operates within Google Cloud infrastructure. Users cannot host the web-based Google Labs experiment because it only operates through opal.withgoogle.com and requires Google account authentication.

 

Make.com operates as a cloud-based SaaS platform which does not support self-hosting capabilities. Users access Make.com through their web interface while the service runs all workflows on Make's infrastructure.

The OpenAI Agent Platform UI.


Core Features ⚙

n8n stands out through its 400+ pre-built integrations and its visual node-based editor which supports complex logic, conditional branching and custom JavaScript/Python code execution. The platform features built-in database functionality and headless browser automation which makes external service usage optional.

 

The OpenAI Agent Platform enables developers to access OpenAI models through its API endpoints. Developers can create custom agents through function calling and assistants API and retrieval-augmented generation methods. The platform requires developers to write code for implementation instead of using visual interfaces.

 

Users can describe workflow requirements through natural language in Google Opal which then creates visual workflow designs automatically. The platform allows users to work in both conversational and visual modes while supporting file uploads and Google Drive connections and YouTube URL processing. The platform includes pre-built templates which help users complete common tasks and finished applications can be distributed through Google account sharing.

 

The platform Make.com provides 1,500+ integrated applications through its visual scenario building interface. The platform provides simple access to users who lack technical skills yet offers complex features for data transformation and error management and scheduling capabilities. The platform added AI functionality to its recent software updates.

The Google Opal UI.


Flexibility (LLM Choices) 💪

The LLM flexibility of n8n stands out because it provides users with access to a wide range of integration options. Users can access OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google PaLM, Hugging Face models and custom API endpoints through the platform. Organizations can select their preferred LLM models for specific use cases because the platform supports multiple models and allows seamless provider transitions without workflow reconstruction. The OpenAI Agent Platform operates exclusively with OpenAI models from the GPT family.

 

The Google Opal platform operates exclusively with Google AI infrastructure and models. The platform utilizes Google multimodal features but users cannot add third-party LLM providers or select different models.

 

The AI modules of Make.com now support multiple providers but the level of LLM flexibility depends on the specific integration. The platform initially focused on app-to-app automation but AI features became part of its offerings after its initial launch.

The Make.com UI.


Conclusions ❗

These platforms operate for different functional requirements. 

n8n provides technical teams with flexibility and self-hosting capabilities (with increased privacy and security), and LLM provider independence which makes it suitable for organizations needing complex automation and compliance solutions.

The OpenAI Agent Platform provides developers with access to advanced models through programmatic interfaces while requiring them to work within OpenAI's system framework. 

The experimental phase of Google Opal provides non-technical users with easy AI application development for prototyping, yet its production readiness remains uncertain. 

The platform Make.com provides businesses with user-friendly automation features and broad integration options while delivering average AI functionality.

The critical differentiators are control versus convenience. 

Self-hosting and LLM choice make n8n most adaptable, while managed platforms (Make.com, Opal) lower technical barriers. 

Organizations should weigh infrastructure preferences, required integrations, LLM strategy, and team technical depth when selecting their automation platform.


Book a call to learn more on how to choose between these platforms.


Watch videos of these platforms below.


n8n

OpenAI Agent Platform


Google Opal


Make.com





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Location: Riga, Latvia

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