Migrating from Make to self-hosted n8n: 15 workflows on a $5 server
When the writer's Make bill went from $29 to $99 a month for 15 workflows and about 8,000 operations, they rebuilt the workflows in n8n on a $5/mo DigitalOcean droplet. They listed every Make scenario, ranked them by business impact, rebuilt and tested each one, and switched over in week five.
Setup steps
- List all your active Make scenarios
- Rank them by business impact
- Try n8n's cloud trial, then set it up on a small server (the writer used a $5 DigitalOcean droplet)
- Rebuild each scenario in n8n, learning how it handles data transformations
- Test before switching over; the writer took five weeks in total
Steps summarized from the original Blog source ↗. Use “Copy” to grab them with the tools and source link, or copy an AI prompt.
How it went
The writer moved 15 workflows (about 8,000 operations a month) after their Make bill jumped from $29 to $99, and says a $5 droplet handled them all. The migration took five weeks: one of learning, two of rebuilding, one of testing, then the switch.
Worth knowing
The summary claims 80% migrated and $200 a month saved, while the cost table shows $99 against $5; we report both. The writer suggests starting with n8n's free cloud trial before deciding whether self-hosting is worth it.
Only what the original source ↗ says, re-read Nov 2, 2026. How we write these
Try it with AI
Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude or your own agent for step-by-step help. Prompt written by AppToBot from this recipe's data, not by the original author. It keeps drafts for your review and asks before anything is sent or paid.
Help me set up this automation using n8n (self-hosted on a $5/mo DigitalOcean droplet): "Migrating from Make to self-hosted n8n: 15 workflows on a $5 server". Goal: replace Make.com. How it should work: - Trigger: The same triggers your Make scenarios used - Then: n8n runs the rebuilt workflow - Then: No per-operation charge - Result: About 8,000 operations a month on a $5 server Setup steps (summarized from the original source): 1. List all your active Make scenarios 2. Rank them by business impact 3. Try n8n's cloud trial, then set it up on a small server (the writer used a $5 DigitalOcean droplet) 4. Rebuild each scenario in n8n, learning how it handles data transformations 5. Test before switching over; the writer took five weeks in total Guide me one step at a time. Ask me for anything you need (accounts, sheet or channel names) before you start. Safety rules: - Build and test with sample data first, and show me a sample result before anything goes live. - Keep anything that goes to other people (emails, posts, replies, record updates) as drafts for my review until I say otherwise. - Never send, post, buy, pay, delete or change records without my approval. - Tell me about any cost (paid plans, API usage) before I'd incur it, and help me set a spending limit. - Keep API keys and passwords out of shared docs and chats. - Privacy: Workflows and credentials sit on your own server. Based on: https://rumjahn.com/why-im-moving-from-make-com-to-n8n-hint-im-cheap/
Tool names link to each official site (opens in a new tab).
Running cost: 💲 Paid plan needed Needs a server; the writer pays $5 a month for a DigitalOcean droplet. Self-hosted How we sort costs
Stack: n8n
Replace an app: AI bots that replace Make
App vs bot, side by side
| Old app / habit | Bot | |
|---|---|---|
| Tool | Make.com | Self-hosted n8n |
| Monthly cost | $99/mo after a price change, up from $29 (per writer) | $5/mo hosting plus about 4 hours of setup (per writer) |
| Setup | None (already in use) | Not reported · Intermediate |
| Your time | Baseline | Not reported |
| Maintenance | Handled by vendor/you as before | You run, update and secure the server; n8n's data transformations take some learning, per the writer. |
| Privacy | Data stays with the app vendor | Workflows and credentials sit on your own server. |
Full comparison
| Replaces | Make.com |
|---|---|
| Bot / agent stack | Self-hosted n8n |
| Monthly cost before | $99/mo after a price change, up from $29 (per writer) |
| Monthly cost after | $5/mo hosting plus about 4 hours of setup (per writer) |
| Setup time | Not reported |
| Time saved | Not reported |
| Skill level | Intermediate |
| Reliability | 3/5: a firsthand migration with a timeline, but its own figures are inconsistent and it dates from 2024, so Make's pricing may have changed since. |
| Maintenance | You run, update and secure the server; n8n's data transformations take some learning, per the writer. |
| Privacy & data | Workflows and credentials sit on your own server. |
| Best for | Make users running many operations a month |
| Not for | People who want hosted, supported automation with no server |
Pros and cons
Pros
- No operation limits
- About $1,128 saved in the first year (per the writer's breakdown)
- Familiar if you've used Make
Cons
- Interface less polished than Make (per writer)
- Needs basic self-hosting skills
Source and evidence
First-person blog post (Nov 2024) after four months on Make. Its figures don't fully agree: the summary says 80% of workflows moved and $200/mo saved, while the breakdown says $99 against $5 a month. No AI step.
Read the original Blog source ↗
“Not reported” means the source doesn't say. We never fill gaps with guesses. Numbers marked “per author” or “vendor claim” are the source's own and weren't independently tested. Source last checked Nov 2, 2026.
Our rating is an editorial opinion based on the public source above, not lab testing. Spot an error? Request a correction.
Plain-text summary (for search and AI assistants)
Migrating from Make to self-hosted n8n: 15 workflows on a $5 server. Replaces Make.com with Self-hosted n8n. Cost before: $99/mo after a price change, up from $29 (per writer). Cost after: $5/mo hosting plus about 4 hours of setup (per writer). Setup: Not reported, Intermediate. Time saved: Not reported. Reliability 3/5: 3/5: a firsthand migration with a timeline, but its own figures are inconsistent and it dates from 2024, so Make's pricing may have changed since. Best for: Make users running many operations a month. Not for: People who want hosted, supported automation with no server. How it went (per source): The writer moved 15 workflows (about 8,000 operations a month) after their Make bill jumped from $29 to $99, and says a $5 droplet handled them all. The migration took five weeks: one of learning, two of rebuilding, one of testing, then the switch. Worth knowing: The summary claims 80% migrated and $200 a month saved, while the cost table shows $99 against $5; we report both. The writer suggests starting with n8n's free cloud trial before deciding whether self-hosting is worth it. Source: https://rumjahn.com/why-im-moving-from-make-com-to-n8n-hint-im-cheap/
Related recipes
- One n8n workflow that replaced 4 SaaS tools (3/5)
- Linear AI triage with n8n: route new issues to the right team (3/5)
- Can n8n replace Zapier? One user's $74/mo to $0 switch (3/5)
- n8n homelab workflows that replaced Zapier on a NAS (3/5)
More: all Operations recipes · Best AI agents to replace Zapier · n8n vs Make: AI agent recipes compared · AI bots that replace Make
Questions, corrections or ideas?
Spotted an error, want a recipe covered, or have a partnership idea? Send us a message and we'll get back to you.
Starting your own newsletter? Try beehiiv ↗
What is beehiiv?
beehiiv is a newsletter platform: you write and send emails, host a newsletter website, and grow and monetize a list from one place. We've used it for our own newsletter.
beehiiv says (vendor claims, not tested by us):
- Free plan with up to 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends
- Built-in website, recommendation network and analytics
- 0% cut of paid subscription revenue (Stripe fees apply)
Good for: starting or growing an email newsletter. Not ideal for: email automations or removing beehiiv branding on a $0 budget (those need Lite or Pro).
Free plan: $0, no card needed. Paid plans from $49/mo billed annually (Lite, up to 1,000 subscribers). People who sign up through our link get a 14-day trial plus 20% off their first 3 months, per beehiiv's partner page. Facts as of Oct 2026, from beehiiv's own website. More about beehiiv →