prices verified july 2026 · 3 workflows · monthly billing

Make vs Node-RED — pricing & features compared

Make logoMake vs Node-RED logoNode-RED
Two visual tools with different roots. Node-RED is open-source (Apache 2.0), self-hosted and built for event-driven and IoT/hardware flows, so its cost is just your server; Make is a managed cloud platform priced per operation with 2,594 SaaS app connectors and a drag-and-drop canvas. Node-RED fits developers wiring devices and APIs; Make fits teams automating SaaS apps without hosting anything. See the price table below for figures.

What you'd pay per month

Cheapest qualifying plan for each tool, including overage, at four typical volumes.

runs / monthMakeNode-RED
1,000 $10.59Core 10k $8 self-hosted*
5,000 $18.82Core 20k $8 self-hosted*
20,000 $64.71Core 80k $25 self-hosted*
100,000 $214.31Core 300k $45 self-hosted*

~ = estimated custom-tier pricing (vendor quotes individually; calibrated against public list prices). Assumes 3 workflows, monthly billing, cheapest qualifying plan. Prices verified July 2026 — see the price changelog. * self-hosted = free to run yourself; the figure is the server infrastructure (VPS + DB, not a tool fee), ~$8/mo small to ~$200/mo at high volume — assumes light workflows and excludes your ops time.

Make vs Node-RED — monthly cost by volume
runs/moMakeNode-RED
1,000$11/mo$8/mo
5,000$19/mo$8/mo
20,000$65/mo$25/mo
100,000$214/mo$45/mo

Get the number for your exact volume.

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Feature differences that matter

Only the rows where Make and Node-RED actually differ — identical capabilities are left out.

FeatureMakeNode-RED
Integrations2,594+ app connectors6,092+ community modules
Free tier1,000/mo · 2 activeUnlimited · Unlimited
Execution timeout40 minNo limit
Log history30 daysFull history
Self-hosting
AI features
Multi-user
Code steps
LicenseProprietary (cloud)Apache 2.0

Same on both: overage model · steps per workflow · eu data residency · api access · webhooks.

Pros & cons

Make logoMake
  • Best price per op in cloud
  • 30-day log history on free
  • Visual drag-and-drop
  • No self-hosting
  • No native code steps
Node-RED logoNode-RED
  • Apache 2.0 — completely free
  • Node.js code steps
  • Best for IoT/hardware
  • No cloud option
  • Developer-only despite the visual flow editor — non-technical users struggle
  • Limited SaaS integrations

Common questions

From published pricing, Node-RED is the lower-cost option across the volumes we track — $8 vs $10.59 at 1,000 runs/mo, and $45 vs $214.31 at 100,000. Figures include overage where it applies — see the table above. Price is one factor; the feature and trade-off sections cover the rest.
In Make, one operation = one module execution, counted per module across the scenario. Node-RED has no metering — it's open-source software you run on your own hardware.
Node-RED yes — self-hosting makes it nearly free at any volume. Make is cloud-only.
When you're automating SaaS apps and would rather not host or code. Make's 2,594 app connectors, visual builder and managed infrastructure suit non-technical teams, where Node-RED's strengths are hardware, events and self-hosting.
Taken from official pricing pages and verified July 2026. Values marked ~ are estimates for custom enterprise tiers. Every change we record lands in the price changelog.

Both have free tiers — test with your real workflow

Make logoMake

1,000 free ops a month (2 active scenarios) — enough to run a real pilot before paying anything.

Visit Make →
Node-RED logoNode-RED

Free and open source — install and run in minutes on a Pi or VPS.

Visit Node-RED →

An objective cost comparison from each vendor's public pricing pages (July 2026) — not a recommendation; rankings reflect price only, so verify current pricing before deciding. We currently run no affiliate links — every outbound link here is plain, and affiliate status never affects the comparison. See our affiliate disclosure.