Automate Invoices and Payments with Make vs n8n in 2026: Practical Comparison for SMBs

In 2026, automating invoices for businesses is not a luxury: it’s an operational necessity. Small and medium-sized enterprises lose between 10-15 hours weekly on repetitive administrative tasks like creating invoices, recording them in accounting, and sending payment reminders. Two no-code platforms dominate this automation: Make and n8n. But which one should your business choose?

This article is a direct comparison, no fluff. Based on real cases from Spanish and Ibero-American SMBs, we’ll analyze which platform is superior for automating invoices with Make or automating payments with n8n, considering ease of use, features, pricing, and support.

Why automating invoices is critical in 2026

Before choosing a tool, understand the problem: 67% of SMBs still generate invoices manually. This creates:

• Administrative errors: duplicates, incorrect amounts, misaligned accounting entries.
• Collection delays: forgotten invoices, customers without payment reminders.
• Data leaks: information scattered across Excel, email, and accounting software.
• Time loss: 40% of administrative time goes into billing cycles.

An AI invoice workflow in 2026 solves these problems: automatically generates invoices when new orders arrive, sends intelligent reminders to overdue customers, records payments in accounting in real-time, and generates reports without human intervention.

Direct comparison: Make vs n8n for automating invoices

Before diving deep, here’s the executive summary:

Criteria	Make	n8n	Winner
Ease of use	Excellent (intuitive drag-and-drop)	Good (requires logic)	Make
Invoice integrations	+800 apps (Stripe, PayPal, Zapier)	+400 apps (more local integration)	Make
Accounting integrations	QuickBooks, SAP, Sage, Xero	QuickBooks, Xero, Odoo	Tie
Base price (SMB)	9 USD/month (generous free tier)	10 USD/month (self-hosted free)	n8n (if self-hosted)
Operations limit	10,000 ops/month (free plan)	Unlimited (self-hosted)	n8n
SMB support	Strong community + paid support	Very active community + enterprise support	Tie
Learning curve	2-3 days for simple flows	5-7 days for simple flows	Make
Built-in AI (2026)	Native GPT-4 in workflows	OpenAI/Anthropic integration	Make

Ease of use: Make dominates for beginners

Make wins on accessibility. Its visual interface is almost intuitive: drag components (trigger → action → decision), automatically connect fields, and test in real-time. A CFO with no technical experience can configure invoice automation in 30 minutes.

n8n requires more logic: you must think about variables, JSON expressions, and conditionals. It’s more flexible, but a steeper learning curve. Ideal for teams with technical profiles or companies investing in internal training.

Real case: A logistics SMB connected their Shopify orders to automatic invoicing in Make in 45 minutes. With n8n, they would have needed external consulting.

Winner: Make.

Integrations for invoices and payments: Make takes the podium

This is where the difference explodes. Automating invoices with Make connects you to:

• Payment gateways: Stripe, PayPal, Mercado Pago, 2Checkout.
• Invoicing software: FreshBooks, Zoho Invoice, Wave, Factura.com.
• Accounting: QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage, SAP.
• CRM: HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, Pipedrive.
• Banks: Direct access to banking APIs (Spain, Latin America).
• Email/SMS: Gmail, Outlook, Twilio for automatic reminders.

Make has +800 integrations ready. Each one already “knows” what data to send and receive. It’s plug-and-play.

n8n has +400 integrations, but some are less polished in the invoice context. Its strength lies in local integrations and self-hosted: if your company uses SAP or custom ERP, n8n shines.

For a typical SMB flow (Order → Invoice → Payment → Accounting → CRM), Make needs 4 steps, n8n needs 6-7 (due to intermediate variables).

Winner: Make (for speed). n8n (for depth).

Specific payment integrations: What do Make and n8n support?

Both Make and n8n support payment integrations similarly, but with nuances:

Make supports directly:

• Stripe (webhook for confirmed payments, automatic refunds).
• PayPal (real-time transaction synchronization).
• Mercado Pago (webhook for approved/rejected payments).
• 2Checkout (billing management).
• Wise (international transfers for refunds).

n8n supports (with JSON/API):

• Stripe (more flexible, less visual).
• PayPal (requires manual OAuth authentication).
• Adyen (better for European markets).
• Square (for physical POS + digital invoicing).

If your business uses Mercado Pago or 2Checkout, Make is your tool. If you rely on Adyen or Square, n8n is optimized.

Winner: Make (Latin American coverage), n8n (European coverage).

Real pricing for SMBs: How much does automating invoices cost?

Here’s the analysis nobody does with clarity:

Make (Cloud):

• Free: 10,000 operations/month. For 1 invoice daily = valid. 0 USD.
• Pro: 100,000 ops/month. 9 USD/month. Ideal for SMBs.
• Team: 500,000 ops/month. 19 USD/month.
• Business: Unlimited. 99 USD/month.

A workflow of 500 invoices/month = 2,500 operations. The free plan lasts the entire month. You never pay until you scale.

n8n Cloud:

• Free: 10 executions/month. Very limited. 0 USD.
• Pro: 50,000 executions/month. 10 USD/month.
• Business: 200,000 executions/month. 80 USD/month.

n8n Self-Hosted:

• Community Edition: Free, unlimited. You must host on your server (Heroku, DigitalOcean, AWS).
• Hidden cost: ~15 USD/month for server + technical maintenance.

The reality: if you’re a pure SMB, Make Pro (9 USD) vs n8n Pro Cloud (10 USD) is a tie. But if you have a technical team and scale significantly, n8n self-hosted wins dramatically (zero operations costs).

Winner: Make (simplicity), n8n (technical scalability).

Support and community: tie with nuances

Make has a massive community (Slack, Discord, YouTube). Search “Make automation invoice” and find 100 tutorials. Paid support starts at 50 USD/month (slow response).

n8n has a deeper technical community (better on GitHub, scientific Discord). Enterprise support starts at 500 USD/month, but very comprehensive. For SMBs without budget, the n8n community is more expert (probably because they use self-hosted).

Winner: Tie. Make for quantity, n8n for technical quality.

AI in invoice workflows (2026 novelty)

Make integrated native GPT-4 in 2025. In 2026 that’s standard. You can ask: “Generate an invoice from this WhatsApp description” and GPT automatically converts it to invoice data.

n8n offers integrations with OpenAI/Anthropic, but requires an extra step (“HTTP request” module). Less fluid, but equally capable.

For automating small business accounting with AI (detecting duplicate invoices, categorizing expenses), both work. Make is more agile.

Winner: Make.

Real use cases by SMB type

E-commerce (Shopify, WooCommerce)

You need: Order → Automatic invoice → Client email → Accounting entry → Stripe payment.

Recommendation: Make. Shopify integrates better, the visual flow is faster, and Stripe with webhooks works perfectly. Setup: 1 hour. Cost: 9 USD/month.

Professional services (lawyers, consultants, agencies)

You need: Create invoice from Google Form → Send via email → Automatic reminder if unpaid → Record in accounting.

Recommendation: Tie, slight Make advantage. Both do it well. Make has better native Google Forms integration. Cost: 9 USD.

Companies with custom ERP (SAP, Oracle Netsuite)

You need: Connect proprietary API → Sync invoices → Auditable logs.

Recommendation: n8n self-hosted. The JSON flexibility and total control justify the complexity. Cost: 15 USD (server) + 1-2 hours setup.

Multi-currency operations (import/export)

You need: Invoice in USD → Automatic conversion → Record in multiple accounting systems.

Recommendation: Make. It has direct Wise (formerly TransferWise) integration and better native multi-currency support than n8n. Cost: 9-19 USD.

Quick tutorial: invoice flow in Make vs n8n

In Make (time: 20 minutes)

1. Trigger: New Stripe order (webhook).
2. Action 1: Create invoice in FreshBooks (data auto-mapped).
3. Action 2: Send PDF via email to client (Gmail).
4. Action 3: Record in Xero (QuickBooks, SAP).
5. Action 4: Add contact to ActiveCampaign for follow-up.

Each step: drag, connect, done. Variables sync automatically.

In n8n (time: 45 minutes)

1. Trigger: Stripe webhook (same).
2. Node 1: Function: parse Stripe JSON.
3. Node 2: HTTP Request to FreshBooks API (requires manual OAuth token).
4. Node 3: Extract created invoice (JSON Path).
5. Node 4: Function: format PDF.
6. Node 5: Gmail send (less intuitive).
7. Node 6: Xero sync (HTTP Request with token).

More steps, more logic, but more control.

If you want ultra-fast setup, here’s our Tutorial: Automate invoices and payments with Make in 10 minutes (no coding).

Automating small business accounting: integrated recommendation

It’s not enough to automate invoices if your accounting stays manual. A complete 2026 flow includes:

• Invoice generation: Make (9 USD) or n8n (10 USD).
• Accounting sync: Xero/QuickBooks (both platforms integrate).
• Connected CRM: HubSpot or ActiveCampaign automatically receive client data + invoices.
• AI reports: GPT generates monthly cash flow summary without intervention.
• Smart reminders: Automatic SMS/email to clients 5 days before due date.

For a complete SMB, the ideal stack is:

Make 9 USD + Xero 11 USD + HubSpot Free (upgradeable to 50 USD) + n8n self-hosted (15 USD server) = investment 35-75 USD/month.

That replaces 15 hours of weekly administrative work.

Plus, you can check Automate small business without code in 2026: Complete guide with 5 ready-to-copy workflows for industry-specific templates.

Migrating between platforms: What if I switch?

Start with Make (easier). If you scale and need technical depth, migrating to n8n self-hosted is viable but requires:

• Export configuration: Make has no direct export (you must document).
• Redefine in n8n: Translate each step to n8n syntax (2-4 hours per workflow).
• Testing: Validate data flows identically (1-2 hours).

That’s why: start with Make, migrate to n8n only if essential.

Unique advantages of Make that n8n doesn’t have

• Instant messaging: Reply in Telegram/Slack without leaving the workflow.
• Data Store: Integrated database (no SQL code needed).
• Teams UI: Pure no-coders can use without touching JSON logic.
• Mobile app: Monitor workflows from your phone (beta 2026).

Unique advantages of n8n that Make doesn’t have

• Total self-hosting: Zero operation costs, data private on your server.
• Native versioning: Built-in change control (Make requires external documentation).
• Subworkflows: Advanced modularity (reuse flows within flows).
• Powerful expressions: Full JavaScript/Python (not just variables).

Final decision: Make or n8n?

Choose Make if:

• You’re a pure SMB (0-50 employees).
• Your stack is standard SaaS (Shopify, Stripe, HubSpot, Xero).
• You need setup in hours, not days.
• You don’t have a technical team.
• You value community and English-language tutorials.

Choose n8n if:

• You use custom or legacy ERP (SAP, Oracle, proprietary systems).
• You need unlimited scalability at low cost (self-hosted).
• Your team has internal developers.
• You value privacy and total data control.
• You plan to integrate 5+ complex systems.

Choose both if:

• Make for SMB flows (invoices, emails, CRM).
• n8n self-hosted for complex corporate processes (ERP, legacy systems).
• Combined cost: ~50 USD/month, no usage conflicts.

Integration with recommended tools

To maximize results, combine with:

• HubSpot: Automatically receives customer data from invoices. Integrated sales pipeline + collections. Tools to Automate Digital Marketing in 2026 explores more.
• ActiveCampaign: Automate email + SMS to customers with overdue invoices (intelligent sequences).
• Xero/QuickBooks: Real-time accounting entry (bidirectional sync).

Conclusion: Your 2026 action plan

Automating invoices for businesses in 2026 is not optional. Make and n8n are the market leaders in no-code, but with distinct philosophies: Make = speed, n8n = depth.

For 9 out of 10 SMBs, Make is the right choice. It’s cheaper (9 USD), faster to implement (1 hour vs 1 day), and covers 95% of standard use cases. Its ecosystem of invoice integrations (Stripe, FreshBooks, Xero) is unrivaled.

n8n wins only in ultra-specific scenarios: companies with technical infrastructure, complex legacy integrations, or vision for massive scale with zero operation costs.

Your next step:

1. Create a Make account (free, no credit card). Time: 2 minutes.
2. Follow the Tutorial: Automate invoices and payments with Make in 10 minutes (no coding).
3. Build your first flow: a trigger (order) → action (automatic invoice).
4. If it works, expand to payments, accounting, and CRM.
5. If you need more complex cases, check The 8 Best No-Code Tools to Automate Your Business in 2026.

Automating invoices for businesses is not the future. It’s now. And Make is your fastest shortcut to achieving it.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about Make, n8n, and invoice automation

Which is better for automating invoices: Make or n8n?

For 90% of SMBs, Make is better. It’s easier, has more invoice integrations (Stripe, FreshBooks, Mercado Pago), and costs less. n8n is superior only if you need total self-hosting or very complex ERP integrations.

Can I connect my invoicing software with Make or n8n?

Yes. Both platforms support the most popular software:

• Make: FreshBooks, Wave, Zoho Invoice, Factura.com, QuickBooks, Xero, Sage.
• n8n: QuickBooks, Xero, Odoo, and anything with REST/SOAP API.

If your software has webhooks (automatic notifications), even better. If it only has an API, both handle it the same.

What payment integrations do Make and n8n support?

Make supports: Stripe, PayPal, Mercado Pago, 2Checkout, Square, Wise.
n8n supports: Stripe, PayPal, Adyen, Square, Wise (more generic via HTTP).

If you use Mercado Pago (Latin America), Make has an advantage. If you use Adyen (Europe), n8n does.

How much does automating invoices with Make or n8n cost?

Make: 0 USD (free 10,000 ops/month) → 9 USD/month (Pro, 100,000 ops). For 500 invoices/month, free or Pro is enough.
n8n Cloud: 10 USD/month (Pro, 50,000 executions).
n8n Self-Hosted: 15 USD/month (server) + 0 USD (software). Unlimited operations.

Typical SMB: Make 9 USD/month or n8n Cloud 10 USD/month. If you have your own server, n8n self-hosted is zero operation cost.

How do I automate invoices from Zapier, Make, or n8n without code?

All three platforms are no-code. But Make is the most visual: you drag blocks (trigger → action → decision), connect data, done. You don’t write a single line of code. n8n requires more logic (JSON, variables), but remains traditional no-code.

For step-by-step tutorial, go to Automate business invoices: Make.com 2026 vs n8n Tutorial.

Can I send invoices automatically by email with these services?

Yes, perfectly. The flow is: Trigger (invoice created) → Action (generate PDF or attach) → Action (send via Gmail/Outlook). Both platforms have native integration with Gmail, Outlook, and SMTP servers.

Bonus: you can add conditional logic: “If VIP customer, send email with premium template. If new customer, attach payment terms.”

How do I connect my invoices to CRM automatically?

Both support HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, and Pipedrive. The flow: Invoice generated → Extract customer data → Sync to CRM. ActiveCampaign also triggers email workflows (smart overdue payment reminders).

Example with Make: Stripe (payment completed) → Create contact in HubSpot → Add “active customer” tag → Start welcome email sequence.

What happens if the integration fails or the API changes?

Make: Automatic dashboard notification if a module fails. You can pause the workflow and review logs. Community support responds in 24-48 hours.
n8n: More detailed logs, native change versioning. Self-hosted means you own maintenance responsibility.

Tip: configure alerts on both (Slack, email) when a critical workflow fails. Don’t find out from an angry customer.

Can I test for free before paying?

Yes. Make free tier: 10,000 ops/month, access to all integrations. Build your complete flow, test in production. This is enough for most SMBs.

n8n Cloud free tier: more limited (10 executions), but enough for proof-of-concept. Self-hosted is always free (you pay for server).

Recommendation: spend 1 week in free tier, validate ROI exists (hours saved), then upgrade.