Dockia Blog
How to choose a business automation platform: technical criteria and common mistakes
2026-02-19 • 7 min
Technical comparison of business automation platforms (Make, Zapier, n8n, custom solutions): when each option is right, what criteria to use, and how to avoid the mistakes that force a migration in 12 months.
Choosing a business automation platform is not a technical decision — it is strategic. Zapier and Make are powerful for connecting SaaS apps, but become technical debt when processes evolve or the company exceeds 50 active workflows.
- •Zapier and Make work well until you need complex conditional logic, advanced data transformations, or integration with legacy systems: at that point, maintenance time exceeds build time.
- •n8n offers the same power as Make with self-hosting and no per-operation cost, making it ideal for companies with an internal technical team that wants full control of the data pipeline.
- •Custom automation software is the right choice when processes are proprietary, involve sensitive data, require regulatory auditing, or when no-code license costs exceed €500/month.
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FAQ
When is it better to use Zapier or Make vs. custom automation software?
Zapier and Make are ideal for connecting standard SaaS tools (CRM, email, calendar, Slack) with simple logic. Custom software is necessary when processes are business-critical, involve proprietary data, or require integrations with systems that have no standard API.
Which automation platform is best for a Spanish SMB?
For SMBs starting with automation, Make (ex-Integromat) offers the best power/price ratio. For companies with a technical team, self-hosted n8n eliminates license costs. For critical proprietary processes or sensitive data, the custom solution with Dockia starts from €500 for a scoping consultancy.
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