Zapier vs Make: which fits your business in 2026?
The two automation giants — widest app coverage against the most power per dollar.
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Our verdicts are based on the data shown.
→ Run the full cost calculator for your exact volume
At a glance
| Zapier | Make | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.2/5 | 4.22/5 |
| Starting price | $20/mo | $9/mo |
| Pricing basis | per month, 750 tasks, billed annually | per month, 10,000 operations, billed annually |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Trial | 14 days | 0 days |
| Integrations | 8000+ | 2000+ |
| Best for | Non-technical users who need the widest app coverage for automations | Power users who want complex, branching automations at a fraction of Zapier's cost |
| Try Zapier → | Try Make → |
Winner by use case
- Tightest budget: Make — entry plan is $11/mo cheaper ($132/year at entry tier).
- Fastest to learn: Zapier (4.5/5 ease of use).
- Most capability: Zapier (4.6/5 feature depth).
- Best value overall: Make (4.8/5 value score).
Feature matrix
| Zapier | Make | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Trial days | 14 | 0 |
| AI features | 4 | 3 |
| Integrations | 8000+ | 2000+ |
| Ease of use | 4.5/5 | 3.7/5 |
| Feature depth | 4.6/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Value for money | 3.7/5 | 4.8/5 |
| Support | 4.0/5 | 3.8/5 |
Pricing, side by side
Strengths and weaknesses
Zapier
- If an app exists, Zapier probably connects it
- Easiest mental model: trigger then actions
- AI builder turns plain text into working Zaps
- Huge documentation and community
- Task-based pricing gets expensive at volume
- Complex logic clunky vs Make's visual canvas
- Multi-step Zaps need paid plan
- Polling delays on lower tiers
Make
- Roughly 5-10x cheaper than Zapier per operation
- Visual canvas shows entire flow at a glance
- Real programming primitives (loops, arrays)
- Generous free plan for testing
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier
- Fewer app integrations (2,000 vs 8,000)
- Operations counting takes getting used to
- Support response can be slow on lower tiers
Our verdict
The honest framing: Zapier is the automatic transmission, Make is the manual gearbox. Both get you there; one gives you more control and better fuel economy, the other is easier to drive.
Best for small businesses
Zapier if one person runs the business and automations must be built in minutes without training. Make if someone on the team is comfortable with flowcharts and you run more than ~5,000 tasks/month — the per-operation pricing usually wins quickly.
Best for technical teams
Make handles loops, arrays, routers and error branches in one scenario. Workflows that need three separate Zaps on Zapier often fit in one Make scenario. The trade-off is setup time and debugging when something breaks.
Hidden costs and limits
- Zapier charges per task; multi-step Zaps multiply fast. Premium apps and team seats add up on higher plans.
- Make bills per operation; complex scenarios with many branches can still spike unexpectedly — model your worst-case month in the automation cost calculator.
- Both hit plan ceilings; migrating off either tool later has switching cost — document your critical flows.
When to choose neither
If you only need two apps connected with a simple trigger-action once a month, native integrations (Shopify → Google Sheets, etc.) may be free. If you need enterprise audit logs and SSO, look at Workato or Tray.io instead.
Zapier's 8,000+ integrations mean the obscure app your accountant uses probably connects. Its trigger-action model is understood in minutes, and the AI builder now turns plain English into working Zaps. The cost: task-based pricing that gets painful at volume — heavy users routinely pay 5–10× what the equivalent workflow costs on Make.
Make's visual canvas handles what Zapier finds awkward: loops, arrays, routers, error handling with rollback. A workflow that needs three separate Zaps often fits in one Make scenario. The cost: a learning curve that filters out non-technical users, and a smaller (though still large, 2,000+) app catalog.
Choose Zapier if the people building automations are non-technical, or your apps are niche. Choose Make if you (or anyone on the team) can think in flowcharts — the price difference compounds every month.
Pricing sources
- Zapier pricing — verified 2026-06-12
- Make pricing — verified 2026-06-12
Model your task volume in the automation cost calculator.
FAQ
Is Make cheaper than Zapier?
Yes. Make starts at $9/mo versus $20/mo for Zapier (per month, 10,000 operations, billed annually). Over a year that is a $132 difference at entry tier.
Which is easier to use, Zapier or Make?
Based on our scoring, Zapier is easier to get started with (ease-of-use 4.5/5 vs 3.7/5).
Which has more features, Zapier or Make?
Zapier scores higher on feature depth (4.6/5). Key differentiators: 8,000+ app integrations - largest catalog; Multi-step workflows with branching; Webhooks and code steps.
Full reviews: Zapier review · Make review
Related comparisons
Run the numbers: cost calculator · pricing index