The Verdict
This one depends on your priorities. Make wins on affordability, offering more generous plans for the price. Zapier takes the lead on ecosystem and scalability, thanks to its vast number of integrations. With three categories tied, the best choice comes down to whether you prioritize a lower price or broader app support.
If your primary concern is cost and you're comfortable with a more visual, and at times more complex, interface, Make is the better option. If you need to connect to the widest possible range of apps and prefer a simpler, more linear user experience, Zapier is the winner.
Pricing Comparison
Zapier
for the Professional plan with 750 tasks
Zapier's pricing is based on the number of tasks you run per month. A task is counted every time a Zap performs an action. This can become costly for complex, multi-step workflows.
Make More Affordable
for the Core plan with 10,000 credits
Make uses a credit-based system. Most simple actions cost one credit, which can make it more cost-effective for users with high-volume or complex automations.
| Plan | Zapier Price | Make Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo (100 tasks, 2-step Zaps) | $0/mo (1,000 credits) |
| Starter/Core | $19.99/mo (750 tasks) | $10.59/mo (10,000 credits) |
| Pro/Teams | $69/mo (2,000 tasks) | $18.82/mo (Pro), $34.12/mo (Teams) |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Zapier | Make |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-step Workflows | Available on paid plans | Available on all plans |
| Conditional Logic (Paths/Routers) | Available on paid plans | Available on all plans |
| Workflow Complexity | Linear, step-by-step builder. Limited to 100 steps per Zap. | Visual, drag-and-drop canvas. Can handle more complex, branching workflows with unlimited routes. |
| Built-in Tools | Tables, Forms, AI tools | Data stores, AI agents, AI toolkit |
| AI Integration | Zapier MCP and AI tools integrated across plans. | Native AI features and deep integrations with AI apps. |
| Custom API Calls | Webhooks available on paid plans | HTTP module and on-demand scheduling available. |
Both Zapier and Make offer a powerful set of features for building automated workflows. Zapier's strength lies in its simplicity and ease of use, with a straightforward, linear workflow builder. It also includes built-in tools like Tables and Forms, which can act as a lightweight database and data collection tool within your automations.
Make, on the other hand, is built for more complex scenarios. Its visual, drag-and-drop interface allows for intricate, branching workflows that can be difficult to replicate in Zapier. Make also provides more advanced features like routers and iterators on all plans, giving users more flexibility in how they process data.
Ease of Use
Zapier
- Linear, step-by-step user interface that is easy for beginners to grasp.
- Guided setup process helps users build Zaps quickly.
- Focus on simplicity and getting users up and running with minimal friction.
Make
- Visual, flowchart-style builder that can be more intuitive for mapping out complex processes.
- Steeper learning curve for those new to automation.
- Offers more control and flexibility, which can be powerful for advanced users.
When it comes to ease of use, the winner really depends on the user. Zapier is widely regarded as the more beginner-friendly platform. Its step-by-step approach to building workflows, or "Zaps," is straightforward and easy to follow. This makes it an excellent choice for those who are new to automation or who need to build simple, two- or three-step automations quickly.
Make's visual builder, while more powerful, can be intimidating for new users. However, for those who are more visually oriented or who need to build complex, multi-path workflows, Make's interface can be more intuitive and easier to manage than Zapier's linear view. Ultimately, both platforms are well-designed, but they cater to different user preferences and levels of technical expertise.
Reliability & Ecosystem
| Zapier | Make | |
|---|---|---|
| App Integrations | 8,000+ | 3,000+ |
| Reliability | High uptime, with features like auto-replay for failed tasks. | High uptime, with priority scenario execution on higher plans. |
| Support | Email and chat support, with priority support for higher-tier plans. | Email support, with a strong community forum. |
| Community & Resources | Large, active community and extensive documentation. | Growing community and a comprehensive "Make Academy" for learning. |
Both Zapier and Make are reliable platforms with excellent uptime and robust error handling. When it comes to the ecosystem, however, Zapier has a clear advantage. With over 8,000 app integrations, it connects to a significantly larger number of services than Make. This makes it the go-to choice if you use a niche or less common application that isn't supported by Make.
That being said, Make's library of over 3,000 integrations is still impressive and covers most of the popular SaaS applications. Both platforms have strong communities and offer good support, though Zapier's larger user base means a more extensive collection of community-generated resources and tutorials. Make also offers a comprehensive set of learning materials through its Make Academy.
Who Should Pick What
Choose Zapier if...
- You're new to automation and want the easiest possible setup experience.
- You need to connect to the widest possible range of apps, including niche software.
- You prefer a simple, linear workflow builder.
- Your workflows are relatively simple and don't involve complex branching logic.
Choose Make if...
- You're on a budget and want the most bang for your buck.
- You're a visual thinker who prefers a flowchart-style interface.
- You need to build complex, multi-path automations with advanced logic.
- You want more granular control over your workflows and data processing.
Also consider: If you're looking for an open-source alternative with more generous free tiers, Activepieces is worth a look. It offers a similar feature set to Zapier and Make but with a pay-as-you-go pricing model that can be more cost-effective for some users.
Our recommendation: try both
The best way to know which platform is right for you is to try them both out. Both Zapier and Make offer free-forever plans that are generous enough to let you build and test real workflows.
Both platforms offer free tiers.