If you’re looking at Zapier, you’re probably tired of manually copying data between apps or you’re spending too much time on repetitive tasks. The real question isn’t whether automation makes sense—it’s whether Zapier’s pricing justifies the convenience, or if Make (formerly Integromat) gets you the same results for less.
I’ve run both platforms for clients billing between $8K and $80K monthly. Here’s what actually matters when you’re choosing between them.
What You’re Actually Paying For
Zapier charges per task. A task is one action—sending an email, creating a row in a spreadsheet, posting to Slack. The free plan gives you 100 tasks monthly across five single-step workflows. That sounds generous until you realize a simple “new sale in Stripe → add to Google Sheets → send Slack notification” burns three tasks every time it runs. If you close ten deals a month, you’ve used 30 tasks on one workflow.
Paid plans start at approximately $20 monthly for 750 tasks, scaling to $70 for 2,000 tasks. Make starts at roughly $9 monthly for 10,000 operations. Yes, ten thousand. The pricing models aren’t comparable—Make counts differently and bundles more actions into single operations—but in practice, Make runs 4-6x cheaper for the same workload.
Where Zapier justifies the premium is setup time. You can build a working Zap in three minutes without reading documentation. Make requires understanding scenarios, routers, and iterators. If you’re non-technical and need something running today, Zapier’s interface is worth the markup. If you have two hours to learn or you’re connecting more than five apps, Make pays for itself immediately.
The Integration Library Reality Check
Zapier connects 6,000+ apps. Make supports 1,500+. That gap matters less than you’d think. Both cover the essentials—CRMs, payment processors, email platforms, spreadsheets, project management tools. Where Zapier wins is niche B2B SaaS and newer startups that prioritize Zapier integration at launch because their customers expect it.
Make handles complex logic better. If your automation needs conditional branching—”if the deal is over $5K, notify sales; if under, send to support”—Make’s visual scenario builder is clearer and more powerful. Zapier’s Paths feature does this too, but it’s clunkier and you’ll pay more in tasks as the automation scales.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Factor | Zapier | Make |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | ~$20/mo (750 tasks) | ~$9/mo (10,000 ops) |
| Setup Difficulty | Extremely easy | Moderate learning curve |
| App Integrations | 6,000+ | 1,500+ |
| Complex Logic | Possible, awkward | Native strength |
| Best For | Speed, simplicity, niche apps | Cost efficiency, multi-step workflows |
Which One Should You Use
If you’re automating one or two simple workflows and you need them running in under ten minutes, use Zapier. [CTA: Try Zapier]. The free tier is genuinely useful for low-volume tasks, and the paid plans make sense if your time is worth more than the $20 monthly premium over Make.
If you’re running more than three workflows, processing high volumes, or building anything with conditional logic, Make is the better buy. [CTA: Try Make]. The interface requires an afternoon to learn, but you’ll save $200+ annually even at modest task volumes, and the platform won’t punish you for adding complexity.
For most StackSmall readers—small teams watching every recurring charge—Make wins on value. Zapier wins on convenience. If you can’t decide, start with Zapier’s free tier to prove the automation is worth building, then migrate to Make once you understand what you actually need.
Key takeaways
- Zapier’s task-based pricing means a three-step automation costs 3x per trigger; Make bundles operations more efficiently at roughly one-sixth the cost
- Zapier connects 4x more apps, but Make covers all mainstream tools and handles conditional logic without the clunky workarounds
- Start with Zapier’s free tier to validate your automation, then migrate to Make if you’re running more than 500 tasks monthly
StackSmall – May 2026