Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat) are the two most-compared workflow automation tools. Here's a direct comparison covering price, complexity, integrations, and which one to choose.
Zapier and Make are the two tools most businesses compare when evaluating workflow automation. Both are cloud-hosted, no-code platforms. Both connect hundreds of apps. But they have meaningfully different designs, pricing models, and complexity ceilings.
Here is a direct comparison to help you choose.
Zapier builds workflows as a linear sequence: a trigger, followed by one or more actions. Each step has its own configuration panel. It is deliberately simple — the interface walks you through each step and requires minimal mental model to use. This simplicity is Zapier's strength and its limitation.
Make (formerly Integromat) uses a canvas where you connect modules in a visual diagram. Data flows between modules, which you see as lines connecting circles. It supports routers, iterators, aggregators, and parallel paths in a way that is visually clear and structurally more powerful than Zapier's linear model.
| Plan | Zapier | Make | |---|---|---| | Free | 100 tasks/month | 1,000 operations/month | | Entry paid | $20/mo (750 tasks) | $9/mo (10,000 operations) | | Mid tier | $49/mo (2,000 tasks) | $16/mo (40,000 operations) | | Pro | $69/mo (5,000 tasks) | $29/mo (150,000 operations) |
Make's free tier is ten times more generous. Make's paid pricing delivers substantially more operations per dollar across every tier. Unless you specifically need an integration only Zapier has, Make is the better value for almost every volume level.
Note on "tasks" vs "operations": Zapier counts each action step as a task. Make counts operations similarly but the pricing is configured differently. At comparable workflow complexity, Make runs materially cheaper.
Easier onboarding. Zapier's linear builder is the fastest path from zero to a working automation for someone who has never used an automation tool. The interface is more constrained but also less overwhelming.
More integrations. Zapier's 6,000+ app library is the largest of any automation platform. If you use a niche tool, there is a reasonable chance Zapier has a native integration. Make's 1,000+ integrations cover the mainstream but miss some long-tail apps.
Better documentation and community. Zapier has been around longer and has more tutorials, templates, and community answers for common use cases.
More complex workflows. Make's canvas handles branching, parallel paths, loops, and error routing more cleanly than Zapier. If your workflow has conditional logic — different paths based on data values — Make is significantly easier to build in.
Data transformation. Make has stronger built-in data manipulation. Parsing arrays, aggregating results, restructuring objects — these are cleaner in Make's interface.
Better pricing at scale. At any meaningful task volume, Make is cheaper. This gap compounds as you add more workflows and more volume.
Visual clarity. Once you learn Make's canvas, complex workflows are genuinely easier to reason about than equivalent Zapier multi-step automations. You can see the whole flow at once.
Choose Zapier if:
Choose Make if:
For most businesses comparing the two, Make is the better long-term choice. The pricing advantage is real, the complexity ceiling is higher, and the learning curve — while steeper than Zapier — is manageable within a day of use.
Not sure which platform to build on? WhatWill AI scopes and builds automation workflows for Australian businesses. Book a free discovery call and we will tell you what is worth building and what to build it on.
Zapier uses a step-by-step linear builder that is simple to learn but limited for complex workflows. Make uses a visual circular canvas that shows data flow and handles more complex routing and branching. Make is generally cheaper per operation than Zapier and has a more powerful free tier. For straightforward automations, either works. For complex multi-path workflows, Make has the edge.
Yes, Make is generally cheaper than Zapier at comparable capability levels. Make's free tier allows 1,000 operations per month (vs Zapier's 100 tasks). Make's paid plans start at around $9/month for 10,000 operations, while Zapier's Starter plan is $20/month for 750 tasks. The pricing models differ slightly (operations vs tasks) but Make is consistently better value.
Make has a steeper learning curve than Zapier. Zapier's linear step-by-step builder is the easiest no-code automation tool to start with. Make's canvas is more powerful but takes longer to learn. Most users find Make's visual model more intuitive once they spend a few hours with it — but the initial Zapier experience is faster to a working automation.
Zapier has significantly more integrations — over 6,000 apps vs Make's approximately 1,000. For most business workflows involving mainstream tools (Google Workspace, HubSpot, Slack, Stripe, Shopify), both cover the bases. Zapier's breadth matters mainly if you use niche tools that Make has not yet integrated.
There is no direct import from Zapier to Make — you rebuild workflows in Make's interface. For simple workflows this is quick. For complex multi-step automations it takes more time. Many businesses run both in parallel during migration.
WhatWill AI builds and runs AI systems for Australian businesses. Book a free 30-minute discovery call — we’ll tell you exactly what’s worth building for your situation.