Zapier vs Make (2026): Is Zapier Still Worth the Price?
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Zapier vs Make: Is Zapier Still Worth the Premium in 2026?
Zapier is the most well-known automation platform. Make (formerly Integromat) is the challenger that keeps stealing market share. The reason is simple: Make does most of what Zapier does at 1/3 the price.
But “most” isn’t “all.” Here’s where each platform actually wins — and where you should put your money.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Zapier | Make |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29.99/mo (750 tasks) | $10.59/mo (10,000 ops) |
| Free tier | 100 tasks/month, 5 Zaps | 1,000 ops/month, 2 scenarios |
| App integrations | 8,000+ | 1,800+ |
| Multi-step workflows | ✅ (paid plans) | ✅ (all plans) |
| Branching/routing | ✅ Paths | ✅ Routers + filters |
| AI features | ✅ Copilot, AI actions, Agents | ✅ AI modules |
| Error handling | ⚠️ Basic (auto-retry) | ✅ Advanced (error routes) |
| Visual builder | Linear (top-to-bottom) | Canvas (visual flowchart) |
| API/webhook support | ✅ | ✅ |
| Best for | Quick setups, enterprise | Complex workflows, budget-conscious |
The Pricing Gap Is Massive
This is the elephant in the room. Let’s do real math.
Scenario: A 5-step workflow that runs 50 times per day
Zapier:
- 50 runs × 5 steps = 250 tasks/day = 7,500 tasks/month
- Needed plan: Professional at $73.50/month (2,000 tasks) — wait, that’s not enough
- Actually need: Team plan or higher to handle 7,500 tasks
- Realistic cost: $100-200/month
Make:
- 50 runs × 5 operations = 250 ops/day = 7,500 ops/month
- Needed plan: Core at $10.59/month (10,000 ops) — covers it with room to spare
- Realistic cost: $10.59/month
That’s a 10-20x price difference for the same automation. This is not an edge case — it’s the typical experience.
Why Zapier Costs More
Zapier counts each task (action step) separately and charges premium rates. Their pricing model was designed when automation was novel and people ran simple 2-step Zaps. In 2026, with multi-step workflows being the norm, the per-task model breaks down fast.
Make’s per-operation pricing is similar in structure, but the rates are dramatically lower, and you get more operations per dollar at every tier.
Integrations: Zapier’s Real Advantage
Zapier’s 8,000+ integrations vs Make’s 1,800+ is a genuine advantage — but it matters less than you think.
Here’s why: the top 200 apps cover 95% of use cases. Both Zapier and Make integrate with Slack, Gmail, Google Sheets, Salesforce, HubSpot, Notion, Airtable, Stripe, Shopify, and every other major SaaS tool.
Where Zapier pulls ahead:
- Niche industry tools (specific CRMs, accounting software, etc.)
- Brand-new apps (Zapier’s partnership team is faster at onboarding)
- Consumer apps (smart home, social media, etc.)
If your stack is mainstream SaaS, Make has every integration you need. If you rely on a niche tool, check Make’s app directory before committing.
Workflow Builder: Linear vs Visual
Zapier’s Builder
Zapier uses a linear, top-to-bottom layout. Each step follows the previous one. It’s clean and easy to understand for simple workflows.
For branching logic, Zapier uses Paths — you can split workflows into branches based on conditions. It works, but complex multi-branch workflows can get unwieldy in the linear view.
Zapier has also added Canvas in 2025-2026, which lets you visually plan workflows before building them. It’s a step toward Make’s visual approach, but the actual Zap builder remains linear.
Make’s Builder
Make uses a visual canvas where you place modules and connect them with lines. This is fundamentally better for complex workflows because you can see the entire flow at once.
Make’s routers let you split data into parallel paths, and filters on connections let you control which data flows where. For workflows with multiple branches, conditions, and error handling paths, Make’s visual approach is significantly clearer.
Verdict
Make wins for complex workflows. Zapier is fine for simple A→B→C automations, but the visual canvas makes Make better for anything with branching or multiple paths.
AI Features
Both platforms are investing heavily in AI, but with different approaches.
Zapier AI (2026)
- Zapier Copilot: Describe what you want in plain English, get a suggested Zap
- AI Actions: Let ChatGPT or other AI tools trigger Zaps conversationally
- Zapier Agents: Create AI assistants that can use Zaps as tools
- Zapier MCP: Connect AI agents to Zapier’s 8,000+ integrations
- AI-powered field mapping: Smart suggestions for connecting data between apps
Zapier’s AI strategy is about being the action layer for AI agents — letting ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI tools trigger automations through natural language.
Make AI
- OpenAI/Anthropic modules: Direct integration with major AI providers
- AI-assisted scenario building: Suggestions for next steps
- AI data transformation: Smart text processing within scenarios
- Template library: Pre-built AI workflow templates
Make’s AI features are more utilitarian — good modules for using AI within workflows, but less ambitious about being an AI platform itself.
Verdict
Zapier wins on AI strategy with Agents and MCP. If you want your AI tools to trigger automations, Zapier has the stronger ecosystem. Make is sufficient if you just need AI processing within your workflows.
Error Handling and Reliability
Make
Make’s error handling is genuinely excellent:
- Error routes: Visual error paths you can customize per module
- Break/Retry/Ignore/Rollback: Multiple error handling strategies
- Incomplete executions: Failed runs are saved and can be retried manually
- Data store: Built-in key-value storage for state management
Zapier
Zapier’s error handling is more basic:
- Auto-retry: Failed tasks retry automatically
- Error notifications: Email alerts for failures
- Task history: See what failed and why
- Less granular control over error recovery strategies
Verdict
Make wins on error handling. The visual error routes and multiple recovery strategies give you much more control over what happens when things go wrong.
When to Choose Zapier
Despite the higher price, Zapier makes sense if:
- You need a specific niche integration that Make doesn’t have
- You want AI agent connectivity via Zapier MCP/Actions
- Enterprise compliance is required (SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, etc.)
- Your team is non-technical and needs the simplest possible UX
- You only need a few simple Zaps (the free tier covers basic use)
When to Choose Make
Make is the better choice if:
- Budget matters — you’ll save 70-90% vs Zapier at scale
- Your workflows are complex — branching, loops, error handling
- You want visual workflow design — see your entire automation at a glance
- You run high-volume automations — Make’s per-operation cost is much lower
- You need robust error handling — Make’s error routes are industry-leading
Our Recommendation
For the vast majority of users, Make is the better choice. The pricing alone makes it a no-brainer — you get more automation per dollar, better visual building, and superior error handling.
Zapier’s only real advantages are its massive integration library and its AI agent ecosystem. If neither of those is critical to your workflow, you’re paying a significant premium for brand recognition.
Start with Make. If you find an integration gap that blocks you, then consider Zapier for that specific workflow.
→ Try Make free (1,000 ops/month) → Try Zapier free (100 tasks/month)
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