Make vs Zapier
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings
Make or Zapier: which should you choose?
| Dimension | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan; paid tiers scale with operations | Free plan; paid tiers scale with tasks |
| App integrations | 3,000+ connectors | 9,000+ apps |
| Key differentiator | Visual scenario builder with data transformation tools | Ease of use, AI Workflows, MCP, and SDK |
| Best for | Marketing/ops teams needing complex, visual workflows | Non-technical users automating across many apps |
| Latest news | No recent news captured | Unified task pricing for AI, code, and SDK (Mar 2026) |
| Enterprise compliance | GDPR, SOC 2, SOC 3 | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA |
If you want visual control over complex, multi-step logic and have some technical comfort, Make is the better buy. If you prioritize sheer app count, minimal learning curve, and AI-assisted workflow generation, Zapier wins. Both are freemium, but Zapier's unified task pricing (post-2026) simplifies cost planning for AI-heavy usage.
Make is a visual automation canvas where branching workflows, AI agents and prompt-built scenarios run on the same map.
Visit WebsiteZapier connects 9,000+ apps to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and Gemini Enterprise through one governed MCP server.
Visit WebsiteWhat do real users say about Make vs Zapier?
Not marketing copy and not our opinion — a structured sweep of public discussion (reviews, forums, communities and video comments), showing what people praise and what they complain about for each tool.
Make
114 mentions across 8 sources · 50% positive — mixed (weighted across 8 sources)
Hacker News, YouTube, Product Hunt, App Store, Bluesky, Stack Overflow, Lemmy, Tech Press
What users praise
- • Visual canvas makes branching logic with routers and filters readable at a glance
- • Hundreds of prebuilt app integrations cover most common SaaS stacks out of the box
- • Pricing comparable to Zapier but supports genuinely multi-step, branching scenarios
- • Custom JavaScript and Python code steps fill gaps the module library misses
What frustrates them
- • iOS app crashes within seconds and fails to sync in the background
- • Support tickets reportedly go months without a response or follow-up
- • No converger module, forcing awkward workarounds for advanced merge logic
- • Per-operation billing quickly inflates costs on branch-heavy workflows
Researched Nov 7, 2026
Zapier
84 mentions across 5 sources · 48% positive — mixed (weighted across 5 sources)
Hacker News, Product Hunt, Bluesky, Stack Overflow, Lemmy
What users praise
- • No programming background required — non-technical users build usable Zaps within minutes
- • Spreads 9,000+ app integrations, by far the broadest catalog versus Make and n8n
- • MCP server gives Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and Gemini shared tool access from one place
- • Granular per-member permissions and locked field values make enterprise rollout defensible
What frustrates them
- • Task-based billing burns fast — every successful action counts, not every run
- • Free tier's 100 tasks/month is exhausted within days of active use
- • Extensive users find the pricing model unfriendly compared to Make and n8n
- • Multi-step Zaps can grow expensive and cost is hard to forecast
Researched Nov 7, 2026
Who should pick Make, and who should pick Zapier?
- Non-technical marketer automating lead syncPick: Zapier
Zapier's ease of use and 9,000+ apps let you connect HubSpot, Google Sheets, and Slack in minutes, with AI Workflows for natural-language setup.
- Operations lead building multi-branch CRM updatesPick: Make
Make's visual scenario builder with routers and aggregators lets you craft conditional logic and data transformations without code, offering more control than Zapier's simpler branching.
- Developer integrating AI coding agentsPick: Zapier
The Zapier SDK Beta (recent) allows you to integrate AI coding agents directly with 9,000+ apps — a feature Make lacks in its current data.
- IT team needing granular error handlingPick: Make
Make's rollback mechanisms, real-time logs, and sub-scenarios give IT the modular control needed for complex automation with fail-safes.
- Solo founder with simple task automationPick: Zapier
Zapier's free tier and pre-built app connectors get you going fast, with minimal setup — avoid Make's steeper learning curve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make vs Zapier: which should you choose?
If you want visual control over complex, multi-step logic and have some technical comfort, Make is the better buy. If you prioritize sheer app count, minimal learning curve, and AI-assisted workflow generation, Zapier wins. Both are freemium, but Zapier's unified task pricing (post-2026) simplifies cost planning for AI-heavy usage.
Which platform has more third-party integrations?
Zapier claims 9,000+ apps; Make has 3,000+ connectors. Zapier's coverage is roughly triple.
Are both platforms compliant with major security standards?
Yes: Make is GDPR, SOC 2, and SOC 3 compliant; Zapier is SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and CCPA compliant.
Can I build AI agents on either platform?
Yes. Make offers AI Agents and an MCP Server; Zapier offers Agents, Chatbots, and more AI-native tools. Zapier's set is more extensive in the current data.
Which is better for complex data transformations?
Make's splitter/aggregator and iterator tools are explicitly built for this, giving it the edge over Zapier's simpler branching.
How does pricing differ in practice?
Make bills per 'operation'; Zapier per 'task'. Zapier's unified task pricing (2026) aligns AI, code, and SDK usage, so you get one meter. Make's operation costs can scale with complex scenarios.
Can I connect my AI chatbot to automate actions?
Yes — Zapier MCP lets you connect AI chats (like ChatGPT) to apps without code. Make also has an MCP Server, but the data doesn't detail its app reach.
Is one faster for real-time automation?
Zapier is known for delays of minutes; Make's data mentions real-time execution logs, but both are cloud-based and not true real-time. Check your workflow's tolerance.
What else are Make and Zapier compared with?
If you're an enterprise wrestling with SAP-to-Salesforce data flows and need governed multi-agent orchestration, Workato is the heavyweight choice — its MCP Gateway and AIRO give IT teams control that
Pick Make if your problem is breadth: a messy multi-app stack with branching, data reshaping, and a team that would rather prompt Maia by Make than wire every node. Pick n8n if your problem is account
If your pain is calendar chaos and a flooded inbox, Lindy feels like a personalized chief of staff at your fingertips—just text it. But if you live across dozens of business apps and need to automate
If you're budget-driven and want automation live in minutes without configuration, Integrately's 1-click approach is unbeatable — especially with free custom automation building. If your team needs 9,
If your goal is to automate cross-app business processes (CRM, email, databases), Make is the clear choice with its 3,000+ connectors and visual logic. If you want to build a functional web or mobile
If you're a developer embedding AI agents into your product and need deep, per-user integration control, Composio is the clear winner—its SDKs and MCP support let you ship fast without managing OAuth.
Where can you read more about Make and Zapier?
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Analysis generated by our model pipeline from live data: