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If Zapier’s bill is rising with every step in a workflow, compare how alternatives count usage before moving everything. The pricing page puts Zapier at $19.99 to start, with a free plan; one Reddit commenter cited a $29.99 Pro plan with 750 tasks. Reddit users point to n8n and Make for cost control, but their billing units differ. Our shortlist also includes simpler, enterprise and developer-focused options. Prices and plan limits below come from the pricing page or are attributed to Reddit comments.
01Why people leave Zapier
Multi-step workflows eat task allowances
A Reddit commenter says Zapier counts each action step as a task, so workflows with four or five steps can use a 750-task allowance quickly.
Bills rise as automations grow
Reddit users describe Zapier as expensive for multiple automations and seek tools with run- or execution-based billing instead of per-step task counting.
You may want more cost control
Some users recommend self-hosted n8n or scripts, while others prefer hosted alternatives. The cheaper route can mean more setup or infrastructure responsibility.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Best for technical teams
n8nn8nn8n is the clearest switch to investigate if Zapier’s per-step task counting is driving the bill. The pricing page starts at $20 and includes a free plan. A Reddit commenter cited n8n Cloud at $24 for 2,500 executions, with a whole run counting once; another described the self-hosted Community Edition as free apart from server costs.
Trade-off: Self-hosting means managing a server; the cited Cloud allowance is 2,500 executions.
7.2/10from
$20/mofree plan - Best for visual workflows
MakeMakeMake is a practical candidate if you want a hosted alternative and are willing to track credits instead of Zapier tasks. The pricing page starts at $12 and includes a free plan. A Reddit commenter cited Core at $16 for 10,000 credits and a free tier with 1,000 credits and 15-minute polling; confirm current plan pricing before switching.
Trade-off: Credit limits and polling speed may not suit every workflow.
7.0/10from
$12/mofree plan - Best for simple automations
IFTTTIFTTTIFTTT is worth comparing when your Zapier use is mostly simple app-to-app connections or smart-home services. The pricing page starts at $2.09 and includes a free plan, giving it a lower listed entry price than Zapier’s $19.99 starting price. Check whether its credit limits and polling speeds fit the automations you need to move.
Trade-off: Credit limits and polling speeds are the main fit checks.
6.8/10from
$2.09/mofree plan - Best for Microsoft workflows
Power AutomatePower AutomatePower Automate is the more relevant comparison if your team works mainly in Microsoft 365 or needs HR onboarding, approvals or attended desktop RPA. The pricing page starts at $15. That makes it a candidate for Microsoft-centric processes, not automatically a cheaper general-purpose replacement; the listing flags costly bot and process-mining plans.
Trade-off: Bot and process-mining plans can limit value beyond Microsoft workflows.
6.5/10from
$15/mo - Best for developers
PipedreamPipedreamPipedream is aimed at teams building AI agents, developers who need managed OAuth and production integrations across many APIs. Those are different priorities from Zapier’s broad, non-technical workflow use. The pricing page shows a free plan and a $99 starting price, but flags production users, usage and free-tier limits as budget items to check.
Trade-off: The $99 listed starting price and usage limits need careful review.
7.0/10from
$99/mofree plan - Best for security workflows
TinesTinesTines is worth a look if your Zapier workflows are actually IT or security processes and you want to evaluate automation without an upfront paid plan. The pricing page includes a free plan, but gives no paid starting price. It also flags a free workflow cap, so check that limit and paid costs before treating it as a low-cost replacement.
Trade-off: Paid pricing is not published on the vendor's site; the free plan has a workflow cap.
7.3/10from
Freefree plan
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Zapier Zapier (current) | 6.7 | $19.99/mo | Yes | Teams needing the widest app coverage |
| n8n n8n | 7.2 | $20/mo | Yes | Teams mixing deterministic steps with AI calls |
| Make Make | 7.0 | $12/mo | Yes | Teams needing governance and role-based access |
| IFTTT IFTTT | 6.8 | $2.09/mo | Yes | Simple app-to-app automations |
| Power Automate Power Automate | 6.5 | $15/mo | No | Microsoft 365 workflow automation |
| Pipedream Pipedream | 7.0 | $99/mo | Yes | Teams building AI agents |
| Tines Tines | 7.3 | Free | Yes | Teams evaluating automation at no cost |
Questions people ask
Is Zapier expensive?
It can become costly for multi-step workflows, according to Reddit users. One commenter said Zapier counts each action step as a task and cited a Pro plan with 750 tasks for $29.99 per month. The pricing page gives a $19.99 starting price and a free plan; compare the current plan details with your task volume.
Is there an alternative to Power Automate?
Yes. The published alternatives include n8n, Make and IFTTT, each with a different fit: n8n for teams mixing rules and AI calls, Make for technical users and teams, and IFTTT for simple app-to-app automations. If your work depends on Microsoft 365 or attended desktop RPA, Power Automate may still fit better.
What are the top five Zapier alternatives?
There is no single best five for every team. For this shortlist, compare n8n for technical workflows, Make for credit-metered automation, IFTTT for simple connections, Power Automate for Microsoft-centric work, and Pipedream for developer-led API integrations. Their prices and usage limits differ, so match the billing unit to your workflows.