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Most buyers should pick Make.
Choose Make if you want a visual builder, AI-agent features, custom JavaScript or Python, and a lower listed entry price: Core is $12/month with annual billing or $16 monthly. Its free plan gives 1,000 credits, but caps you at two active scenarios and a 15-minute minimum interval. Choose Zapier if broad app coverage and easier onboarding matter more: it lists 9,000+ apps and scores higher for ease of use, but Professional starts at $19.99/month and uses task-based pricing.
01Side by side
| Make | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $12/month annually; $16/month with monthly billing (Core). | $19.99/month starting price (Professional); annual price not published. |
| Free plan | 1,000 credits/month; two active scenarios; 15-minute minimum interval. | 100 tasks/month; two-step Zaps; one seat. |
| Best for | Teams building visual workflows and AI agents. | Users prioritizing 9,000+ app connections and ease of use. |
| Core strength | Visual workflows, AI agents, and JavaScript or Python customization. | Broad app coverage, workflow governance, and error recovery. |
| Learning curve | Ease-of-use score: 6/10. | Ease-of-use score: 8.5/10. |
| Integrations and data | Thousands of apps; exact count not published. | 9,000+ apps. |
| Team and seat costs | Pro: $21/month annually or $28 monthly; unlimited users. | Team: $69/month starting; 25 users. |
| Support | Support terms not published. | Email/live chat; live chat from 2,000 tasks; Team priority. |
Make Choose Make if
- Choose Make if you want visual workflow building and AI agents.
- Choose Make if Core's $12 annual-billing rate fits your budget.
- Choose Make if JavaScript or Python customization matters.
Zapier Choose Zapier if
- Choose Zapier if you need its documented 9,000+ app connections.
- Choose Zapier if ease of use is your priority.
- Choose Zapier if Team's 25-user plan and priority support fit.
02Pricing compared
Make has the lower listed paid entry price: Core is $12 per month with annual billing or $16 month to month. Its Free plan includes 1,000 credits monthly, but limits you to two active scenarios and a 15-minute minimum interval between runs. Pro starts at $21 per month annually or $28 monthly, with 10,000 credits at the base tier.
Zapier Free includes 100 tasks monthly and allows only two-step Zaps. Professional starts at $19.99 per month at the lowest task tier; Team starts at $69 for that tier. Zapier says annual billing saves 33%, but the published pricing details do not give annual prices for those plans. Paid task allowances aren’t specified here, so compare your expected usage before treating either starting price as your likely bill. Make meters credits; Zapier meters tasks, so the units are not directly comparable.
03Features and depth
Make’s feature set centers on a visual workflow builder: teams can build by prompting, dragging and dropping, or using MCP. It also lists JavaScript and Python for custom workflow code, observability across third-party resources, role-based governance, and AI agents with goals, tools, limits, and visible reasoning. Its MCP server lets users build and run automations from Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini.
Zapier says it connects 9,000+ apps and offers Zapier MCP to connect AI tools with business apps through one secure connection, without API keys. Its Next Gen Zaps support advanced logic and automatic error recovery; an AI manager agent is described as detecting and fixing workflow issues. Zapier also lists granular permissions and centralized workflow governance. The homepage states SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3, GDPR, and CCPA compliance. Make’s published materials don’t state an app count, so we can’t make a like-for-like comparison of integration breadth.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Zapier is the safer starting point if ease of use is your priority: its review score for ease is 8.5, compared with 6 for Make. Zapier’s Free plan is limited to two-step Zaps, though, and provides 100 tasks per month. Moving beyond that means choosing a paid plan with task-based pricing.
Make offers drag-and-drop building as well as prompting and MCP, but the review describes it as feature-dense. Its Free plan gives 1,000 credits, two active scenarios, and a 15-minute minimum run interval. That can be enough to explore basic automation, but the credit model and scenario cap are worth checking against your workflow before switching.
Questions people ask
Is Power Automate better than Zapier?
The published information doesn’t include Power Automate’s features, pricing, or limits, so we can’t call it better. Zapier lists connections to 9,000+ apps, a free plan with 100 tasks per month, and paid plans starting at $19.99 per month. Compare those details with your Power Automate requirements and expected usage.
What is replacing Power Automate?
There’s no single replacement identified in the published sources. Make and Zapier are both automation options: Make starts at $12 per month with annual billing, while Zapier Professional starts at $19.99 per month at its lowest task tier. Check whether either supports your apps and workflow before moving.
Can Zapier send text messages?
The published Zapier details don’t say whether it can send text messages or name an SMS integration. Zapier says it connects 9,000+ apps, but that doesn’t confirm a specific texting service or capability. Check Zapier’s app directory and the relevant integration’s documentation for current requirements and limits.
What are the most popular Zapier integrations?
The published materials don’t list or rank Zapier integrations. Zapier says its platform connects 9,000+ apps, but that figure doesn’t identify which are most popular. Check Zapier’s app directory for supported services; popularity rankings aren’t provided here.