The short answer
Choose around the job you need done.
Evaluate Zapier for a straightforward workflow when its app actions match your needs. Evaluate Make when a visual scenario with branches and data transformations helps you understand the process. Price your actual workflow: Zapier tasks and Make credits are different units, and the cheapest headline plan may not cover your usage.
| Compare | ZapierFree; Professional from $19.99/month annually | MakeFree; Core displayed at $12/month for 10k credits |
|---|---|---|
| Free allowance | 100 tasks/month; two-step Zaps | 1,000 credits/month |
| Paid starting point | Professional from US$19.99/month annually | Core displayed at US$12/month for 10k credits |
| Billing unit | Tasks; not every step is billable | Credits; rates vary by module |
| Filters and formatting | Built-in Filter and Formatter do not count as tasks | Estimate modules and their credit rates |
| Before going live | Test duplicates, errors and task use | Test duplicates, errors and credit use |
How we compared: This is a research-based comparison of official pricing and product documentation checked on September 7, 2026. Recommendations are our editorial judgment. Examples below are hypothetical. This article contains no affiliate links.
Start with one process that already works manually
Choose an automation with a clear trigger and result: a form submission should create a client record and a follow-up task, for example. Write down how you do it manually before choosing a platform.
Our recommendation is to evaluate Zapier first for a straightforward sequence when its supported actions cover the job, and Make when seeing branches and transformations together would help you manage the process. The right choice depends on the exact apps, fields and exceptions involved.
Confirm the required action, not just the app logo. An integration can support creating a record without supporting the particular update, attachment or custom field your workflow needs.
Before you buyMake Free vs Core: The Operations MathMake Free or Core: model scenario limits and credit use before upgrading.See the plans →What the starting prices include
Zapier lists Free with 100 tasks per month and two-step Zaps. Professional starts at $19.99 per month billed annually; the selected task allowance and billing period affect the quote. Do not assume every price displayed on a usage slider represents the same allowance. Zapier plans
Make lists Free with 1,000 credits per month and a 15-minute minimum scheduling interval. Its pricing page currently displays Core at $12 per month for 10,000 monthly credits, with annual billing offered separately. Confirm the selected billing option at checkout. Make plans and credits
These figures are in US dollars before applicable taxes. An annual equivalent, a monthly subscription and a usage allowance are three separate pieces of the comparison.
Zapier does not charge a task for every step
Zapier’s task documentation says triggers do not count as tasks. Several built-in tools, including Filter, Formatter, Paths and Delay, also do not consume tasks. Successful billable actions are what matter; special products and actions can have additional rules. How Zapier measures task usage
This matters when estimating a multi-step workflow. Adding a Filter or Formatter does not automatically add another task to every run. Count the actual billable actions and check whether branches execute them for every event or only some events.
Do not interpret a stopped or failed run as a guarantee that the whole workflow used nothing. Earlier successful actions may already have happened. Inspect the run history and usage rather than guessing from the final outcome.
Make credits are not interchangeable with Zapier tasks
Make now uses credits as its billing unit. For many non-AI modules, one operation corresponds to one credit, but AI features and other modules can use different rates. Token usage and the selected feature can matter. Make’s credit documentation
A scenario can also process multiple items from one trigger. Repeated module executions, polling and recovery behavior can change actual consumption. Do not multiply the number of boxes on the canvas by the number of business events and assume that is always the bill.
A transparent usage example
The following is illustrative arithmetic, not a measured comparison of two installed workflows. Assume 200 events per month, all taking the same path, with no retries, polling overhead or AI usage.
| Hypothetical setup | Calculation | Illustrative usage |
|---|---|---|
| Zapier: three standard billable actions per event | 200 × 3 | 600 tasks |
| Make: four module executions per event, each costing one credit | 200 × 4 | 800 credits |
A built-in Zapier Filter would not add another 200 tasks to that first example. The Make result would change if a module processed multiple items or used a different credit rate. These totals do not prove that one free or paid plan can run your actual workflow: feature access and scheduling requirements must also fit.
Run a small sample and examine the real usage meter before projecting a month. Include a busy period, not just your average day.
Test the mistakes that matter
Use fictional records and keep external actions reversible during setup. A workflow that works once can still fail when data is incomplete or an event repeats.
| Test case | Expected behavior to decide |
|---|---|
| Missing email address | Stop or route for review rather than creating an unusable contact |
| Duplicate submission | Avoid duplicate records or explain how they are reconciled |
| Expired app connection | Make the interruption visible to the person maintaining it |
| Destination temporarily unavailable | Recover without silently losing or duplicating work |
| Unexpected field value | Preserve enough detail to investigate the problem |
Inspect run history after each test. Also define how you will notice when no trigger arrives at all; a history of successful runs does not establish that every expected event was received.
For actions that send messages or change important records, keep an approval or review step where your process needs one. The objective is a dependable result, not removing every human decision.
Include maintenance in the price
A useful budget includes the subscription, connected-app costs and your time investigating exceptions. If a cheaper plan repeatedly interrupts a process you rely on, its monthly fee is only part of the cost.
For client work, agree who owns the account, pays usage charges and reconnects apps when credentials change. Keep a short handover note with the trigger, expected result, major exceptions and the manual fallback. Do not rely on a personal connection that the client cannot maintain after the project ends.
Common questions
Is Make always cheaper?
No. Its credit allowance can be attractive, but the workflow’s module rates, execution pattern and maintenance needs determine the practical cost. Compare a representative run and the plan features required by it.
Is Zapier only for very simple automations?
No. The starting recommendation here is about the first workflow to evaluate, not a limit on what the product can do. Check the relevant paid features and actions for your use case.
When should I automate a process?
When the manual steps and exceptions are understood well enough to specify the expected outcome. If the process changes every time, first make the manual version clearer; that will also make the eventual automation easier to verify.
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