Make vs Zapier: the honest pricing math
The two default choices for connecting your stack without code, compared on the things that decide it in practice: what you actually pay, how the usage models differ, and where each one stalls. We verified both vendors' pricing pages directly in July 2026.
Zapier is easier to start; Make is cheaper to scale and stronger at complex logic. If nobody on your team enjoys thinking in flowcharts, Zapier's simplicity is worth its premium. For everyone else, Make's entry plan delivers far more automation per dollar — and it's the only one of the two offering EU hosting on every plan, including free.
Pricing, side by side
| Make ✓ our pick | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 1,000 credits/mo, 2 active scenarios, 15-min minimum interval | 100 tasks/mo, free forever |
| Entry paid plan | Core: $12/mo for 10,000 credits ($10.20 billed annually) | Professional: from $19.99/mo at the smallest task tier (billed yearly) |
| Annual vs monthly gap | Monthly runs ~15–18% higher | Yearly billing saves 33% — monthly is roughly $29.99 |
| Usage unit | 1 credit = 1 module action | 1 task = 1 action step in a Zap |
| EU data hosting | Yes — AWS EU on every plan, incl. Free | Not offered as a standard plan option |
| Team pricing | Usage-based — extra people cost nothing | Team plan from $69/mo |
The usage math nobody puts side by side
Both tools charge per operation, but the units hide the real difference. In Make, one credit is one module action; in Zapier, one task is one action step (triggers are free in both). So the same automation — say, 5 steps handling 300 items a month, about 1,500 operations — fits comfortably inside Make's $12 Core allowance of 10,000, while on Zapier the same volume pushes you up the Professional task tiers, starting above $19.99/mo and climbing with volume. The pattern holds generally: at light usage the two are close; the more your automations actually run, the further Make pulls ahead on cost. That matches what Zapier is optimizing for — its premium buys the industry's largest app directory and the gentlest learning curve, not cheap volume.
Where Zapier genuinely wins
Honesty cuts both ways, so here's the case for paying more. Zapier's editor is the easiest on-ramp in the category: pick a trigger, pick an action, done — no canvas, no routers, no flowchart thinking. Its app directory is the largest in the industry, so the long tail of niche tools is more likely to have a polished, first-party integration. And because it's the default choice, the tutorial-and-template ecosystem around it is enormous: whatever you're trying to automate, someone has written up the exact Zap. For a non-technical team automating simple two-step handoffs, those advantages are real and may be worth the premium.
Where Make wins
Three places. Price at volume, as above — and since Make charges for usage rather than seats, adding teammates costs nothing. Complex logic: Make's visual canvas with routers, filters, and data transformation handles "when X happens, check Z, then do Y or W" workflows that get awkward or expensive to express as linear Zaps. And EU hosting: Make offers AWS EU data centers on every plan including Free — for a tool that necessarily processes the data flowing between your CRM, invoicing, and inbox, that's the strongest GDPR posture in our dataset, and Zapier doesn't offer an equivalent standard option.
Who should pick which
Pick Zapier if: your automations are simple linear handoffs, nobody on the team wants to learn a builder, and the tools you use are niche enough that directory size matters. Pick Make if: you're price-sensitive at volume, your workflows branch and transform data, your team will grow, or EU data processing matters to your clients. Both have free tiers that are genuine evaluation environments — the cheapest way to settle this is to build your single most annoying copy-paste workflow in each and see which one you finish.
Frequently asked questions
Did you test Make and Zapier hands-on?
Not yet. This comparison is researched: we verified both vendors' pricing pages directly in July 2026 and reviewed their public documentation. When we run our hands-on scenario — the same client-onboarding automation built in both — we'll upgrade this page and say so. Our testing policy explains the difference.
Is Make really that much cheaper than Zapier?
At the entry tier, yes, and the gap grows with usage: Make's $12/mo Core ($10.20 billed annually) includes 10,000 operations, while Zapier's Professional starts at $19.99/mo (billed yearly) at its smallest task tier and scales up from there. At very light volume — under 100 operations a month — both free plans cover you and the price difference is moot.
Do you earn commission on both tools?
No — only on Make, and we say so at the top of this page. The pricing table comes straight from both vendors' own pages; if Zapier fits your situation better, the plain link below goes there with no tracking on our side.
Which is better for GDPR-sensitive work?
Make, clearly: EU (AWS) data-center hosting is available on every plan including Free. Zapier doesn't offer an equivalent standard EU-residency option. Since an automation platform processes the data moving between your other tools, where that processing happens matters more here than for most software.
Bottom line
Start from what your team is like, not from feature lists. A team that likes logic gets more automation for less money with Make — and the EU hosting is a real differentiator. A team that wants zero learning curve pays Zapier's premium happily and gets value for it. Based on our research (not yet a hands-on trial), we'd shortlist Make first — and both free plans mean this is a decision you can test instead of debate.
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