Flowpaja
The short answer
- Pick Make if your automations have more than two steps, need filters, routers or loops over lists (invoice lines, order items, form answers), or you want to see the whole flow on one canvas.
- Pick Zapier if you only need simple "when X, do Y" automations between popular apps and want the fastest possible setup. Its Free plan covers 100 tasks a month with two-step Zaps only.
Want the three-way view with n8n, price tiers and a worked cost example? Read Make vs Zapier vs n8n. This page stays with the small-business choice between Make and Zapier.
How they charge
Make counts credits. Most module actions use 1 credit; routers and error handlers use none. Polling triggers use a credit on every check, so prefer instant (webhook) triggers. See Make credits explained.
Zapier counts tasks: each successful action in a Zap is one task. Zapier does not charge a task for checking a trigger for new data, and its filter, path, formatter and looping steps do not count as tasks.
In practice, branching and list-heavy workflows are where Make's model tends to come out cheaper. Run your real workflow through both calculators before you decide.
Free and entry plans
Pricing as of 14 Oct 2026, from make.com/en/pricing and zapier.com/pricing. Plans change, so check both pages before you buy.
| Make Free | Zapier Free | Zapier Professional | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $0 | Starting from $19.99 a month |
| Monthly allowance | 1,000 credits | 100 tasks | Larger task tiers, priced by volume |
| Workflow size | Multi-step scenarios, 2 active at a time | Two-step Zaps | Multi-step Zaps |
| Scheduled checks | Every 15 minutes at most | Polling every 15 minutes | Polling every 2 minutes |
Building multi-step logic
| Make | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Editor | Visual canvas, you see every route | Step-by-step Zap editor |
| Branching | Routers with filters on each route | Paths, on Professional and above |
| Lists | Iterators and aggregators (guide) | Looping by Zapier step |
| Error handling | Resume, Ignore, Break, Rollback, Commit (guide) | Autoreplay and custom error settings, on Professional and above |
| Webhooks | Built in, on every plan (tutorial) | Webhooks, on Professional and above |
Three workflows I'd build in Make, not Zapier
- Form to Sheets to Slack with a duplicate check. One router, one search, no double rows. Tally version.
- Overdue invoice digest. Read a sheet, aggregate overdue rows into one email. Start from the free Overdue Invoice Digest template.
- Shopify order lines to Sheets. An iterator over line items. Guide.
How to test Make for free
- Create a free Make account (affiliate link).
- Import one of the free templates so you start from a working scenario.
- Run it once and look at the credits used in the scenario history.
If it fits, the paid templates on Flowpaja's templates page save you the build time.
Prefer to see a working scenario before you sign up? Browse the free Make templates.