Make Review (2026): The Powerful, Cheaper Alternative to Zapier
Make is a hosted, visual automation tool that's cheaper than Zapier and far more capable for complex workflows — with branching, routers and iterators built in. Here's the 2026 pricing, where its per-credit model bites, and who it's best for.
What Make is
Make (formerly Integromat) is a cloud-based no-code automation platform built around a visual canvas. Where Zapier's automations are mostly linear, Make lets you draw genuinely complex logic — branches, routers, iterators and aggregators — without writing code. It has a large catalog of 3,000+ apps and a polished, fully-hosted experience. The main trade-off is its pricing model, which charges per module run (a 'credit'), and the fact that it's cloud-only with no self-hosting option.
Make pricing at a glance (2026)
| Plan | Price | Credits | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000/mo | 2 active scenarios, full app catalog |
| Core | $9/mo (annual) | 10,000/mo | Unlimited scenarios, 1-min interval |
| Pro | $16/mo (annual) | 10,000/mo | AI agents, API access, webhooks |
| Teams | $29/mo | Shared | Roles, templates, priority execution |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Advanced security, governance, support |
How the credit pricing works
Since August 2025, Make charges in 'credits': one credit per module that runs inside a scenario. So a 10-step scenario consumes 10 credits each time it fires (AI and code steps cost more). That makes Make meaningfully cheaper than Zapier at entry — $9/mo for 10,000 credits vs Zapier's $19.99 for 750 tasks — and the gap widens at scale. But it's still a per-step meter: busy, many-module scenarios consume credits quickly, so price both tools against your real workflow shape, not the headline numbers.
Power and flexibility
This is where Make shines. Its node-based canvas handles conditional routers, iterators that loop over arrays, and aggregators that recombine data — the kind of logic that feels natural in Make and fights you in Zapier. For anyone building automations more complex than 'trigger → action → action', Make is a big step up while staying no-code. The learning curve is steeper than Zapier's, but it's short and the payoff is real capability.
Where Make falls short
Two things. First, it's cloud-only — there's no self-hosting, so your data and workflows live on Make's servers, and you can't escape the per-credit meter at high volume. Second, custom code is limited unless you're on higher tiers, so developers can hit ceilings. If you're cost-conscious at scale or want to self-host for control, an open-source, per-execution tool like n8n will usually be cheaper and more flexible — a 10-step n8n workflow is one execution, not ten credits.
Who Make is best for
Make is the sweet spot for no-code users who've outgrown Zapier: you want a hosted tool with zero ops, you need real branching logic, and you'd rather pay less than Zapier charges. It's also great for agencies juggling many client automations. Skip it if you're technical and high-volume (n8n self-hosted is far cheaper) or if you simply need the absolute largest app catalog and the gentlest learning curve (Zapier).
FAQ
Is Make cheaper than Zapier?
Yes at entry — Make Core is $9/mo for 10,000 credits vs Zapier Professional at $19.99/mo for 750 tasks, and the gap grows with volume. Both still meter per step, so compare on your actual workflow.
What is a Make 'credit'?
One credit is consumed by each module that runs in a scenario, so a 10-step scenario uses 10 credits per run (AI and code steps cost more). Make switched from 'operations' to credits in August 2025.
Can I self-host Make?
No — Make is a cloud-only SaaS. If you want self-hosting and unlimited executions, n8n (open-source) is the alternative; self-hosting it costs roughly $5/month for unlimited runs.
Is Make hard to learn?
It's a bit steeper than Zapier because of its visual canvas, but the learning curve is short and it rewards you with far more powerful workflows. Most people are productive within a day.
Make is the tool I'd recommend to most people leaving Zapier for cost or capability reasons but who still want something hosted and no-code: it's roughly half the entry price, its branching and iterators handle real complexity, and the experience is polished. The catch is the per-credit meter and the lack of self-hosting — so if you're technical and running high volume, n8n will be cheaper and more flexible. Pick Make if you want power without ops; pick n8n if you want the lowest cost and full control.— the Stackferret engineer, human reviewer
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Rankings are never paid for. Last reviewed 2026-06-11.