The best Zapier alternatives
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Ranked on published features, free-plan limits and beginner ease (checked 14 October 2026). We have not benchmarked these tools hands-on, and commissions don’t affect rankings.
Zapier made no-code automation popular, but people often look elsewhere when the task-based bill grows, when they need more complex logic, or when they want more control over their data. Here are the honest alternatives, and when switching isn’t worth it.
The best alternatives
Make
Who it’s for: Beginners, freelancers and small businesses who want a visual, drag-and-drop builder with branching, filters and a usable free plan.
Worth knowing: There is a learning curve, runs use credits and plans are listed in US dollars. Test every scenario before switching it on.
Visit Make ↗ (opens in new tab) (paid link: we may earn a commission)
Side-by-side comparison
| Make | n8n | Zapier (for comparison) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Builder style | Visual canvas showing every step | Visual node editor, with optional code | Step-by-step list |
| Best for | Visual workflows with branches and filters | Technical teams, AI agents, self-hosting | Simple app-to-app automations |
| How usage is counted | Credits | Workflow executions (one full run of a workflow) | Tasks |
| Free option | 1,000 credits a month | Free self-hosted Community Edition; Cloud free trial | 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps |
| Learning curve | Moderate | Steeper | Easiest |
Pricing
| Plan | Make | n8n Cloud | Zapier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | US$0: 1,000 credits/month | Community Edition (self-hosted); Cloud trial | 100 tasks/month |
| Entry paid | Core (price depends on credits; check Make’s site) | Starter: €20/month billed annually | Professional: from US$19.99/month billed annually (US$29.99 monthly) |
| Next tier | Pro, Teams; Enterprise by quote | Pro: €50/month billed annually | Team: from US$69/month billed annually |
Prices checked on 14 October 2026 from official pricing pages (make.com/en/pricing, n8n.io/pricing (n8n lists prices in euros, EUR) and zapier.com/pricing). Prices are shown as listed, in US dollars (USD) and euros (EUR). Australian prices, GST and app-store pricing can differ, and plans change often, so confirm on the provider’s site before you pay.
How to get started
List the Zaps you run and which ones cost the most tasks each month.
Sign up for Make’s free plan and rebuild your simplest Zap as a scenario.
Run both side by side for a week and compare reliability, run counts and how easy it was to fix errors.
Move the rest only if the new tool is clearly cheaper or easier, and switch off the old Zap after each move.
How we chose
We looked at tools that do the same core job as Zapier, connecting apps and automating repetitive tasks, and that a non-developer can realistically start with. Prices and plan details come from each provider’s official pricing page on the date shown. This is editorial guidance, not a hands-on benchmark.
Make: the best alternative for most people
Make (opens in new tab) (paid link: we may earn a commission) uses a visual canvas: each app is a circle, and you connect them to see the whole workflow at once. That makes branching (“if the order is over AU$500, do this; otherwise do that”), filters and data mapping easier to understand than a long list of steps. The free plan includes 1,000 credits a month, access to 3,500+ apps, routers and filters, with a 15-minute minimum interval between scheduled runs. Paid plans are Core, Pro and Teams, priced by the number of credits you choose; check current prices on Make’s site. Per Make’s affiliate offer at the time of writing, people who sign up through our link get the Core plan free for one month; confirm the offer on the sign-up page. Our how to use Make tutorial walks you through a first scenario, and Make vs Zapier goes deeper.
n8n: best for technical teams and self-hosting
n8n (opens in new tab) is popular with developers and technical teams. Its pricing page says plans include unlimited users and workflows and every integration, and that it charges for workflow executions, where one execution is a full run of a workflow regardless of how many steps it has. That can be much cheaper than paying per step for long workflows. A free, self-hosted Community Edition is available, and n8n Cloud offers a free trial without a credit card. Cloud Starter was €20 a month and Pro €50 a month, both billed annually, when we checked. The trade-off is a steeper learning curve: you’ll get more out of it if you’re comfortable with concepts like webhooks, JSON and API requests. Self-hosting also means you’re responsible for updates, security and backups.
When to stay with Zapier
Zapier is still the easiest place to build a simple “when this happens, do that” automation, and it connects to a huge number of apps. Its free plan covers 100 tasks a month with two-step Zaps, and Professional starts from US$19.99 a month billed annually. If your automations are simple, reliable and not costing much, switching may just create work. Look elsewhere when you hit a specific problem: bills climbing with task counts, multi-step logic that’s hard to manage, or an app Zapier doesn’t support well.
How to switch without breaking things
Don’t move everything at once. Start with one automation that matters but isn’t critical, rebuild it, and run both versions in parallel while you compare results. Watch for duplicate actions (two welcome emails, two invoices) while both are on. Write down where each automation lives and who owns it. Check how errors are reported in the new tool and make sure someone gets the alert. Only switch off the Zapier version once you’re confident.
Privacy and data
Automation tools move data between your apps, often including customer names and emails. Check where each provider stores data and processes it, use the minimum permissions needed when connecting accounts, and remove connections you no longer use. n8n says hosted Cloud data is stored in the EU (Frankfurt); self-hosted n8n stores data wherever you run it.
Our verdict
For most beginners and small businesses, Make is the best Zapier alternative: visual, flexible and with a useful free plan. Choose n8n if you’re technical, want to self-host or run long multi-step workflows. Stay with Zapier if your simple automations already work. See also the best AI automation tools and the best AI tools for small business.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Zapier?
For most beginners and small businesses, Make: it has a visual builder, a free plan with 1,000 credits a month and good branching logic. n8n suits technical teams.
Is Make cheaper than Zapier?
It can be, depending on your usage. Make prices plans by credits and Zapier by tasks, so compare using your real monthly volume on each provider’s pricing page.
Is there a free Zapier alternative?
Make’s free plan includes 1,000 credits a month. n8n offers a free self-hosted Community Edition, which you run and maintain yourself.
Is n8n good for beginners?
n8n is powerful but has a steeper learning curve. It suits people comfortable with webhooks, JSON and APIs. Make is usually easier for non-technical beginners.
How much does n8n cost?
n8n Cloud Starter was €20 a month and Pro €50 a month, billed annually, when we checked on 14 October 2026. n8n lists prices in euros.
Can I move my Zaps to Make automatically?
Plan to rebuild them. Start with one automation, run it in parallel with Zapier, and switch off the old version only once the new one works.
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Prices are shown as marked: US dollars (US$), euros (€) and Australian dollars (AU$). Australian GST and currency conversion may apply. Confirm the final price at checkout.