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It's a split decision.
Make is a hosted visual automation platform that charges in credits and supports custom integrations, JavaScript and Python. Zapier is a hosted workflow platform with a larger listed app catalog, task-based billing and MCP connections for AI tools. For developers, Make fits teams that want visual control and custom code; Zapier fits teams that prioritize app coverage and AI-assisted workflow building. Compare your actual workflow’s credit or task use before committing: the billing units are not equivalent.
01Side by side
| Make | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Usage-based credits; paid plans start at $16 monthly | Usage-based tasks; Professional starts at $19.99 monthly |
| Free tier | 1,000 credits monthly; two active scenarios | 100 tasks monthly; two-step Zaps only |
| Integrations | 3,500+ apps; custom integrations for APIs | 9,000+ apps; 66,000+ triggers and actions |
| API and AI connections | Custom API integrations; JavaScript and Python code | MCP connects AI tools to apps without API keys |
| Deployment model | Web-based platform for building and running automations | Web-based platform for running and governing workflows |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Limits and scaling | Paid Core lists one-minute scheduling and 40-minute executions | Task tiers; pay-per-task billing after the task limit |
| Workflow building | Prompt, drag-and-drop, or MCP; visual builder | Next Gen Zaps add advanced logic and automatic recovery |
Make Choose Make if
- Choose Make if… visual workflow building is central to your team.
- Choose Make if… you need JavaScript or Python in automations.
- Choose Make if… credit-based usage fits your workflow economics.
Zapier Choose Zapier if
- Choose Zapier if… you need its broader listed app catalog.
- Choose Zapier if… your team wants task-based usage billing.
- Choose Zapier if… AI tools should connect through Zapier MCP.
02Pricing at real usage
Make’s free plan lists 1,000 credits per month, two active scenarios and a 15-minute minimum run interval. Core lists 10,000 credits monthly, unlimited scenarios and a 1-minute minimum interval. The pricing data gives Core as $16 monthly or $12 per month billed annually, and Pro as $28 or $21, but alternate price displays conflict; confirm the price before buying. Zapier Free includes 100 tasks monthly, unlimited Zaps, two-step workflows and one seat. Professional starts at $19.99 monthly and Team at $69; both are starting rates at the lowest task tier. Zapier’s pricing page says annual billing saves 33%, and lists pay-per-task billing after the task limit. Make meters credits; Zapier meters tasks. Those units are not directly comparable, so estimate a representative workflow’s consumption before scaling.
03API, SDKs and integration
Make connects to 3,500+ apps and says custom integrations can connect to anything with an API. Its visual builder supports prompting, drag-and-drop and MCP; custom code can use JavaScript or Python. Make’s MCP server can build and run automations from Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini. Zapier lists 9,000+ apps, 66,000+ triggers and actions, and support across 230+ AI tools. Zapier MCP connects an AI tool to business apps through one secure connection, without API keys. Its Next Gen Zaps add advanced logic and automatic recovery, but the homepage labels them early access. Neither product page names a language-specific SDK or CLI, or details SDK installation and CLI commands. Make’s API-related route is custom integration; Zapier’s described route for AI tools is MCP. Check the vendors’ developer documentation for API authentication, versioning and rate limits before choosing either for a code-first integration.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Both products are web-based platforms for building and running workflows. Neither vendor publishes an open-source licence or self-hosting option on its product pages, so plan for vendor-hosted execution rather than assuming you can run the automation engine in your own infrastructure. The pages also do not specify data-export formats or migration tools. That matters when workflows depend on proprietary scenario or Zap definitions, app connectors, run history and credentials. Before adopting either at scale, ask the vendor how to export workflow definitions and logs, move credentials safely, and reconstruct workflows outside the service. Make’s custom integrations and JavaScript or Python code provide extension points, while Zapier describes workflows built around its app catalog and triggers. Neither fact establishes that a workflow can be moved without rewriting it.
Questions people ask
Is Make cheaper than Zapier?
It depends on the workflow, because Make bills in credits and Zapier bills in tasks. Make Core is listed at $16 monthly or $12 per month billed annually, with conflicting alternate displays. Zapier Professional starts at $19.99 monthly at its lowest task tier. Estimate usage in both systems before comparing totals.
Which platform has more integrations?
Zapier lists 9,000+ apps, compared with Make’s 3,500+ apps. Zapier also lists 66,000+ triggers and actions. Make says it supports custom integrations to anything with an API, which may cover a service outside its built-in catalog if your team can build the connection.
Can I add code to a Make workflow?
Yes. Make lists custom code in JavaScript or Python as a way to fine-tune automations. The product pages do not specify SDK installation or CLI commands, so check the vendor’s developer documentation for the supported implementation details before making code execution a core dependency.
Can AI tools build or run workflows on these platforms?
Both support AI-tool connections. Make’s MCP server can build and run automations from Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini. Zapier MCP connects AI tools to business apps, and Zapier lists support across 230+ AI tools, including Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor.