Six alternatives to Zapier are compared here, including Make, n8n, Microsoft Power Automate and Activepieces. Starting prices for a paid entry-level automation plan across these platforms range from around $19.99 to $60 a month, with the underlying billing model, per task, per operation, or per execution, mattering more for cost than the headline monthly price.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED 21 July 2026
- Zapier bills per task, meaning each individual action within a workflow counts separately, which can make costs rise quickly at higher volumes.
- Make bills per operation, generally considered more granular and cost-efficient than Zapier's per-task model for multi-step or branching workflows.
- n8n bills per workflow execution rather than per step, and can also be self-hosted for a low fixed infrastructure cost with unlimited executions.
- Microsoft Power Automate is often already included in existing Microsoft 365 enterprise contracts, making it a low-marginal-cost option for Microsoft-based organisations.
- Zapier has by far the largest app integration library, over 7,000 apps, which remains its main advantage for non-technical teams needing broad compatibility.
- Many businesses run a mixed setup, using Zapier or Make for simple team self-service automation and n8n for higher-volume or more technical workflows.
Zapier alternatives compared by entry price and billing model
| Zapier | From ~$19.99/month (750 tasks) | Per task (each action billed separately) |
| Make | Scales with operations used | Per operation (more granular than Zapier) |
| n8n Cloud | From ~€24/month (2,500 executions) | Per workflow execution, not per step |
| n8n Self-hosted | From ~£3 to £7/month (server cost only) | Unlimited executions, own infrastructure |
| Microsoft Power Automate | Often included in Microsoft 365 plans | Per flow run for premium connectors |
KEY FACTS
- Zapier: free tier covers 100 tasks a month; paid Professional plan from around $19.99 a month for 750 tasks (billed annually)
- Make: charges per operation rather than per task, generally more cost-efficient for branching, multi-step workflows
- n8n cloud: from around €24 a month for 2,500 executions; self-hosted n8n runs from a few pounds a month in server costs with no execution limit
- Zapier's integration library covers over 7,000 apps, the largest of any platform compared here
- n8n is the only platform compared here that can be self-hosted, keeping workflow data inside a business's own infrastructure
Why does Zapier's billing model matter more than its headline price
Zapier bills per task, meaning every individual action within a multi-step workflow counts separately toward the monthly task allowance, so a five-step workflow that runs 1,000 times a month consumes 5,000 tasks, which is why cost can escalate faster on Zapier than on platforms billing per operation or per execution.
Zapier's free tier covers 100 tasks a month on simple, single-step automations, with its paid Professional plan starting from around $19.99 a month for 750 tasks when billed annually. The detail that catches many businesses out is what actually counts as a task: in a Zapier workflow with five sequential steps, each run of that workflow consumes five tasks rather than one, so task usage scales with workflow complexity as well as with how often it runs. For a team running a small number of simple automations, this rarely becomes a problem. For a business running multi-step workflows at meaningful volume, moving from a 10,000-task plan to a 100,000-task plan can add several hundred dollars a month, which is the point at which comparing alternative billing models becomes worthwhile.
How does Make's pricing compare with Zapier's
Make charges per operation, generally considered a more granular and cost-efficient unit than Zapier's per-task billing for workflows involving branching logic or multiple conditional paths, while offering a comparable visual, no-code workflow builder.
Make, formerly known as Integromat, occupies a middle position between Zapier's simplicity and n8n's more technical, code-capable approach. Its visual workflow builder is generally considered at least as capable as Zapier's for handling multi-step logic, branching paths and complex data transformations, areas where Zapier's simpler linear workflow structure can require workarounds. On pricing, Make bills based on operations, individual actions within a scenario, rather than Zapier's task-based model, and this operation-based billing has generally worked out more cost-efficient for workflows with conditional branches or multiple parallel paths, since not every possible path necessarily executes on every run. For a small business or solo founder wanting more workflow power than Zapier without moving to a fully code-based platform, Make is the most commonly recommended middle-ground alternative.
When does n8n make sense over Zapier or Make
n8n is the only platform compared here that can be self-hosted, and its per-execution billing model, rather than per-step or per-operation, can cut costs by 80 to 90 percent against Zapier for high-volume, multi-step workflows, though it requires more technical setup.
n8n bills by workflow execution rather than by individual step, so a ten-step workflow running 10,000 times a month counts as 10,000 executions rather than 100,000 individual actions, a structurally different and often cheaper unit than Zapier's task-based model at meaningful volume. n8n cloud starts from around €24 a month for 2,500 executions, but its more distinctive option is self-hosting: running n8n on a business's own server, which can cost as little as a few pounds a month in basic infrastructure while removing execution limits entirely. This makes n8n particularly relevant for regulated industries or businesses with data residency requirements, since self-hosted workflow data never leaves the business's own infrastructure. The trade-off is technical: n8n's open-source, code-capable design suits a team with some development capacity more than a fully non-technical team wanting a pure point-and-click experience.
Is Microsoft Power Automate worth using instead of Zapier
Microsoft Power Automate is often already included at low or no marginal cost within existing Microsoft 365 enterprise contracts, which makes it a natural default for organisations already licensed for the Microsoft ecosystem rather than a general-purpose alternative for everyone.
For a business already paying for Microsoft 365 licensing across its organisation, Power Automate frequently comes bundled within that existing contract at little or no additional cost for basic usage, which changes the value calculation considerably compared with adding a separate Zapier or Make subscription on top. Power Automate integrates most deeply with Microsoft's own product ecosystem, including SharePoint, Outlook, Teams and Dynamics, and less comprehensively with the very broad third-party app library that Zapier offers. Premium connectors, for integrating with non-Microsoft services, are billed per flow run and can push the cost up for workflows that rely heavily on external tools. For an organisation with light automation needs concentrated mostly within Microsoft products, Power Automate can be close to a sunk cost already covered by existing licensing; for a business needing broad third-party integration coverage, Zapier or Make's dedicated integration libraries remain stronger fits.
Do most businesses use one platform or a mix
A common pattern among businesses that have evaluated all of these platforms is running two in parallel: a simpler, non-technical platform such as Zapier or Make for team self-service automations, alongside n8n for higher-volume or more technical workflows that benefit from self-hosting.
Rather than a single winner-takes-all choice, the more common outcome for businesses that have actually tested these platforms in production is a mixed setup. Zapier or Make typically remains in place for the long tail of simple, business-team-managed automations, connecting a form submission to a spreadsheet, or a CRM update to a Slack notification, where non-technical staff need to build and maintain the workflow themselves without engineering involvement. n8n or a similar self-hosted platform is then reserved for production-grade, higher-volume, or more technically demanding workflows, including AI agent integrations, where cost at scale and data control matter more than point-and-click ease of use. Before committing to a single platform, it is worth modelling realistic monthly task, operation or execution volume three months out, since underestimating volume is one of the most common and expensive procurement mistakes reported by businesses adopting workflow automation tools. Support and onboarding resources also differ meaningfully between these platforms, with Zapier and Make both offering more extensive self-service documentation and template libraries aimed at non-technical users, while n8n's community and documentation lean more toward a technical audience comfortable working with API-level detail.
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DISCLAIMER
This article is editorial information, not financial advice. Kael Tripton Ltd is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Figures were correct at the last review date shown above; verify current rates and rules with the primary sources listed below before acting.
Frequently asked questions
Is Make cheaper than Zapier
It depends on workflow complexity. Make's per-operation billing has generally worked out more cost-efficient than Zapier's per-task billing for workflows with branching logic or multiple conditional paths, though for very simple, single-step automations the difference is often minimal.
Can n8n really cut automation costs by 80 to 90 percent
For high-volume, multi-step workflows specifically, n8n's per-execution billing model rather than per-step billing has been reported to reduce costs by that margin against Zapier in published comparisons, though the actual saving depends heavily on workflow length and monthly volume.
Does Zapier have more integrations than its rivals
Yes. Zapier's library of over 7,000 app integrations remains the largest among the platforms compared here, which is its main ongoing advantage for non-technical teams needing broad, ready-made compatibility with a wide range of software.
Is Microsoft Power Automate free
Power Automate is often included within existing Microsoft 365 enterprise licensing at low or no additional marginal cost for basic usage, though premium connectors for integrating with non-Microsoft services are billed separately per flow run.
Do you need technical skills to use n8n
Some. n8n is more code-capable and technically oriented than Zapier or Make, and while it does offer a visual workflow builder, self-hosting and building more advanced workflows generally benefits from some development capacity within the team.
SOURCES
- Zapier official pricing – accessed 21 July 2026
- Make official pricing – accessed 21 July 2026
- n8n official pricing – accessed 21 July 2026
