Zapier vs Make: Which automation tool is right for you?

The answer in 30 seconds

Zapier is the best choice if you’re just getting started with automation and want a user-friendly tool with lots of integrations. Make is ideal for slightly more complex workflows and is also a lot cheaper. Both tools now have an AI assistant that helps you build automations.

Why this choice matters

If you’re an entrepreneur working with digital products or online courses, you’ve probably run into the same issue: too many separate systems you have to connect manually. Plug & Pay, Kajabi, Mailblue, Trello, Google Sheets, Airtable — all tools you use every day, but that don’t naturally “talk” to each other.

In my work as an automation specialist, I’ve built hundreds of automations by now — from simple notifications to complex funnels that push customer data through multiple systems. And time and again I see the same thing: entrepreneurs have no idea what’s possible. They spend hours each week on tasks that could be automated with a single click.

The problem usually isn’t that they don’t want to automate — it’s that they don’t know where to start. And the first question that comes up is always: Zapier or Make?

My experience: from manual work to saving 6 hours per week

When I first started building automations for my clients, Zapier was my go-to tool. Easy, clear, and it connects with almost any app you can think of. But as workflows became more complex and clients started handling more volume, I found myself using Make more and more often.

A concrete example: one of my clients used Plug & Pay connected to Kajabi for her courses, but everything still had to be updated manually in Trello and Mailblue. Every new student meant copying data, adding tags, and updating task lists. On average, that cost her about 6 hours per week in admin work.

By building an automation in Zapier that was live within 2 hours, she got those 6 hours per week back. New students were automatically added to the right course, received the welcome email, and appeared in Trello with all the details. No manual work anymore.

According to recent research, employees can save an average of 240 hours per year by automating repetitive tasks — that’s about 4.6 hours per week. For entrepreneurs, those savings can be as high as 360 hours per year.

The biggest difference: ease of use vs flexibility

Zapier: the easy way to start

Zapier has a step-by-step interface that guides you through the setup like a checklist. You select a trigger (“when this happens”), choose an action (“then do this”), and you’re done.

Perfect if you:

• Are just getting started with automation

• Want something up and running quickly without technical knowledge

• Mainly need simple point-to-point automations

Zapier has more than 7,000 app integrations, including virtually all major platforms. Research from 2024 shows that Zapier still has the largest integration library, making it the most accessible option for beginners.

Make: visual and powerful

Make works with a visual canvas where you connect modules together. You can literally see how data flows through your automation.

This makes it:

• Easier to understand and manage complex workflows

• Possible to build multiple paths within a single automation

• Ideal if you want a bit more control

Make has around 2,400 integrations — fewer than Zapier — but it often offers more actions per app. For example, where Zapier has 25 actions for Xero, Make has 84.

What I often see in practice: people start with Zapier because it feels more approachable. But as soon as they want their automation to become “smarter” — for example, different paths based on tags or behavior — they switch to Make. Or they use both: Zapier for the simple stuff, Make for the more complex flows.

Pricing: this is where it gets interesting

This is what keeps a lot of entrepreneurs up at night — and for good reason. Automation should save you both time and money.

Zapier charges per “task”: every time your automation runs, that counts as 1 task. A €29/month plan gives you 750 tasks.

Make charges per “operation”: every step in your automation counts as 1 operation. So if your automation has 5 steps, each run costs 5 operations. A €9/month plan gives you 10,000 operations.

On paper, Make looks cheaper — but it depends on how complex your automations are. For simple workflows (2–3 steps), Make is significantly more cost-effective. For very simple one-to-one connections, Zapier can sometimes come out better.

Comparisons show that Make is often 50–70% cheaper than Zapier for similar workloads, especially with more complex automations.

Which one should you choose?

Here’s what I often tell clients:

Choose Zapier if:

• You’re just getting started and mainly want it to work without any hassle

• You mostly need simple automations (newsletter after purchase, notification when a new lead comes in)

• You use a niche tool that’s only supported by Zapier

• You’re willing to pay a bit more for ease of use

  
  

Choose Make if:

• You already have some automation experience (or you learn fast)

• You want to build more complex workflows with multiple paths

• You’re budget-conscious and run a lot of automations

• You like seeing visually how everything works

My advice: start with the free version of both and test one simple automation.

Zapier gives you 100 tasks per month for free, and Make gives you 1,000 operations. That way, you’ll quickly feel which interface suits you best.

The game-changer: AI assistants

Both tools now have AI assistants built in. This is hugely valuable, especially if you’re not exactly sure how to structure an automation.

You tell the AI what you want (for example: “When someone buys my course via Plug & Pay, I want them to automatically get access in Kajabi and receive a welcome email via Mailblue”), and the assistant builds the workflow for you.

Zapier has Copilot, which recommends workflows based on the tools you use. Make has similar functionality built in. Neither is perfect yet, but they’re incredibly helpful for discovering possibilities you might not have considered.

What I often see: entrepreneurs underestimate what’s possible

The biggest problem usually isn’t the tool — it’s that entrepreneurs don’t realize how much can be automated. They think of automation as “send a Slack notification” or “add a row to a spreadsheet,” but there’s so much more you can do, like:

• Automatic lead scoring based on behavior

• Segmenting customers and sending different content

• Sending reminders when someone doesn’t finish a course

• Automatically generating and sending invoices

• Syncing data across 4–5 different tools

I’ve noticed that as soon as I start brainstorming with a client about what’s possible, the options start to feel endless. And honestly, they are. The tools are there — it’s about knowing what you can do with them.

And what if you want even more? That’s where n8n comes in.

For completeness: there’s also n8n, an open-source alternative that gives you even more control. But that’s really for technical experts. Make is already a step more advanced than Zapier — and n8n is a whole different world beyond that.

For 95% of entrepreneurs, choosing between Zapier and Make is more than enough.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I migrate my workflows from Zapier to Make?

Unfortunately, not with a single click. You’ll need to rebuild them. Both tools use webhooks and APIs, so technically migration is possible — but it takes time.

Which tool has the best customer support?

Zapier has more extensive documentation and a larger community. Make’s support is solid, but smaller. Both have active forums where you can often get quick answers.

Can I use both tools at the same time?

Absolutely. Some entrepreneurs use Zapier for one set of automations and Make for another. It depends on what you need.

How much technical knowledge do I need?

For Zapier: almost none. If you can create an account and use a dropdown menu, you’ll be fine. For Make: a bit more logical thinking helps, but you don’t need to know how to code.

Conclusion: which one is right for you?

There’s no single “best” tool — only the tool that best fits your situation. Zapier wins on ease of use and app support. Make wins on pricing and flexibility.

My advice: test both using your most frustrating manual task. The tool you can get working within an hour — and that saves you 6 hours per week — is your winner.

And if you can’t figure it out? Ask someone with experience. Sometimes it’s simply helpful to have someone think along with you — someone who’s built hundreds of automations and knows what’s possible.

About Britt from B-Connecting

Britt helps entrepreneurs with digital products and online courses set up their marketing, systems, and automations in a smart, scalable way. With hands-on experience in tools like Zapier, Make, Kajabi, Plug & Pay, Mailblue, and more, she knows exactly how to connect separate systems — and which automations actually save you time.

Want to know what’s possible for your business with automation? Send a message and we’ll explore the options together.

Important: This article is based on my personal experience as an automation specialist and on general information about Zapier and Make. For specific technical questions or implementation details, I recommend consulting the documentation of both platforms or working with a specialist.