KRATUVA ◀ Back to the arcade
Item shop INSERT COINMeet Ruam
ZapierConnects the apps you already use so that something happening in one app triggers actions in others, without writing code. MakeBuilds visual, flowchart-style automations (called scenarios) that move and transform data between apps.

Zapier vs Make: which to pick, and when to stop using either

A plain comparison: who each tool is for, where each one breaks, and when neither is the answer. No affiliate links.

Who this is for

Small business owners and operations people automating their first workflows.

Side by side

Zapier and Make, compared
Compared onZapierMake
What it is forConnecting apps so an event in one triggers actions in others.Visual, flowchart-style automations that move and transform data.
Starting price (checked 2026-10-09)$19.99/mo Professional billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly).$9/mo for 5,000 credits; the page does not say next to the price whether that is the monthly or annual figure.
What you pay forTasks: each completed action. Failed actions are not counted.Credits: each module action, including reads, transforms and iterations.
Free planYes, two-step Zaps only.Yes, up to 1,000 credits a month, 2 active scenarios, 15-minute minimum interval.
Where it breaksOverage on monthly plans is billed at 2.5x the base rate; Zaps cap at 100 steps.Runs cap at 40 minutes on paid plans; loops over big lists burn credits fast.
App coverage10,217+ apps listed.Check site for the current count.
SetupNo-code.No-code, with a steeper learning curve for complex scenarios.
A custom build beats it whenA workflow runs thousands of multi-step tasks a month or needs logic the steps cannot express.A job runs longer than 40 minutes or iterates over large datasets on every run.

The verdict

Zapier is the easiest start and connects to the most apps (10,217+ in its directory). Make is cheaper per step and its visual builder handles branching flows better, but it counts every module action, including reading and looping over rows, as a credit.

For a few simple app-to-app automations, Zapier is the safer choice. For multi-step flows with branching on a budget, Make usually costs less. Both get expensive when a workflow loops over large lists many times a day, and that is the point where a small custom service or n8n is worth pricing out.

Read the full take on each

ZapierGood at, breaks when, priceMakeGood at, breaks when, price

Sources

  1. zapier.com/pricing
  2. help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496181445261-Zap-limits
  3. zapier.com/apps
  4. make.com/en/pricing
  5. make.com/en/help/general/pricing-parameters
  6. help.make.com/scenario-settings
  7. factors.ai/blog/zapier-vs-make-which-is-the-better-business-automation-platform

Spotted something out of date? Email indra@kratuva.com.

Missing an item?

Don't see a tool you use, or one you built?

Tell us what it is and the job it does. We read every request and list the tools we would reach for ourselves. Nobody pays to be listed, and every listing gets an honest "breaks when" line, including yours.

Request a listing

Who runs this shop

Kratuva makes AI-first software. Our first product is Ruam, for teams that work apart. It shows how the working day went without screenshots or keystroke logging. Join the Ruam waitlist.

Occasionally we build with teams we like. Say hi: indra@kratuva.com.

Checked 9 Oct 2026

Every price and claim links to its source. Prices change often, so check the vendor's page before you buy. No affiliate links: nobody paid to be here. Logos belong to their owners and are shown only to name each tool, not as an endorsement.