Comparing Make.com pricing vs Zapier is mostly about how each one counts usage. Zapier bills by tasks, and a task is counted each time an action step completes successfully, while triggers and built-in tools like Filter, Formatter and Paths do not count. Make bills by credits (formerly operations), where most module runs, including searches, iterators and aggregators, use one credit, while the Router and error handler modules do not. For a typical multi-step agency workflow, Make usually works out cheaper per run, but the only reliable way to compare is to count the steps in your actual workflows.
I build mostly in Make, but I have migrated clients both ways. This guide explains how each platform counts, walks through an example, and covers the design choices that change your bill more than the plan you pick.
How Zapier tasks are counted
According to Zapier's pricing page, checked for this article:
- A task is counted when Zapier successfully completes a unit of work, such as an action step. Failed actions are not counted.
- Triggers and polling for new data do not count.
- Built-in tools including Formatter, Paths and Filter by Zapier do not count.
- Some actions, especially AI-related steps, can cost more than one task.
- The free plan includes 100 tasks per month and is limited to two-step Zaps, with no premium apps or webhooks. Multi-step Zaps need a paid plan.
Paid plans are priced by how many tasks you need per month, so you choose a task tier and pay more as volume rises. Zapier lists the current tiers on its pricing page, and prices change, so check it before you budget.
How Make credits are counted
According to Make's pricing page, checked for this article:
- Usage is measured in credits. Most actions use one credit, and some AI features that use Make's AI provider may use more.
- Counted actions include reading, searching, creating, updating and deleting data, plus transforming, aggregating and iterating.
- The Router and error handler modules do not use credits.
- The free plan includes 1,000 credits per month.
A key difference: in Make, the trigger module itself usually uses credits when it runs and returns data, and a polling trigger that runs on a schedule can use credits even when it finds nothing new, depending on the module. Check the module's behaviour and your scenario history to see what you are actually spending.
Zapier tasks vs Make operations: a worked example
Here is an illustrative example, not a quote. Say an agency has a lead workflow that runs 1,000 times a month:
- Trigger: new form submission.
- Filter: only leads from the US.
- Formatter: clean the phone number.
- Search the CRM for an existing contact.
- Create or update the contact.
- Post a Slack message.
- Add a row to a Google Sheet.
In Zapier: the trigger, filter and formatter do not count. Steps 4 to 7 are four action steps, so roughly 4 tasks per run, or about 4,000 tasks a month.
In Make: the trigger, the phone formatting (if done in a module rather than inline in mapping), the search, the create or update, Slack and Sheets each use a credit. Filters in Make sit on connections between modules rather than being modules themselves. Doing the phone cleanup inline with a mapping function avoids a module entirely. So roughly 5 to 6 credits per run, or about 5,000 to 6,000 credits a month.
Even with a higher raw count, Make's price per credit is typically lower than Zapier's price per task, so Make often comes out cheaper for this kind of workflow. But it depends on your plan tiers, so run your own numbers against both current pricing pages.
What actually drives the bill up
The plan matters less than the design. These are the patterns that inflate cost on either platform:
Loops over large lists
In Make, an iterator that splits 500 rows into 500 bundles means every module after it runs 500 times. In Zapier, looping steps also multiply tasks. If you only need a summary, aggregate first or filter early.
Polling too often
A Make scenario that checks for new data every minute uses credits on every check where the trigger runs. If the data does not need to be real time, poll less often or switch to a webhook trigger. See my Make.com webhooks guide.
Filters placed late
Put filters as early as possible. A filter after five modules means you paid for five modules on records you were going to discard.
Searching when you could store
Repeated lookups to the same data cost credits or tasks every time. In Make, a data store or variables can cut repeated work. See my guide to Make.com scenario variables and data stores.
Retries and errors
Retrying failed steps uses more usage. Good error handling, like the Make.com error handling patterns, keeps retries targeted.
Make vs Zapier cost is not the only factor
Price is real, but so are these:
- Ease of use. Zapier is easier for non-technical staff. If your account managers will maintain the automations, that may be worth paying for.
- App coverage. Zapier has a very large app library. Check that the specific triggers and actions you need exist on whichever platform you choose.
- Complex logic. Make handles routers, iterators, aggregators and data manipulation more naturally on a visual canvas.
- Error handling. Make's error handlers give fine-grained control per module. Zapier has its own error settings on paid plans.
- Team features. Both have team plans with shared folders and permissions at higher tiers.
If cost is your main concern at high volume, n8n is also worth a look because its cloud plans bill per workflow execution rather than per step, and it can be self-hosted. See Make.com vs n8n.
How to estimate your own bill
- List your workflows and how many times each runs per month.
- Count the billable steps in each, using each vendor's rules above.
- Multiply runs by billable steps for each platform.
- Add headroom of 20 to 30 percent for growth and retries.
- Match the total to the current plan tiers on each pricing page.
- Factor in time. The cheaper tool is not cheaper if your team spends hours fighting it.
How I build this
I design Make scenarios to keep credit use low: early filters, webhooks over polling, aggregation before loops and targeted error handling. I currently run 14 automations in production across 2 agencies, all in Make. If you are deciding whether to migrate, see my AI workflow consulting service, check pricing for fixed-price builds, or request a free 15-minute Loom teardown and I will look at where your current usage goes.
FAQ
Is Make.com cheaper than Zapier?
For multi-step workflows, Make is often cheaper because its price per credit is typically lower than Zapier's price per task. Count your actual steps and check both current pricing pages to be sure.
What is the difference between Zapier tasks and Make operations?
A Zapier task is a successfully completed action step, with triggers, filters and formatter steps not counted. A Make credit, formerly called an operation, is used by most module runs, including searches and iterators.
Do Make.com filters use operations?
Filters in Make sit on the connections between modules rather than being modules, and the Router module does not use credits according to Make's pricing page. The modules a bundle passes through still use credits.
Does Zapier charge for triggers?
According to Zapier's pricing page, triggers and polling for new data do not count as tasks. Action steps that complete successfully do.