True cost comparison — not just what the pricing page says
Quick Verdict
Make saves you 46%
Best for Zapier
Non-technical users who need maximum app coverage and simple 2-step automations
Best for Make
Power users running complex, high-volume workflows who want to save 40-60% vs Zapier
Connect 6,000+ apps and automate workflows. The most popular automation platform...
Advertised
$30
/month
True Cost
$171
/month (typical)
Premium App Paywall
Premium apps (Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo) require Professional plan ($29.99/mo) or higher. Free pl...
Multi-Step Action Counting
Each ACTION step in a multi-step Zap counts as a separate task. A 5-action Zap running 100 times = 5...
Overage at 1.25x Base Cost
Exceeding task limit costs 1.25x per task. Zaps pause at 3x subscription limit. On Professional (750...
Agent & Chatbot Add-on Creep
New AI features (Agents $33/mo, Chatbots $13-67/mo) are separate add-on plans not included in any ba...
$20/mo annual
$69/mo annual
$99/mo annual
Visual automation platform with operation-based pricing. 40-60% cheaper than Zap...
Advertised
$11
/month
True Cost
$36
/month (typical)
Data Transfer Overage
Charged per MB of data transferred beyond plan limits. Heavy file/image automations hit this fast....
Scenario Complexity Multiplier
Complex scenarios with many modules consume more operations per run than simple ones. Router modules...
$9/mo annual
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission
Make charges per operation (1 op = 1 step), Zapier charges per task (1 task = all steps in a zap)
Make includes premium apps on all paid plans. Zapier gates them behind Professional ($29.99/mo)+
Make offers 10,000 ops/mo at $10.59 vs Zapier's 750 tasks at $29.99
Zapier has 6,000+ app integrations vs Make's 1,500+ (more apps, higher cost)
| Metric | Zapier | Make | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised Price | $29.99/mo | $10.59/mo | Make |
| True Monthly Cost | $171/mo | $36/mo | Make |
| Hidden Fee Total | +$141/mo | +$25/mo | Make |
| # Hidden Fees | 4 | 2 | Make |
| Confidence Score | 85% | 82% | Zapier |
| Pricing Tiers | 4 | 3 | — |
| Affiliate Program | No public program (enterprise only) | 30% recurring for 12 months | — |
Try the tool that fits your needs. Both offer free trials or free tiers.
Zapier advertises $29.99/mo and Make advertises $10.59/mo. However, when you include hidden fees, Zapier has 4 documented hidden fees adding +$141/mo, while Make has 2 hidden fees adding +$25/mo. Based on true cost, Make is typically 46% cheaper.
Zapier has 4 documented hidden fees: Premium App Paywall, Multi-Step Action Counting, Overage at 1.25x Base Cost, Agent & Chatbot Add-on Creep. These add approximately +$141/mo on top of the $29.99/mo advertised price.
Make has 2 documented hidden fees: Data Transfer Overage, Scenario Complexity Multiplier. These add approximately +$25/mo on top of the $10.59/mo advertised price.
Choose Zapier if: Non-technical users who need maximum app coverage and simple 2-step automations. Choose Make if: Power users running complex, high-volume workflows who want to save 40-60% vs Zapier. The right choice depends on your team size, usage volume, and which features you need most.
This comparison is based on manual research of official pricing pages, terms of service, and user reports. Zapier data has a 85% confidence score and Make has 82%. Prices were last verified in April 2026. For the most accurate estimate, enter your specific usage in our calculator.
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