Small Business · Automation

Make alternatives

Use Zapier when the needed app or a simpler linear route is the deciding factor. Consider n8n for a technical team wanting execution-based billing or self-hosting, and Power Automate for Microsoft-centered work. Make's credit price only helps if it supports and maintains the workflow you actually need.

Start with why you want to leave Make. Below are 4 options, with starting prices, free-plan details and the differences to check before switching. For reference, Make costs Free; Core $9/mo (annual, 10,000 credits); $10.59 monthly.

By Rio Vasil, founder & editor · Updated 2026-11-06 · Prices from vendor pages · How we research

Map a representative successful run and an error path before comparing units. Make credits, Zapier tasks and n8n executions count different things. The advertised quantity is not a common measure of business output, and AI actions can consume more than a basic step. Include ownership and maintenance in the decision.

Quick answer

Zapier: Easier linear trigger-and-action Zaps and the biggest catalogue (9,000+ apps), but priced per task: 2,000 tasks cost $49/mo on Professional (annual) vs $9 for 10,000 Make credits. Triggers and built-in Filter/Formatter steps don't use tasks. No EU-only data storage.
n8n: Bills per full workflow execution regardless of the number of steps, with unlimited users and workflows, and can be self-hosted. Better for technical teams running long workflows; less beginner-friendly.
Microsoft Power Automate: Per-user licence inside the Microsoft 365 world, adding desktop RPA (attended) and process mining. A natural fit if your business already runs on Microsoft; unattended bots cost $150/bot/mo.

At a glance

Make vs the alternatives: price and free plan

Tool	Starting price	Free plan	Main difference vs Make	Links
Make (current)	Free; Core $9/mo (annual, 10,000 credits); $10.59 monthly	Yes	Make's visual builder is worth considering for agencies and small-business owners comfortable mapping out a process.	Review
Zapier	Free (100 tasks/mo); Professional $19.99/mo (annual, 750 tasks), $29.99 monthly	Yes (100 tasks/mo, two-step Zaps)	Easier linear trigger-and-action Zaps and the biggest catalogue (9,000+ apps), but priced per task: 2,000 tasks cost $49/mo on Professional (annual) vs $9 for 10,000 Make credits. Triggers and built-in Filter/Formatter steps don't use tasks. No EU-only data storage.	Review · vs
n8n	Starter €20/mo billed annually (2.5K executions); Pro €50 (10K)	Self-hosted Community Edition (GitHub)	Bills per full workflow execution regardless of the number of steps, with unlimited users and workflows, and can be self-hosted. Better for technical teams running long workflows; less beginner-friendly.	Not reviewed yet
Microsoft Power Automate	Premium $15/user/mo paid yearly	30-day free trial	Per-user licence inside the Microsoft 365 world, adding desktop RPA (attended) and process mining. A natural fit if your business already runs on Microsoft; unattended bots cost $150/bot/mo.	Not reviewed yet
Notion (Business with AI)	Free; Business $20/seat/mo (annual)	Yes	Docs, wiki, projects and databases in one workspace; the Business plan adds Notion Agent, access to Custom Agents (credit-funded), AI Meeting Notes, Enterprise Search and SAML SSO.	Review · vs

Zapier prices from zapier.com/pricing (task-tier selector, USD), n8n from n8n.io/pricing (shown in EUR) and Power Automate from microsoft.com, all checked 2026-10-30. See the full Make vs Zapier comparison, Zapier alternatives and the AI stack cost calculator. USD before tax; "annual" is the per-month price when billed yearly. Prices change, so confirm on the vendor's page before you buy.

Reasons to switch

Why teams look for a Make alternative

We found these limits in Make's pricing, help and privacy pages. If they don't block your work, we wouldn't switch just for a longer feature list. You can read the full review.

Steeper learning curve than linear trigger-action tools; mapping data between modules takes practice (est.).
Smaller app catalogue than Zapier: 3,500+ apps vs Zapier's 9,000+.
Credits can be hard to predict: every module action counts, some AI features use more, and unused credits expire.
Free plan is tight: 2 active scenarios and a 15-minute minimum interval.
SSO, audit logs and 2FA enforcement are Enterprise-only.
EU zone isn't EU-only for AI: Maia and OpenAI models route to the US.

In our directory

The alternatives, one by one

Zapier

Free; Professional $19.99/mo (annual) at the entry task tier · Free plan: yes

Easier linear trigger-and-action Zaps and the biggest catalogue (9,000+ apps), but priced per task: 2,000 tasks cost $49/mo on Professional (annual) vs $9 for 10,000 Make credits. Triggers and built-in Filter/Formatter steps don't use tasks. No EU-only data storage.

Zapier's 9,000+ integrations make it a practical shortlist option for a small business trying to stop copying data between cloud apps. Every plan includes Tables, Forms, AI steps and an MCP layer alongside the core workflows. Check the successful actions in a normal month before paying: costs scale with tasks, which can make high-volume work a poor fit for a tight budget. There is also a residency limit to settle early. Zapier says it doesn't offer EU-only storage. We haven't tested it against every alternative, so this is a buying recommendation, not a claim that it is universally the easiest platform.

Largest app library we've seen claimed (9,000+), so most SMB tools are covered.
Genuinely usable free plan to learn the basics.

Zapier review →Make vs Zapier →Zapier alternatives →

Notion (Business with AI)

Free; Business $20/seat/mo (annual) · Free plan: yes

Notion Business makes most sense for a small agency, consultancy or startup already comfortable keeping documents, a wiki and projects together. At $20 per seat a month on annual billing, it includes AI Meeting Notes and Notion Agent rather than requiring separate purchases for those features. It could replace overlapping subscriptions if the team actually uses the workspace; that isn't a measured saving. Buying it solely for a notetaker or chat assistant is harder to justify. Budget time to build a useful structure, too. If EU data residency is required, the relevant option is Enterprise, not Business.

AI meeting notes, Notion Agent and search on Business; Custom Agent usage may need separate credits.
One workspace for docs, wiki, databases, forms and sites.

Notion (Business with AI) review →Make vs Notion (Business with AI) →Notion (Business with AI) alternatives →

Not reviewed yet: n8n, Microsoft Power Automate. Their prices in the table above come from their own pricing pages; a full review is on our list.

Buying checklist

How to choose a Make alternative

List the apps you need to connect and confirm each is supported
Compare pricing by task or run volume
Start with one workflow that saves hours every week
Price your real team size, not one seat: check seat minimums, annual-only prices and usage caps.

Add up a whole stack with the AI tool stack cost calculator.

Switching checklist

Migrating off Make

Keep the scenario mapping, connection inventory and failure records. Rebuild and inspect one safe route in the replacement, including a duplicate input and an unavailable destination. Don't run two live write paths without duplicate protection or switch off the old route before someone can recognize and recover a failed run.

Identify the records the business must retain, then export the relevant transcripts, contacts, brand assets, Zap history or invoices. Check the files rather than assume an export includes everything.
List the connections that must survive, such as the CRM, calendar, Slack or ledger. Confirm the actual supported action and plan in the new vendor's documentation.
Where practical, retain an approved parallel setup for at least one billing cycle before cancellation. Keep a single live write route so both tools do not create duplicate records or messages.
Check the new vendor's seat minimum, billing commitment and regional price. A monthly equivalent on a yearly contract is not a month-to-month cancellation option.
Review customer notice and consent when recording, a chatbot or the email-sending setup changes. Preserve the correct branding and recipient preferences during the move.
Cancel only after the required records and proposed workflow have been checked. Keep the cancellation confirmation screenshot as well as any renewal terms that still apply.
Inventory every Zap/scenario and mark which are business-critical.
Recreate critical flows first; compare task/credit burn for a week.
Update failure alerts (email/Slack) so broken syncs don't go quiet.

Also use the AI tool stack checklist and re-check prices on the price-change log before you renew the new tool.

FAQ

Make alternatives: common questions

What are the best alternatives to Make?

The closest alternatives we compare are Zapier, n8n, Microsoft Power Automate, plus Notion (Business with AI) in the same category. Choose the limit you need to fix first: the price, a missing feature, an integration or where the data lives.

Is there a free alternative to Make?

Yes. Zapier has a free plan or free tier, according to its pricing pages. Read the usage caps before moving your work; a free account is not necessarily a free replacement for your current plan.

How much does Make cost?

Free; Core $9/mo (annual, 10,000 credits); $10.59 monthly. Full plan details: Free $0 (1,000 credits/mo, 2 active scenarios). Core $9/mo billed annually ($10.59 monthly) for 10,000 credits; Pro $16/mo annually ($18.82 monthly); Teams $29/mo annually ($34.12 monthly); Enterprise custom. Prices rise with the monthly credit volume you choose (e.g. 40,000 credits: Core $29, Pro $53, Teams $99/mo annually). (review facts checked 2026-10-30; individual updates may be dated separately).

Why do people switch from Make?

The main limitations we found in Make's own documentation: Steeper learning curve than linear trigger-action tools; mapping data between modules takes practice (est.); Smaller app catalogue than Zapier: 3,500+ apps vs Zapier's 9,000+; Credits can be hard to predict: every module action counts, some AI features use more, and unused credits expire.

How did BizAI Weekly pick these Make alternatives?

We list tools that solve the same job for the same kind of buyer (small business), and compare them on starting price, free plan and the main functional difference. Prices come from each vendor's pricing page. We haven't run hands-on tests yet, and no vendor pays to be listed or ranked.