Make vs Zapier: which is right for your business?
Choose Make if you want a visual canvas for multi-step automations with branching, loops and data transformation, at a lower cost per action for busy workflows. Choose Zapier if you want the simplest builder, the largest catalogue of ready-made connectors, and tools like Tables, Forms and Agents in one place. Make suits people who think in flowcharts and are willing to learn its logic; Zapier suits teams that want automations running quickly. Make lets you choose EU or US hosting, while Zapier is hosted in the United States; neither offers Australian hosting.
Last reviewed October 2026
Side-by-side comparison
| Make | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Best at | Visual, multi-branch scenarios that reshape data between apps. | Fast, simple automations across a very wide range of business apps. |
| Builder style | Drag-and-drop canvas with routers, iterators, aggregators and error handlers. | Step-by-step editor, with paths for branching and Canvas for mapping processes. |
| Plan structure | Free plan, a paid individual plan, Teams and Enterprise, all billed by monthly credits. | Free plan, Professional, Team and Enterprise, billed by monthly tasks. |
| Billing unit | Credits, with most module actions using one credit and some AI features using more. | Tasks, counted for each successful action step. |
| Integrations | Several thousand apps plus HTTP and webhook modules for others. | A larger catalogue of ready-made connectors, plus webhooks and Zapier MCP. |
| AI features | Maia assistant for building scenarios, AI agents and AI app modules; custom model keys on higher plans. | Zapier Agents, Copilot for building Zaps, Chatbots and AI steps. |
| Hosting regions | EU or US hosting on AWS, chosen when you set up the organisation. | United States only. |
| Team and admin controls | Teams adds roles and shared scenarios; Enterprise adds SSO, audit logs and enhanced support. | Team adds shared workspaces; Enterprise adds SAML SSO, SCIM, audit logs and data retention controls. |
| Learning curve | Moderate; data mapping and iterators take practice. | Low; designed for non-technical users. |
Choose Make if…
- →Your workflows branch, loop over lists or transform data between apps
- →You run high volumes and want more actions for the money
- →You prefer to see the whole process laid out visually
- →You want EU hosting rather than US hosting
Choose Zapier if…
- →Staff with no technical background will build their own automations
- →You use niche apps that only Zapier connects to out of the box
- →You want tables, forms and agents in the same product as your automations
- →You need SCIM provisioning and custom data retention for a larger team
For Australian businesses
Neither Make nor Zapier offers Australian hosting, so personal information passing through automations is disclosed overseas and APP 8 of the Privacy Act 1988 applies. Make lets you choose an EU or US zone when you create the organisation, and moving zones later is not automatic. Mention overseas processing in your privacy policy, minimise the personal data passed between apps, and avoid routing health or financial records through either tool without a risk assessment. Both bill in US dollars, so exchange rates affect monthly costs.
Our verdict
Zapier is the better starting point for small teams that want automations running today with minimal learning, and its connector catalogue covers more niche apps. Make is the better value once workflows become complex or high volume, and its visual canvas makes branching logic easier to follow. Many Australian businesses start on Zapier and move heavier workflows to Make as they grow. If data must stay onshore, consider a self-hosted option such as n8n instead.
Full reviews
Make
Free plan + paidAutomation
A visual automation platform, formerly Integromat, where workflows called scenarios are built on a drag-and-drop canvas. It handles branching, iteration and error routes across a large library of apps, and adds AI agents and AI modules that can reason over data within a scenario. Make is owned by process mining company Celonis.
Best for: Operations teams building complex multi-step workflows without code
Make review →Zapier
Free plan + paidAutomation
A no-code automation platform that links a large catalogue of web apps through workflows called Zaps. Beyond triggers and actions it now offers AI agents, chatbots, Tables for storing data, Interfaces for simple forms and pages, and an MCP server that lets AI assistants run Zapier actions.
Best for: Small businesses automating admin without developers
Zapier review →
Frequently asked questions
Is Make cheaper than Zapier?
Often, for multi-step or high-volume workflows, because Make's credits usually cost less per action than Zapier's tasks. For a handful of simple two-step automations the difference is small, and Zapier's quicker setup may save more staff time than Make saves in fees.
Can I migrate my Zaps to Make?
There is no one-click import. You rebuild each Zap as a Make scenario, which is a good chance to combine related automations. Test each one with sample data and run both in parallel briefly before switching off the Zap.
Where does Make store my data?
Make hosts on AWS in either the EU or North America, and you choose the zone when setting up your organisation. Neither zone is in Australia, so treat automation data as an overseas disclosure under the Australian Privacy Principles.
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Still deciding?
AI Lab Australia can trial both tools against your own documents and workflows, and set up the one that fits with the right privacy controls.