Make

Make (formerly Integromat) is a powerful visual workflow automation platform that allows teams to design, build, and automate complex business processes by connecting applications, transforming data, and orchestrating multi-step workflows — all without writing code. Known for its flexible visual editor and superior data transformation capabilities, Make is the automation platform of choice for teams that need more power and precision than simpler tools like Zapier can offer.

What Is Make?

Make was originally launched as Integromat in 2012 by Celonis (later becoming an independent company) and rebranded as Make in 2022. While it shares the same basic concept as Zapier — connecting apps through automated workflows — Make took a fundamentally different approach: instead of a simple linear trigger-action chain, Make uses a visual “scenario” editor showing modules (apps) connected by routes, with data flowing visually between them like a flowchart.

This visual approach, combined with Make’s exceptionally powerful built-in data transformation tools, makes it far more capable for complex workflows that require data manipulation, conditional routing, error handling, and multi-branch logic. While Zapier prioritizes simplicity, Make prioritizes power — and its pricing model (based on operations rather than tasks) often makes it significantly cheaper than Zapier for equivalent automation needs.

By 2026, Make has expanded to support over 1,500 app integrations, introduced AI modules for OpenAI and Anthropic integration, added a no-code web app builder (Make Portals), and enhanced its enterprise security features. It’s particularly popular in Europe, with agencies, RevOps teams, and technical operations professionals who need sophisticated automation at competitive pricing.

Key Features of Make

• Visual Scenario Builder: A canvas-based editor where you add and connect app modules visually, seeing data flow between them in real time during testing — intuitive for complex multi-branch workflows.
• 1,500+ App Integrations: Comprehensive coverage of business apps including Google Workspace, Slack, Airtable, HubSpot, Salesforce, Shopify, GitHub, Jira, and hundreds more.
• Advanced Data Transformation: Built-in functions for text manipulation, date formatting, math operations, array processing, JSON parsing, and complex conditional logic — far more powerful than Zapier’s Formatter.
• Routers and Conditional Paths: Split a single workflow into multiple parallel branches based on data conditions, sending different data to different apps simultaneously.
• Iterator and Aggregator: Process arrays of items (e.g., iterate through each row in a spreadsheet, each product in an order) and aggregate multiple items back into a single data structure.
• Error Handling: Built-in error handling routes that catch failures and route them to notification or recovery workflows — essential for production-grade automation.
• Webhooks and HTTP Modules: Create custom webhooks and make HTTP requests to any API, enabling integration with services that don’t have native Make modules.
• AI Modules: Native integration with OpenAI GPT, Anthropic Claude, and other AI services for adding AI capabilities (text generation, classification, analysis) directly into scenarios.
• Make Portals (No-Code Apps): Build simple web applications and forms that trigger and interact with Make scenarios, enabling end-to-end automation from user input to processing to output.
• Data Stores: Built-in key-value database for storing data between scenario runs — useful for tracking state, counters, processed item IDs, and workflow history.

Who Should Use Make?

Make is ideal for technically-inclined users who need automation power beyond what simpler tools provide:

• Operations and RevOps Professionals: Build sophisticated lead enrichment, CRM automation, and reporting workflows that require complex data transformation between multiple systems.
• Marketing Automation Specialists: Create complex conditional campaign workflows that route leads, personalize communications, and update multiple systems based on behavioral triggers.
• Agencies and Freelance Automators: Build reusable scenario templates for clients, manage automation across multiple client accounts, and offer higher-value automation services.
• E-Commerce Operations: Automate complex order processing, inventory management, fulfillment notifications, and multi-warehouse routing workflows.
• Technical Teams Without Developer Resources: Build complex integrations and data pipelines without full development resources, using Make’s advanced transformation capabilities.
• Zapier Switchers: Teams that have outgrown Zapier’s pricing or hit its data transformation limitations often migrate to Make for better value and capabilities.

Best Use Cases for Make

• Complex lead processing with data enrichment, scoring, and multi-system routing
• E-commerce order processing and fulfillment automation
• Multi-step data transformation and ETL between databases and apps
• AI-powered content workflows: generate, review, and publish across platforms
• CRM automation with complex conditional branching and enrichment
• Custom API integrations using HTTP modules for apps without native connectors
• Reporting automation: collect data from multiple sources, transform, and deliver

Make Pricing

• Free Plan: 1,000 operations/month, 2 active scenarios — enough to test Make and run simple automations.
• Core Plan ($9/month): 10,000 operations/month, unlimited scenarios, all integrations — excellent entry-level value.
• Pro Plan ($16/month): 10,000 operations/month (expandable), advanced tools including custom variables, full-text execution logs, and priority customer support.
• Teams Plan ($29/month): 10,000 operations/month, team collaboration, multiple user access, team templates.
• Enterprise (Custom): Custom operation limits, SSO, SAML, dedicated account management, SLA guarantees, and on-premise options.

Note: Additional operations can be purchased beyond plan limits at reasonable per-operation rates — making Make significantly more cost-effective than Zapier for high-volume automation.

Pros and Cons of Make

Pros

• Significantly more affordable than Zapier at equivalent automation volumes
• Most powerful data transformation capabilities of any no-code automation platform
• Visual scenario editor makes complex workflows easier to understand and debug
• Advanced error handling for robust, production-grade automation
• Iterator/Aggregator for processing arrays and batch data operations
• Data Stores for stateful automation without needing an external database
• Native AI module integration for OpenAI and Anthropic

Cons

• Steeper learning curve than Zapier — not ideal for complete beginners
• Fewer integrations than Zapier (1,500 vs. 7,000+)
• Some advanced features require a higher plan (Pro or Teams)
• Customer support response time can be slower on lower plans
• Complex scenarios can become visually cluttered and hard to maintain

How to Get Started with Make

1. Visit make.com and create a free account — no credit card required.
2. Click Create a new scenario to open the visual editor.
3. Click the large + circle to add your first module and search for your trigger app.
4. Connect your account, configure the trigger event, and run the module to fetch sample data.
5. Add additional modules by clicking the right edge of the previous module and searching for your target action app — connect and configure each step.
6. Test the full scenario, review the data flow at each step, activate it, and set the schedule or webhook trigger for continuous automation.

Make Alternatives

For non-technical users who prioritize simplicity, Zapier remains the easiest automation tool despite higher costs. For developers who want open-source automation with code capabilities, n8n offers a self-hosted option with AI agent support. For simple task automation without complex workflows, Pabbly Connect and Activepieces are budget alternatives. Make hits the sweet spot between power and accessibility for technically-inclined users who want professional-grade automation at reasonable prices.

Frequently Asked Questions About Make

What’s the difference between an “operation” in Make vs. a “task” in Zapier?

An “operation” in Make counts each time a module processes data. A scenario with a trigger and two action modules consumes 3 operations per run (1 for trigger, 2 for actions). A Zapier “task” only counts successful action executions (not the trigger). In practice, Make’s operation counting can make scenarios appear more expensive per run, but Make’s much lower per-operation cost and higher operation allowances at each price tier typically result in significantly lower total costs for equivalent automation volume.

Can Make replace Zapier for most business use cases?

Yes, for most common business automation use cases. Make’s 1,500+ integrations cover the majority of popular business applications, and its data transformation power exceeds Zapier’s in most scenarios. The primary gaps are in very niche, long-tail app integrations where Zapier’s 7,000+ library has coverage that Make doesn’t — but for standard business automation around CRM, email, project management, and e-commerce, Make is fully capable and significantly more cost-effective.

Is Make harder to use than Zapier?

Make has a steeper initial learning curve than Zapier — the visual canvas editor takes some getting used to, and concepts like Iterators, Aggregators, and Data Stores don’t exist in Zapier’s simpler model. However, most users find that after a few hours of practice, Make’s visual approach actually becomes more intuitive for complex workflows than Zapier’s linear list view. Make’s official tutorials and the active community make the learning curve manageable.

Does Make support AI automation?

Yes. Make has native modules for OpenAI (GPT-4, DALL-E, Whisper), Anthropic Claude, Google AI, and other AI services. You can add AI steps to any scenario to summarize text, generate content, classify data, extract structured information from unstructured text, or make decisions — all within the visual workflow. This makes Make an excellent platform for building AI-enhanced business automation without requiring coding skills.

Related AI Tools

• Zapier — Simpler no-code automation with 7,000+ integrations
• n8n — Open-source automation with AI agent capabilities and self-hosting
• Notion AI — AI-powered workspace that integrates with Make scenarios
• Airtable — Flexible database platform that works well with Make workflows

Final Verdict

Make is arguably the best automation platform available for technically-inclined users who need professional-grade workflow automation without paying Zapier’s premium prices. Its combination of powerful data transformation, visual scenario building, advanced conditional logic, and competitive pricing makes it the preferred choice for operations professionals, RevOps teams, and automation specialists. If you’re currently paying substantial amounts for Zapier and hitting its data transformation limitations, Make is almost certainly the right tool to migrate to — and your automation capabilities will expand significantly in the process.