Make bills a credit for every module that runs, Zapier a task for every action step. On official prices checked in October 2026, Make Core starts at $9 a month billed annually for 10,000 credits and Zapier Professional at $19.99 for 750 tasks. Make is usually cheaper for multi-step work; Zapier connects more apps and is simpler to start.
- Make bills a credit for each module that runs, the trigger included. Zapier bills a task for each successful action step and does not count triggers.
- Make Core starts at $9 a month billed annually for 10,000 credits. Zapier Professional starts at $19.99 a month billed annually for 750 tasks.
- For the same five-step workflow run 300 times a month, Make Core covers it and Zapier needs its $39.00 plan billed annually.
- Zapier lists more than 9,000 apps and Make more than 3,500. Check your apps before price.
Make vs Zapier: the short answer
| Question | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Credit: each module that runs | Task: each successful action step |
| Free plan | 1,000 credits a month, 2 active scenarios | 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps |
| Cheapest paid plan | Core: $9 a month billed annually | Professional: $19.99 a month billed annually |
| Apps listed | More than 3,500 | More than 9,000 |
| AI agents | Make AI Agents, in beta, on every plan | Zapier Agents, a separate product |
| Best for | Multi-step workflows on a small budget | Quick automations across many apps |
Prices come from Make and Zapier, checked on 22 October 2026.
Make vs Zapier pricing in 2026
Make plans, at 10,000 credits a month
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 1,000 credits, 2 active scenarios, 15-minute schedules |
| Core | $9 a month | $10.59 a month | Unlimited scenarios, 1-minute schedules, Make API |
| Pro | $16 a month | $18.82 a month | Priority execution, custom variables, full-text log search |
| Teams | $29 a month | $34.12 a month | Teams and roles, shared templates |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Contact sales | Custom |
Make prices each paid plan by the number of credits you choose; the figures above are for 10,000. Make says annual billing saves 15%. Extra credits come in bundles of 1,000 or 10,000, and unused credits expire at the end of the term.
Zapier plans
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Tasks each month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 100, two-step Zaps only |
| Professional | $19.99 a month | $29.99 a month | 750 |
| Professional | $39.00 a month | $58.50 a month | 1,500 |
| Team | $69.00 a month | $103.50 a month | 2,000 |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Contact sales | Custom |
Past your allowance, extra Zapier tasks cost 1.25 times your plan's task rate on annual billing and 2.5 times on monthly billing.
How Make credits and Zapier tasks are counted
| What runs | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | One credit per check | Free |
| Each action step | One credit | One task |
| Branching | Routers and error handlers are free | Paths and Filter steps are free |
| Some AI steps | More than one credit | More than one task |
| Custom code | Make Code: 2 credits per second | Not compared here |
The trigger row matters most. Make's help centre counts a trigger as one operation per check. A scenario scheduled every 15 minutes checks 2,880 times in a 30-day month, more than the 1,000 credits on the Free plan.
Where the app offers an instant trigger, one that fires when something happens, use it.
What the same workflow costs on each
The workflow: a new form entry triggers four actions. It creates a CRM contact, adds a row to a sheet, sends an email and posts a team message. It runs 300 times a month, with an instant trigger.
| Line | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| What is counted | 1,500 credits (trigger plus 4 modules) | 1,200 tasks (4 actions) |
| Plan that covers it | Core, 10,000 credits | Professional, 1,500 tasks |
| Billed annually | $9 a month | $39.00 a month |
| Billed monthly | $10.59 a month | $58.50 a month |
At this size Make Core has room to spare: 10,000 credits cover the same workflow up to 2,000 runs a month. For very small jobs both are free: a two-step Zap that runs up to 100 times a month fits Zapier Free, and Make Free includes 1,000 credits.
Building with AI models? AIGROW API credit runs Claude, GPT and Grok models up to 75% below list price.
AI agents: Make vs Zapier
| Feature | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Agents | Make AI Agents, in beta, on all plans | Zapier Agents, a separate product |
| How agents are billed | Credits; some AI features use more | Activities: 400 a month free |
| Build by chat | Maia builds automations and agents | Copilot, unlimited on paid plans |
| MCP | Make MCP server | Zapier MCP, 2 tasks per tool call |
| AI steps in workflows | AI features, billed in credits | AI by Zapier, on Professional and up |
Zapier Agents with 1,500 activities a month cost from about $33.33 a month billed annually, on top of your Zapier plan. Make bills its agents in the same credits as the rest of your scenarios, and lets you use Make's AI provider or your own model key.
Pick Make when you want the agent inside a scenario you can see module by module. Pick Zapier when a non-technical person should set up an agent by describing the job.
Which one to pick
| If you | Pick |
|---|---|
| Run long workflows on a small budget | Make |
| Use niche apps | Zapier, for the larger catalogue |
| Want a non-technical teammate to build alone | Zapier |
| Must keep data on your own servers | Neither: look at n8n |
For self-hosting and per-run billing, read n8n vs Zapier. For four tools priced side by side, see cheaper Zapier alternatives.
If you would rather not build and maintain workflows at all, AIGROW's ready solutions are pre-built systems set up on your own tools, and AI operations puts agents in charge of a whole function, such as the support inbox or invoice reminders.
Sources
Official pages checked on 22 October 2026:
Prices change. Check the vendor's page before you buy.
The newest Claude, GPT and Grok models, up to 75% below list price
One API key for Claude, GPT and Grok models. It works with the OpenAI and Anthropic SDKs and with Claude Code.
Each model’s rate through AIGROW credit sits beside its maker’s list price, never above it.
Frequently Asked Questions
