AI & Automation
Zapier vs Make for Small Business: Pricing Compared
For a small local business with a handful of simple automations, Zapier is the easier tool to price and set up, while Make is built around a credit allowance that rewards people willing to build more complex flows. On Zapier's pricing page, checked on 2026-10-24, the free plan includes 100 tasks a month and the Pro plan starts at $19.99 a month for 750 tasks on annual billing. Make's free plan includes 1,000 credits a month.
One gap needs stating up front. Make's pricing page loaded on 2026-10-24 without any dollar figures for its paid plans (Core, Pro, Teams), so this article does not quote them. Check the plan selector on make.com before buying.
100→
Zapier free tasks per month
Zapier pricing, checked 2026-10-24
$19.99→
Zapier Pro from, per month (annual billing)
Zapier pricing, checked 2026-10-24
750→
Zapier tasks in the cheapest paid tier
Zapier pricing, checked 2026-10-24
1,000→
Make free credits per month
Make pricing, checked 2026-10-24
Estimates for illustration; actual numbers vary.
How Do Zapier and Make Charge for Usage?
Zapier bills in tasks. A task is used when Zapier successfully completes a unit of work, and failed actions are not counted. Triggers, polling and built-in tools such as Filter, Paths, Delay and Formatter do not use tasks. Some actions cost more than one task depending on the step type and AI model, so heavy AI steps can eat the allowance faster.
Make bills in credits. Its pricing page says most actions use 1 credit, while some advanced features that use Make's AI provider may use more. Credits are the unit across all plans, which makes the two tools look similar on paper but behave differently once a flow has many steps.
What Does Each Plan Include?
Figures below are from each vendor's pricing page on 2026-10-24. Zapier lists prices in USD per month.
| Zapier | Make | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps only, 15-minute polling, 1 seat | 1,000 credits a month |
| Cheapest paid tier | Pro, 750 tasks: $19.99 a month annual, $29.99 monthly | Core: price not shown on the page |
| Next tier up | 2,000 tasks: $49 annual, $73.50 monthly | Not shown |
| 10,000 tasks | $129 annual, $193.50 monthly | Not shown |
| Multi-step flows | Pro and above | Not verified |
| Polling speed | 2 minutes on Pro, 1 minute on Team | Not verified |
| When the allowance runs out | Stops, or bills overage if pay-per-task is on | Scenarios stop until credits are added |
| Discount for small firms | Not shown | Start-up Plan for under 20 employees, 50% off, as the page words it |
Zapier's annual prices are the headline numbers. The monthly-billed price for the same 750-task tier is $10 higher, so ask yourself whether you will still use the tool in twelve months before choosing monthly.
What Happens When You Hit the Limit?
Zapier lets you choose. With pay-per-task enabled, usage continues and extra tasks are billed at an overage rate: 2.5 times the base rate on monthly plans and 1.25 times on annual plans. Even then, usage stops at 3 times your task subscription until the next cycle. With pay-per-task off, automations stop at the limit.
Make's page says that when credits run out, scenarios stop running until credits are added. You can upgrade, buy extra credits in bundles of 1,000 or 10,000, or turn on auto-purchase of 10,000 credits on Core, Pro and Teams. Unused credits expire at the end of the term, so a bigger plan only pays off if you use it.
Which Is Easier for a Non-Technical Owner?
This article only covers what the vendor pages state, so treat the following as a prompt for your own trial rather than a verdict. Both tools have free entry points, so build the same simple flow in each before paying. Our guides to Zapier for small business and Make.com workflows for local businesses show what typical flows look like in each tool.
Zapier's free plan limits you to two-step Zaps, meaning one trigger and one action. Most real flows (a form arrives, the lead goes into a sheet, an email goes out, a text goes to the owner) need more steps, so a business running anything useful will end up on a paid plan. Make's page does not state a multi-step restriction on the free plan.
The Math: A Lead-Handling Flow
All inputs below are assumptions, not benchmarks. A cafe or salon receives enquiries through a web form and wants each one added to a spreadsheet, answered with an email and flagged to the owner by message.
- Enquiries a month: 120 (assumption)
- Actions per enquiry: 3, namely add row, send email, notify owner (assumption)
- Zapier tasks used: 120 x 3 = 360 a month, because the trigger does not count
- Make credits used: about 360 if each action uses 1 credit, which is the page's description for most actions. Whether the trigger or a scheduled check also uses credits was not confirmed from the page, so verify it in Make's help centre.
On Zapier, 360 tasks exceeds the free 100, so the flow needs Pro at 750 tasks: $19.99 a month on annual billing, about $240 a year, or $29.99 a month if billed monthly. On Make, 360 credits sits under the free 1,000 allowance if the counting assumption holds, which would cost nothing. That is the main reason to try Make first when the budget is zero. Because Make's paid prices were not visible, do not extend this comparison above the free tier.
Do This Today
Write your most common flow as a numbered list of actions, count the actions per run, then multiply by your monthly volume. That number tells you which plan tier you are in before you open either pricing page.
Who Should Pick Which?
Use these rules, based on the figures above:
- If your whole automation budget is zero and your volume is under about 1,000 actions a month, start on Make's free plan and confirm how it counts credits.
- If you want the simplest pricing with a clear ladder from 750 to 10,000 tasks, pick Zapier and budget $19.99 a month on annual billing.
- If your flows need a response in under 15 minutes, Zapier's free polling interval is too slow, and Pro polls every 2 minutes.
- If you have fewer than 20 employees, check Make's Start-up Plan before paying list price.
- If you use AI steps heavily, read both vendors' usage rules first, because AI steps can cost more than 1 task or credit.
For a wider look at what automation can do around reviews and bookings, see our Make.com for small businesses cost breakdown and guide to automating Instagram posting.
FAQ
Is Zapier free for small businesses?
Yes, up to a point. The free plan includes 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps, with 15-minute polling and one seat. Anything with more steps or volume needs a paid plan.
Does Make have a free plan?
Yes. Make's page says the Free plan includes 1,000 credits a month, 1 MB of data storage and 1 data store.
How much does Make cost per month?
The pricing page checked on 2026-10-24 showed no dollar figures for paid plans, so this article does not state one. The page says annual payment in advance is cheaper than monthly.
Do failed automations use up my Zapier tasks?
No. Zapier states that failed actions are not counted as tasks.
What happens if I run out of tasks or credits?
On Zapier, automations stop unless pay-per-task is on, in which case extra tasks are billed at overage rates. On Make, scenarios stop until you add credits.
Sources
- Zapier: Pricing (plans, task limits, overage rules; checked 2026-10-24)
- Make: Pricing (free plan, credit rules, start-up plan; no paid-plan dollar prices shown; checked 2026-10-24)
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Nataliia
Local marketing strategist with 10+ years at global agencies — OMD, Dentsu, GroupM, and BBDO. Now helping small businesses get the same data-driven edge. Based in Europe, working with clients in the US, UK, Australia, and beyond.
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