Alternatives · Automation
The best Zapier alternatives in 2026
Zapier's bill grows with every task you run, and its free plan stops at two-step Zaps. These three alternatives count the work differently, and one of them can run on your own server.
Updated Oct 4, 2026 · 3 tools · How we pick
People usually leave Zapier over cost and plan limits rather than missing features. It bills by the task, so the price rises with volume: Professional runs from $19.99 a month for 750 tasks to $3,389 a month for 2 million, billed annually. Tasks beyond the plan limit are charged at 1.25x the base rate on annual plans and 2.5x on monthly ones.
The lower plans are tight in other ways too. The Free plan allows 100 tasks a month, only two-step Zaps, and checks for new data every 15 minutes. Free and Professional each cover a single user, so sharing workflows with colleagues means moving to the Team plan, from $69 a month billed annually.
What you give up by leaving is reach: Zapier connects more than 9,000 apps, and none of the three alternatives here lists as many. What you gain is a different way of counting the work. Make bills by credits, n8n by whole workflow runs, and IFTTT by the number of automations rather than how often they run. Check that your apps are covered, then pick the pricing model that fits your workload.
Replacing Zapier?Workflow automation across 9,000+ apps, with AI agents. Free plan · from $19.99/mo.
Zapier detailsThe shortlist
The picks in detail
- 01
Make
Best all-round replacementVisual automation builder for multi-step scenarios and AI agentsMake is the closest like-for-like swap: a hosted builder for multi-step workflows, laid out on a visual canvas with routers and filters, with more than 3,000 apps. Its paid plan starts at $9 a month billed annually for 5,000 credits, against Zapier's $19.99 for 750 tasks, and it includes teams and roles, where Zapier needs its Team plan before colleagues can share workflows. The Free plan has no time limit and covers 1,000 credits a month.
Worth knowing: Make is still metered: credits expire at the end of each term, extra credits cost 25% more, the Free plan allows only 2 active scenarios, and the app list is shorter than Zapier's.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $9 / month, billed annually, for 5,000 credits
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- 02
n8n
Best for long workflows and self-hostingWorkflow automation and AI agents you can self-hostn8n changes the unit that drives a Zapier bill. It charges per execution, and one run of a whole workflow counts once however many steps it has, so adding steps does not add to the count. It is also the only option here you can host yourself: the Community Edition is free with almost the complete feature set. On n8n Cloud, Starter is €20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions, with unlimited steps per workflow.
Worth knowing: n8n cites 500-plus integrations against Zapier's 9,000-plus apps, n8n Cloud has no free plan and is priced in euros, and the free Community Edition has to be run and maintained by you.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from €20 / month, billed annually, for 2,500 executions (n8n Cloud Starter)
- Runs on
- Web
- 03
IFTTT
Best for simple automations at a flat priceSimple trigger-and-action automations for apps and smart devicesIf your Zaps are simple trigger-and-action pairs, IFTTT prices them very differently: plans are per account and limited by the number of Applets, not by how often they run. Free allows 2 Applets with unlimited runs. Pro is $2.99 a month billed annually for 20 Applets, with multi-action Applets and Webhooks, and Pro+ is $8.99 a month billed annually for unlimited Applets. Its services include smart-home brands such as Philips Hue and Ring.
Worth knowing: Free stops at 2 Applets and Pro at 20, queries and filter code need Pro+, and IFTTT lists more than 1,000 services against Zapier's 9,000-plus apps.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $2.99 / month, billed annually ($35.88 per year)
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
How to choose
Find what is driving your Zapier bill
If the cost comes from workflows with many steps, n8n counts a whole run as one execution. If it comes from simple automations that fire constantly, IFTTT does not meter runs at all. If you want the same kind of hosted, multi-step builder at a lower entry price, Make starts at $9 a month billed annually for 5,000 credits, and most module actions use 1 credit.
Check your apps before you move
Zapier connects more than 9,000 apps. Make lists more than 3,000, IFTTT more than 1,000 services and n8n cites 500-plus integrations. n8n can reach other services through custom API connections, and IFTTT's paid plans can through Webhooks, but an app that only Zapier supports is a good reason to stay.
Decide whether you can run it yourself
n8n's Community Edition is free to self-host with Docker and has almost the complete feature set, but you maintain it, and it leaves out SSO and workflow sharing. If nobody on the team wants to look after a server, Make and IFTTT are hosted services, and n8n Cloud starts at €20 a month billed annually.
Count the people who need access
Zapier's Free and Professional plans include one user, and its Team plan covers 25 from $69 a month billed annually. Make's $9 plan includes teams and roles. n8n Cloud's Starter plan has 1 shared project and Pro has 3. IFTTT's plans are priced per account.
Common questions
Is there a free alternative to Zapier?
Yes. Make has a free plan with no time limit: 1,000 credits a month and 2 active scenarios. IFTTT's free plan allows 2 Applets with unlimited runs. n8n's Community Edition is free if you host it yourself; n8n Cloud offers a 14-day trial, capped at 1,000 executions, in place of a free plan.
What costs less than Zapier?
Zapier Professional starts at $19.99 a month billed annually for 750 tasks. Make's paid plan starts at $9 a month billed annually for 5,000 credits, and IFTTT Pro is $2.99 a month billed annually for 20 Applets. n8n Cloud starts at €20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions, a price listed in euros.
Can I self-host a Zapier alternative?
n8n is the one to look at. It runs on your own infrastructure with Docker, and the Community Edition is free. That edition leaves out SSO, projects, environments, Git version control and workflow sharing; the paid Business and Enterprise plans add SSO, environments and Git version control.
Do Zapier alternatives connect as many apps?
No. Zapier connects more than 9,000 apps. Make lists more than 3,000, IFTTT more than 1,000 services and n8n cites 500-plus integrations, though n8n can reach other services through custom API connections.
Does Make charge per task like Zapier?
Make bills by credits rather than tasks. Most module actions use 1 credit, the paid plan starts at 5,000 credits a month, and extra credits are sold in bundles of 1,000 or 10,000 at 25% more than plan credits. Credits expire at the end of each term.
Keep reading
- Best of
The best automation tools in 2026
Four ways to connect your apps and automate the steps between them, from a service that links more than 9,000 apps to one you can run on your own server. Each pick says who it suits, how it bills and where the free plan stops.
4 tools · Updated October 2026