Best of · Automation
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.
Updated Oct 4, 2026 · 4 tools · How we pick
All four tools here do the same basic job: when something happens in one app, they do something in another. What separates them first is how they count the work, because that decides what you pay. Zapier bills by tasks, Make by credits, n8n by workflow executions, and IFTTT by how many automations you keep, however often they run.
The second difference is reach. 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 makes up for the shorter list in other ways: it is the only one of the four you can run on your own server, and it lets you write JavaScript or Python in any step.
Three of the four have a hosted free plan, each capped differently: 100 tasks a month on Zapier, 1,000 credits and 2 active scenarios on Make, and 2 Applets on IFTTT. n8n's free option is an edition you host yourself. The order below runs from the tool that fits the most people to the one that suits a narrower, more technical group. Prices are the vendors' own, read on the date shown on each tool's page.
The shortlist
The picks in detail
- 01
Zapier
Best for connecting the most appsWorkflow automation across 9,000+ apps, with AI agentsZapier connects more than 9,000 apps, the widest reach of the four, which makes it the safe choice when your stack includes less common tools. The Free plan gives one user 100 tasks a month on two-step Zaps, with unlimited Tables and Forms. Professional starts at $19.99 a month billed annually for 750 tasks and adds multi-step Zaps, filters, paths and webhooks. Triggers and built-in data tools do not count as tasks.
Worth knowing: Cost climbs with volume, tasks over the plan limit are billed at 1.25x on annual plans and 2.5x on monthly ones, and sharing Zaps with colleagues needs the Team plan.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $19.99 / month, billed annually, for 750 tasks ($29.99 billed monthly)
- Runs on
- Web, Browser extension
- 02
Make
Best for multi-step visual workflowsVisual automation builder for multi-step scenarios and AI agentsMake lays a workflow out on a canvas: app modules linked by routers and filters, so you can see where a scenario branches. It lists more than 3,000 apps. The paid plan starts at $9 a month billed annually for 5,000 credits and includes unlimited active scenarios, a 1-minute minimum interval between runs, and teams with roles. The Free plan has no time limit and covers 1,000 credits a month.
Worth knowing: The Free plan allows only 2 active scenarios with at least 15 minutes between runs, credits expire at the end of each term, and extra credits cost 25% more than those in the plan.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $9 / month, billed annually, for 5,000 credits
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- 03
IFTTT
Best for smart-home and personal useSimple trigger-and-action automations for apps and smart devicesIFTTT keeps automation to its simplest form: an Applet links a trigger in one service to an action in another, and you can switch on a published Applet instead of building your own. Its 1,000-plus services include smart-home brands such as Philips Hue, Ring and LIFX, and the iOS and Android apps add device triggers such as location. Plans are priced per account, not per run: Free allows 2 Applets with unlimited runs, and Pro allows 20 for $2.99 a month billed annually.
Worth knowing: Applets with several actions and Webhooks need Pro, filter code and AI services need Pro+ at $8.99 a month billed annually, and IFTTT's terms say it gives no refunds.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $2.99 / month, billed annually ($35.88 per year)
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- 04
n8n
Best for self-hosting and codeWorkflow automation and AI agents you can self-hostn8n is the only tool here you can run on your own infrastructure: the self-hosted Community Edition is free and has almost the complete feature set. Workflows are built on a canvas, with JavaScript or Python available in any step. n8n bills by execution, and one run of a whole workflow counts once however many steps it has. On n8n Cloud, Starter is €20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions.
Worth knowing: n8n Cloud has no free plan, only a 14-day trial, its prices are listed in euros, and the free Community Edition is yours to run and maintain, without SSO or workflow sharing.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from €20 / month, billed annually, for 2,500 executions (n8n Cloud Starter)
- Runs on
- Web
How to choose
Work out how you will be billed
Zapier counts a task each time a Zap completes a unit of work, and Make spends a credit on most module actions, so long workflows that run often use up both. n8n counts one execution per run of a whole workflow, however many steps it has. IFTTT does not meter runs at all: its plans limit how many Applets you have, 2 on Free, 20 on Pro and unlimited on Pro+.
Check that your apps are covered
Zapier connects more than 9,000 apps, Make more than 3,000 and IFTTT more than 1,000 services, smart-home brands included. n8n cites 500-plus integrations and reaches other services through custom API connections; IFTTT's paid plans do the same with Webhooks. If one tool in your stack is obscure, look it up in each vendor's directory before you commit.
Match the tool to how complex the job is
For one trigger and one action, IFTTT is enough. Zapier's Free plan stops at two-step Zaps; multi-step Zaps with filters and paths start on Professional. Make is built for scenarios that branch, with routers and filters on a canvas. n8n adds JavaScript or Python in any step and AI agents whose reasoning can be inspected step by step.
Decide who runs it and who shares it
n8n can be hosted by n8n or run on your own servers, where the Community Edition is free but leaves out SSO and workflow sharing. For teams, Zapier's Free and Professional plans cover a single user, and its Team plan covers 25 users from $69 a month billed annually. Make's $9 plan already includes teams and roles.
Common questions
Which automation tools have a free plan?
Zapier, Make and IFTTT each have a free hosted plan: 100 tasks a month on two-step Zaps at Zapier, 1,000 credits a month and 2 active scenarios at Make, and 2 Applets with unlimited runs at IFTTT. n8n's free option is the self-hosted Community Edition; n8n Cloud has a 14-day trial instead of a free plan.
How much do automation tools cost?
Paid plans start at $2.99 a month for IFTTT Pro, $9 a month for Make with 5,000 credits and $19.99 a month for Zapier Professional with 750 tasks, all billed annually. n8n Cloud starts at €20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions. Each counts usage differently, so compare them against the number of steps and runs you expect.
What is the difference between a task, a credit and an execution?
A Zapier task is counted when a Zap completes a unit of work; triggers and built-in data tools are not counted. On Make, most module actions use 1 credit. On n8n, one run of a whole workflow is a single execution, however many steps it has.
Can I host an automation tool on my own server?
Yes, with n8n. It runs on your own infrastructure with Docker, including air-gapped setups, and the Community Edition is free. That edition leaves out SSO, projects, environments, Git version control and workflow sharing. The self-hosted Business plan adds SSO, environments and Git version control, from €667 a month billed annually.
Which automation tool works with smart-home devices?
IFTTT. Its list of more than 1,000 services includes smart-home brands such as Philips Hue, Ring and LIFX, and its iOS and Android apps add device triggers such as location, photos and notifications.
Keep reading
- Alternatives
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.
3 tools · Updated October 2026