Automa vs Zapier (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Zapier: it is second in our ranking of automation tools, and it grades higher too, 2.6 against 2.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Zapier grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Zapier
Workflow automation across 9,000+ apps, with AI agents
Which one is for you
Pick Automa if
- Fits if you want to try desktop and web automation on a free plan first
- Works for teams automating repetitive desktop tasks without code
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you run automations for long, as the free plan stops at 30 minutes a day
- Skip it if you need to know the price, since Pro has no figure on the page
- Watch out: the free plan allows one developed app, and the paid plan's billing choices are only described in words
Pick Zapier if
- Fits if one of your apps is obscure, since Zapier lists more than 9,000 of them
- Works for short chains, like a new Stripe payment adding a row in Google Sheets and pinging Slack
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you run thousands of tasks: AI steps cost up to 5 tasks each, and Professional tops out at $3,389 a month
- Tight if you're staying free, with 100 tasks a month, two steps per Zap and new data checked only every 15 minutes
- Watch out: overages are on by default at a higher rate Zapier doesn't publish, and Zaps pause at 3 times your limit
- Pricey if two of you want to share Zaps, because that means Team at $69 a month, while Make starts at $9
- Not for you if you want to build or fix automations from your phone or a desktop app, as there's neither
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAAutomaFair | 2.6GPAZapierGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CA Pro plan exists but no price is shown on the page read, so it sits in the middle until one is published. | C$19.99 a month billed annually puts Zapier just past this category's $19 middle, so the price itself is ordinary. What it buys: 750 tasks and one user, where viaSocket gives 17,000 tasks for $18 and Make 5,000 credits for $9. You're paying for the app list, not the allowance. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe free plan has one developed app and 30 minutes a day of runtime for third-party apps, plus a 14-day Pro trial. You will hit those caps. | CFree forever, and the caps arrive almost immediately: 100 tasks a month, two steps per Zap, one user, and a check for new data only every 15 minutes. One small job will fit. Two won't. New accounts do get 14 days of Professional with no card. |
| Features | CVisual builder, AI features, triggers and scheduling, a virtual desktop with an API, and a marketplace. The listing shows free-plan limits on runtime. | AThe app directory lists more than 9,000 apps, where Make lists about 3,000. On top of that: multi-step Zaps, filters, paths, webhooks, Tables, Forms, Canvas, AI agents and an MCP server. Multi-step Zaps, filters and paths need a paid plan. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build automations in a visual builder, which has a learning curve. | CNo store rating to go on, since it lives in the browser. And it's a build job: apps to connect, then triggers, actions, filters and paths to think in. One Hacker News commenter called the whole thing an impenetrable mess aimed at marketers. |
| Platforms and integrations | CDesktop clients for Windows and Mac only; no phone apps and no integrations named. | BA browser and a Chrome extension, and that's your lot. No phone app we could find and nothing for the desktop. What you get instead is connections: 9,000-plus apps, webhooks, an SDK and an MCP server for assistants like Claude and ChatGPT. |
| Best for | no-code automation with a Windows and Mac client | connecting almost any two apps |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Automa and Zapier. How we grade
Where they differ
- Automa also covers AI agents and no-code.
- Zapier also covers databases.
At a glance
| Automa | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $19.99 / month, billed annually, for 750 tasks ($29.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 1 developed app and 30 minutes a day of runtime for third-party apps. | 100 tasks a month for 1 user, limited to two-step Zaps, with unlimited Zaps, Tables and Forms. Zapier checks for new data every 15 minutes. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the Pro plan | 14-day free trial of Professional, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Automa | Zapier, Inc. |
| Price read from | goautoma.com | zapier.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Automa
- The pricing page lists a Pro plan but no price appears in the page text that could be read, so the cost of Pro is not recorded here.
- The Free plan limits third-party app runtime to 30 minutes a day and one developed app.
- The download page offers Windows and Mac clients.
- The vendor says paid plans can be billed monthly or annually, with a discount for annual, and offers pro-rata refunds on standard plans bought on its site.
Zapier
- The Free plan is limited to 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps, and checks for new data only every 15 minutes.
- Free and Professional include a single user; sharing workflows with colleagues needs the Team plan.
- Cost 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 billed per task at a higher rate that depends on plan and billing cycle; the rate is not published, and Zaps pause at 3 times the plan's limit.
Key features
Automa
- Visual no-code builder
- Workflows are designed by drag and drop, and the vendor describes bots that click and type the way a person would.
- AI features
- Pro lists AI-assisted features such as magic commands and flows, OCR and NLP, and advanced element capturing with XPath.
- Triggers and scheduling
- The plan table lists cloud triggers, work queues, dispatch mode and an advanced scheduler on paid plans.
- Virtual desktop and API
- Pro also lists a cloud virtual desktop and API access, which the Free plan does not include.
- Marketplace
- Public marketplace access is part of the plan table, and Enterprise adds an enterprise marketplace and a private section.
Zapier
- Zaps
- Workflows that start from a trigger and run one or more actions. Free accounts are limited to two-step Zaps; Professional adds multi-step Zaps, filters, paths and webhooks.
- App directory
- Zapier connects more than 9,000 apps, including Google Sheets, Gmail, Slack and HubSpot. Premium apps are unlimited from the Professional plan.
- Task-based billing
- A standard step uses 1 task when it completes; triggers, polling and built-in tools such as Filters and Paths use none. Some steps use more: an MCP tool call 2, a Lead Router step 5, and AI steps 1 to 5 by model tier.
- Tables, Forms and Canvas
- Tables store the data that workflows read and write, Forms collect it, and Canvas maps out a process. Tables and Forms are unlimited on every plan, including Free.
- Agents, Chatbots and MCP
- AI agents take actions across connected apps, and Zapier MCP gives assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT access to them. Agents and Chatbots are optional add-ons with free tiers.
- Team and admin controls
- Team covers 25 users with shared Zaps, folders and app connections plus SAML SSO. Enterprise adds SCIM provisioning, app controls and custom data retention.
Plans
Automa
Free$0
1 developed app and 30 minutes a day of third-party app runtime. No credit card required.
ProNot shown
Unlimited apps and runtime, plus AI (OCR and NLP), cloud triggers, work queues and API access. No price appears in the page text.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds a management console, an enterprise marketplace and a private section, and expert success and support services.
Zapier
Free$0
100 tasks a month for 1 user, limited to two-step Zaps, with unlimited Zaps, Tables and Forms and 15-minute polling.
Professional$19.99
per month, billed annually, for 750 tasks ($29.99 monthly)
1 user. Multi-step Zaps, unlimited premium apps, webhooks, filters and paths, AI by Zapier and 2-minute polling. Task tiers run up to 2 million a month.
Team$69
per month, billed annually, for 2,000 tasks ($103.50 monthly)
25 users, shared Zaps, folders and app connections, SAML single sign-on, priority support and 1-minute polling.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited users, advanced admin and app controls, SCIM provisioning, custom data retention and annual task limits.
Ways to pay less
Automa
- Annual discount
Annual billing discount
The pricing page has an Annually toggle marked 50% off and its FAQ says annual subscriptions include a discount; the prices themselves were not readable.
Zapier
- Annual discount
33% off with annual billing
Zapier's pricing page says annual subscriptions are billed yearly at 33% off the monthly rate: Professional is $19.99 a month instead of $29.99, and Team $69 instead of $103.50.
- Nonprofit
Extra 15% off for nonprofits
The pricing page lists an additional 15% discount for non-profit organizations. It does not apply to pay-per-task charges.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Automa or Zapier?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Automa publishes no starting price, and Zapier starts at $19.99 / month, billed annually, for 750 tasks ($29.99 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Automa or Zapier?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Automa and Zapier have a free plan.
Which platforms do Automa and Zapier run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Automa lists macOS and Windows apps and only Zapier lists a web app and a browser extension. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.