IFTTT vs Pushcut

IFTTT

• Personal and smart-home automations with one trigger and one action
• People who prefer switching on ready-made automations to building them
• A low-cost paid plan priced per account rather than per run

Pushcut

• Shortcuts and HomeKit users who want notifications with action buttons
• Running shortcuts unattended on a spare iPhone or iPad
• Triggering iOS shortcuts from IFTTT, Zapier, Make or a home server

IFTTT

• The Free plan allows only 2 Applets, and Pro stops at 20.
• Multi-action Applets and Webhooks need Pro; queries, filter code and AI services need Pro+.
• Free Applets run at standard speeds; the fastest speeds are reserved for paid plans.
• IFTTT's terms say it offers no refunds or credits, and subscriptions renew automatically.

Pushcut

• The app is listed for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch only; the site offers no Mac, Android or web version.
• The free version stops at 3 notifications, 1 action per notification and 2 background actions, with no widgets or dynamic content.
• The Automation Server needs a dedicated, always-on iOS device with Pushcut in the foreground, and it runs requests one at a time.
• Pro caps the server at 100 requests a day. Interval schedules, delayed execution and timeouts over 10 seconds need the separate Server Extended subscription.

IFTTT

Applets

An Applet links a trigger in one service to an action in another. Published Applets can be switched on as they are, or you can build your own.

1,000+ services

IFTTT lists more than 1,000 services, from apps such as Google Sheets, Slack and Notion to smart-home brands such as Philips Hue, Ring and LIFX.

Multi-action Applets and Webhooks

Pro and Pro+ Applets can run several actions from one trigger and can use Webhooks to reach services IFTTT does not list. Neither is part of the Free plan.

Queries and filter code

Pro+ adds queries and filter code to Applets and lets you connect more than one account for the same service.

Chat Create and MCP

Chat Create builds an automation from a written prompt, and the IFTTT MCP server connects AI tools to your services and automations. AI services inside Applets need Pro+.

Mobile apps

The iOS and Android apps create and manage Applets and add device triggers such as location, photos and notifications. Mobile access is included on the Free plan.

Pushcut

Actionable notifications

Notifications carry custom text, images and sounds plus buttons that run a shortcut, activate a HomeKit scene, open a URL or send a web request. They can target specific devices.

Time, location and webhook triggers

Notifications and background actions fire on daily, weekly or monthly schedules, at locations or iBeacons, from Shortcuts and HomeKit automations, or from a webhook.

Custom widgets

Widgets for the home and lock screen show content that automations, online services or the API update, and run a shortcut or HomeKit scene when tapped. They need Pro.

Automation Server

A dedicated iOS device running Pushcut executes shortcuts and HomeKit scenes without confirmation, triggered by schedules, locations, notifications, integrations or the API.

Integrations and Web API

IFTTT, Zapier and Make can send notifications, update widgets and run server actions, and a JSON API accepts requests from home servers or anything that can make an HTTP call.

Apple Watch support

Interactive notifications arrive on the watch, where HomeKit scenes, online actions and HTTP requests can be run directly. Opening Shortcuts or other apps from the watch is not supported.

IFTTT

• Free$0

  2 Applets with unlimited runs at standard speeds, using published or do-it-yourself Applets, and mobile app access.

• Pro$2.99

  per month, billed annually ($35.88)

  20 Applets at the fastest speeds, multi-action Applets, Webhooks, exclusive triggers and actions, and customer support.

• Pro+$8.99

  per month, billed annually ($107.88)

  Unlimited Applets, AI services, multiple accounts per service, queries and filter code, and prioritized support.

Pushcut

• Free$0

  Up to 3 notifications with 1 action each and 2 location-based background actions, sent from local triggers or basic webhooks without dynamic content.

• Pro$1.99

  per month; $17.99 per year

  Unlimited notifications and actions, custom widgets, HomeKit scenes, online actions, the JSON API and an Automation Server limited to 100 requests a day.

• Pro Lifetime$39.99

  one-time purchase

  The Pro feature set bought once as an in-app purchase instead of by subscription.

• Automation Server Extended$2.49

  per month; $22.49 per year

  Separate package for the Automation Server: 5,000 requests a day instead of 100, interval schedules, delayed execution and longer request timeouts.

IFTTT

• Annual discount

  Save 40% with yearly billing

  IFTTT's plans page shows a 40% saving on Pro and Pro+ when billed yearly: $35.88 a year for Pro and $107.88 a year for Pro+.

Pushcut

• Annual discount

  About 25% less on annual plans

  Pro is $17.99 a year against $1.99 a month ($23.88 over 12 months), and Server Extended is $22.49 a year against $2.49 a month.

• Lifetime license

  Pro Lifetime for $39.99

  Pushcut Pro can be bought once for $39.99 as an in-app purchase. The Automation Server Extended package is listed only as a monthly or annual subscription.