Make vs Parabola (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, we pick Make: it is first in our ranking of automation tools, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Make grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Make
Visual automation builder for multi-step scenarios and AI agents
Which one is for you
Pick Make if
- Fits if your automation has branches and you want to see them laid out
- Works for small teams, since teams and roles come with the paid plan
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, with 2 active scenarios, 1,000 credits a month and 15 minutes between runs
- Skip it if you hate keeping count, because most module actions use a credit
- Pricey if you often run over, since extra credits cost 25% more than plan credits and unused ones expire each term
- Watch out: the $9 price is for annual billing, which the pricing page says saves 15% or more over monthly
- Not for you if you want a desktop app, as it's web, iPhone and Android only
Pick Parabola if
- Fits if you do repeated spreadsheet and data work for finance or operations
- Works for one person trying it on the free plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want paid prices up front, as credit prices are not shown
- Tight if you work in a team, as free Basic is for 1 user
- Watch out: SSO, roles and SLAs are Business only, sold through sales
- Watch out: AI on the free plan is limited
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAMakeGood | 2.2GPAParabolaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$9 a month billed annually, where this category typically starts at $15 and sits nearer $19, and that buys 5,000 credits, unlimited active scenarios, a 1-minute interval, teams and API access. The catch is the counting: credits expire each term and extra ones cost 25% more. | CPaid credit prices are not shown on the pricing page. Business is custom, so it sits in the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree has no time limit, but it's 2 active scenarios, 1,000 credits a month and at least 15 minutes between scheduled runs. Teams, roles, custom variables and the enterprise apps aren't in it. A fair trial run, not a home. | CBasic is free indefinitely for 1 user, with 1,000 credits and limited AI. Credits run out as you use it. |
| Features | BMore than 3,000 apps on a canvas, with routers and filters making the branches visible, AI agents, the Maia assistant, an MCP server for outside AI tools, and Make Grid to map a big setup. The whole job, covered. | CA plain-language agent builder, integrations and version history, but limited AI on the free plan and the paid plans are not shown. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. The canvas shows each branch, but it's still accounts to connect, modules to configure and credits to keep count of, since most module actions use one. Maia will build a scenario from a conversation. | CNo store rating on record. You describe and build each agent, with accounts to connect. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with 3,000+ app integrations, more than 300 API endpoints and an MCP server that lets outside AI assistants set scenarios off. There's no desktop app, though, and the top mark needs one. | BWeb app with connections to Shopify, NetSuite, Google Sheets, Snowflake, Amazon Seller Central and Dynamics Finance. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | branching automations you can see on a canvas | no-code data tasks for finance and operations |
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: Make and Parabola. How we grade
Where they differ
- Parabola also covers AI agents and spreadsheets.
At a glance
| Make | Parabola | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9 / month, billed annually, for 5,000 credits | Not published |
| Free plan | Free plan with no time limit: up to 1,000 credits a month, 2 active scenarios, a 15-minute minimum interval between runs, 512 MB of data transfer and 7 days of execution logs. | Basic plan: 1 user, 1,000 credits and limited AI, usable indefinitely. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Celonis, Inc. | Parabola |
| Price read from | make.com | parabola.io |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Make
- The Free plan allows only 2 active scenarios and 1,000 credits a month, with at least 15 minutes between scheduled runs.
- Credits expire at the end of each term, and extra credits cost 25% more than those included in the plan.
- Teams and roles, custom variables and enterprise apps are not part of the Free plan.
- The $9 price applies to annual billing; the pricing page says annual billing saves 15% or more over monthly.
Parabola
- Paid credit prices are not shown on the pricing page.
- The free Basic plan is for one user with limited AI.
- SSO, roles and SLAs are in Business plans, which are sold through sales.
Key features
Make
- Visual scenario builder
- Scenarios are built by placing app modules on a canvas and linking them with routers and filters, so branching logic is visible at a glance.
- 3,000+ pre-built apps
- Make lists more than 3,000 app integrations, among them OpenAI, HubSpot, Salesforce and Slack. Access to enterprise apps comes with the paid plan.
- Credit-based billing
- 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.
- AI agents, Maia and MCP
- AI agents can be built to orchestrate workflows, Maia builds automations from a conversation, and the Make MCP server lets outside AI assistants trigger scenarios.
- Make Grid
- Make Grid gives a map of an organization's scenarios and how they connect, to keep a large automation setup under control.
- Teams, variables and API
- The paid plan adds teams and team roles, custom variables, full-text search of execution logs and access to more than 300 Make API endpoints.
Parabola
- Plain-language agent builder
- Describe a task and ship an agent.
- Credit-based usage
- Credits are used when agents run, not while building; there is no cap on the number of agents.
- Integrations
- Connectors for ERP, warehouse, shipping, spreadsheets and email, plus an API step for the rest.
- Version history
- Business plans track every change with one-click rollback.
- Applied AI team
- Business plans include live training, a proof of concept on production data and deployment support.
Plans
Make
Free$0
Up to 1,000 credits a month, 2 active scenarios, a 15-minute minimum interval between runs and 7 days of execution logs.
Make Plan$9
per month, billed annually, for 5,000 credits
Unlimited active scenarios, 1-minute minimum interval, teams and roles, custom variables, high-priority execution and Make API access. Credit tiers go up to 8 million and beyond.
Company (Enterprise)Custom
Custom functions, 24/7 enterprise support, overage protection, advanced security and 60 days of execution logs.
Parabola
Basic$0
Self-serve for 1 user with 1,000 credits and limited AI; more credits can be added pay-as-you-go.
BusinessCustom
Custom credit volumes, role-based access, SSO, SOC 2 Type II, SLAs and a dedicated account manager.
Ways to pay less
Make
- Annual discount
Save 15% or more with annual billing
Make's pricing page says annual billing saves 15% or more compared with paying monthly. The $9 starting price is the annual rate.
- Nonprofit
Support for non-profit organizations
The pricing page says Make supports non-profits and asks NGOs and NPOs to contact it for details. No discount figure is published.
Parabola
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Make or Parabola?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Make starts at $9 / month, billed annually, for 5,000 credits, and Parabola publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, Make or Parabola?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Make and Parabola have a free plan.
Which platforms do Make and Parabola run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Make lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. 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.