Workato vs Zapier (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 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 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Zapier grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
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 Workato if
- Fits if you're a larger company wiring together many business apps
- Makes sense if you want separate development, test and production environments for automations
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price on the page: every edition is quoted through sales
- Tight if you're on the entry edition, with 1 concurrency in Standard
- Watch out: RPA, Private Link and advanced security are sold separately
- Not for you if you want a simple tool for one person, as it's built for company-wide programmes
- Watch out: the free sign-up button comes with no stated length or limits, so check before relying on it
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
| 2.0GPAWorkatoFair | 2.6GPAZapierGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo prices are published: every edition is quoted through sales. With nothing on record it sits at C, and the page says plan structures can differ by contract terms. | 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 | DThe pricing page has a Start for free sign-up button, but it doesn't say how long it lasts, what it covers or whether a card is needed. No free plan is listed. | 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 | CIntegration, process automation, MCP servers, data pipelines and an agent studio on the top edition. But concurrency, on-premise agents and log retention are capped per edition: 1 concurrency in Standard, 15 in Enterprise MCP. | 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. Recipes, environments and edition limits need set-up and admin time. | 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 | BWeb, with an API platform, on-premise agents (3, 10 or 30 by edition) and MCP servers. | 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 | enterprise-wide integration and automation | 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: Workato and Zapier. How we grade
Where they differ
- Workato also covers AI agents.
- Zapier also covers databases.
At a glance
| Workato | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $19.99 / month, billed annually, for 750 tasks ($29.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | 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 | None listed | 14-day free trial of Professional, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Workato | Zapier, Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | zapier.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Workato
- No prices are published: every edition is quoted through sales, so no starting price is shown here.
- The page says plan structures can differ by contract terms and by when a customer joined.
- Concurrency, on-premise agents and log retention are capped per edition (for example 1 concurrency in Standard, 15 in Enterprise MCP).
- Optional add-ons such as RPA, Private Link and advanced security are sold separately.
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
Workato
- Application integration
- The Standard edition covers application integration and process automation, with recipe lifecycle management and separate development, test and production environments.
- MCP servers and gateway
- Business MCP adds pre-built MCP servers, an AI/MCP gateway and an Enterprise Skill builder on top of Standard.
- Data and API tools
- Business MCP also lists data integration (ETL, ELT, reverse ETL) and an API platform; Enterprise MCP adds data pipelines and event streams.
- Agent Studio
- Workato ONE, the top edition, adds Agent Studio, a knowledge base and an employee assistant with enterprise search.
- On-premise connectivity
- Higher editions include on-premise agents (OPAs): 3 in Business MCP, 10 in Enterprise MCP and 30 in Workato ONE.
- Security controls
- SAML SSO, MFA and role-based access control come with Standard; Enterprise MCP adds data masking, activity audit and hourly key rotation.
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
Workato
Pricing could not be confirmed. See workato.com.
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
Workato
No public discounts listed.
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, Workato or Zapier?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Workato has no price we could confirm, and Zapier starts at $19.99 / month, billed annually, for 750 tasks ($29.99 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Workato or Zapier?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Zapier has a free plan. Workato does not.
Which platforms do Workato and Zapier run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Zapier lists a browser extension. 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.