What Is Make?
Make (formerly Integromat) is a visual automation platform that connects apps and automates workflows without code. Founded in 2012 in Prague, it was acquired by Celonis in 2020 and rebranded to Make in 2022. It competes directly with Zapier but takes a fundamentally different approach: instead of simple linear "if this, then that" flows, Make builds complex multi-step scenarios with branches, loops, error handlers, and data transformers.
The result is more power at lower cost — with a steeper initial learning curve.
Who Is Make For?
Make is best for:
- Solopreneurs and small teams who want serious automation without hiring developers
- Agencies building automations for clients
- Power users who've hit Zapier's complexity ceiling
- High-volume automators where Zapier's per-task pricing becomes prohibitive
It's less suitable for:
- Automation beginners who want drag-and-drop simplicity (start with Zapier)
- Large enterprises needing IT governance and SSO (Workato is better)
- Non-technical teams who will struggle to debug when things break
Core Concepts
Scenarios
In Make, automations are called "scenarios." A scenario is a visual flow: each app is a module (circle), and they connect with lines showing data flow. You can see, at a glance, what data goes from one step to the next.
This visualization is Make's core advantage over Zapier. Complex multi-step flows that are confusing as a Zapier list are immediately legible as a Make diagram.
Operations
Make counts "operations" instead of "tasks." Each module run in a scenario counts as one operation. A 10-step scenario processing one record uses 10 operations. This pricing model rewards efficiency — combine steps where possible, and your costs stay low.
Data Transformation
Make has built-in data transformation capabilities that Zapier charges extra for (or doesn't support at all):
- Math operations on numbers
- String manipulation (trim, split, replace, regex)
- Date and time calculations
- Array/list processing
- JSON parsing and building
- Conditional logic (if/else branching within a flow)
This means Make can handle complex business logic without a middleware layer.
Real Automation Examples
E-commerce order processing: New Shopify order → check inventory in Airtable → if in stock, create shipping label in ShipStation → add order to Google Sheet → send Slack notification to fulfillment team → if low inventory, create task in Notion for reorder
Content publishing pipeline: New article drafted in Notion → fetch SEO data from Surfer → post to WordPress → auto-share to Twitter/X → add to Buffer for scheduled LinkedIn post → log in Airtable analytics tracker
Lead capture: Form submission → add to HubSpot CRM → tag in Kit (ConvertKit) based on form data → send welcome email → create Notion task for follow-up → notify in Slack
None of these require code. All of them would be painful or impossible in basic Zapier without expensive add-ons.
Make Pricing
| Plan | Price | Operations/Month | Scenarios | |------|-------|-----------------|-----------| | Free | $0 | 1,000 | 2 | | Core | $9/month | 10,000 | Active | | Pro | $16/month | 10,000 | Active | | Teams | $29/month | 10,000 | Active |
Additional operations: $9 per 10,000.
Annual pricing saves 20%: Core at $7.20/month, Pro at $13.20/month.
vs. Zapier pricing: Zapier's Professional plan ($49/month) gives 2,000 tasks. Make's Core plan ($9/month) gives 10,000 operations — 5x more for 80% less cost. For high-volume automation, this difference is enormous.
Make vs. Zapier
| Factor | Make | Zapier | |--------|------|--------| | Price (10k ops/tasks) | $9/month | $49/month | | Complexity ceiling | Very high | Medium | | Learning curve | Steep | Gentle | | Error debugging | Harder | Easier | | AI features | Limited | Better | | Template library | Good | Excellent | | Support quality | Variable | Better |
The decision: Start with Zapier if you're new to automation. Switch to Make when you hit Zapier's complexity ceiling or when the price becomes significant.
The Affiliate Program: 20% for 12 Months
Make pays 20% recurring for 12 months. On the Teams plan ($29/month), that's $5.80/month for a year = $69.60 per referral.
The commission rate is lower than other tools on this list, but the conversion rate is high — Make is a tool power users actively seek out, and the free plan makes the barrier to starting zero. For automation-focused audiences, Make is a natural recommendation.
Verdict
Make earns a 4.7/5 for automation-focused power users.
The visual builder is genuinely the best way to understand and maintain complex multi-step automations. The pricing vs. Zapier is dramatically better at scale. The free tier is usable.
The only real friction is the learning curve and debugging experience. When a Make scenario breaks, figuring out why can take longer than the same issue in Zapier.
For solopreneurs running multiple tools and doing any meaningful volume of automation, Make pays for itself within the first month. Start on the free plan with one scenario, learn the interface, and expand from there.