Zapier vs Make vs Power Automate: which should a small business use?

I have no affiliate, reseller or partner arrangement with Zapier, Make, Microsoft or n8n, and none of them pays me anything. I build the automations my own two-office law firm runs on, so I'm writing from the user's side of the desk.

What is Zapier?

Zapier is an online service that links your apps so information passes between them automatically. Each automation is a Zap: a trigger, such as a new form entry, followed by one or more actions, such as adding a contact to your CRM. Zapier says it connects more than 9,000 apps, and it charges by the task.

A task is an action that completes successfully. Triggers don't count, and neither do filters or steps that fail. The free plan is limited to two-step Zaps (one trigger and one action), so anything longer needs a paid plan. The app count is Zapier's own figure, from its app directory on 30 September 2026.

What is Make?

Make, which used to be called Integromat, is an online automation tool with a visual builder. Each automation is a scenario: a chain of modules drawn on a canvas, starting with a trigger. You can branch, loop and reshape data along the way. Make says it has more than 3,000 apps, and it charges in credits.

Most modules use one credit each time they run, but the trigger is the catch. In Make, checking for new data is itself an operation, so a trigger uses a credit on every check, even when there's nothing new. A scenario checks every 15 minutes by default. Instant triggers, which wait for the app to send the data, avoid those empty checks.

How do Zapier and Make actually differ?

The two big differences are how you build and how you're charged. Zapier lays each automation out as a list of steps and counts completed actions. Make draws it on a canvas and counts every module run, including trigger checks. Zapier lists more apps; Make is built for longer processes with branches.

Sources: Zapier key concepts, Make help centre, Microsoft Learn, n8n glossary and n8n integrations, all checked 30 September 2026.

How is pricing structured for Zapier, Make and Power Automate?

Each tool counts something different, so which costs least depends on the shape of your automation. Zapier counts successful actions, while Make counts module runs, including trigger checks. Power Automate is licensed per person or per flow, with standard connectors included in Microsoft 365 business plans. n8n's cloud plans count whole workflow runs.

I won't quote prices here. They change often, and each vendor publishes its own. Instead, here's how the same automation is counted by each tool.

Worked out from each vendor's rules: Zapier task usage, Make operations, Microsoft's action rules and n8n pricing. A 15-minute schedule is 96 checks a day, or 2,880 over 30 days.

Know what happens at the limit, too. When you reach Zapier's task limit, you move to pay-per-task billing at a higher rate per task, unless you've turned that off, in which case your Zaps pause. In Make, scenarios stop when credits run out, until you add more. Check the figures on Zapier's pricing page and Make's pricing page before you commit.

Is Power Automate a better choice than Zapier or Make?

It is if your work already lives in Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and Excel. Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard and Premium include Power Automate's standard connectors, so there may be nothing new to buy. Zapier or Make earn their place when your key apps sit outside Microsoft, or when Power Automate would need premium connectors.

Microsoft licenses Power Automate per person or per flow, not per task. Premium connectors, such as Salesforce, need a Power Automate Premium or Process licence. For flows that start automatically, the licence that usually matters is the owner's. Microsoft's multiplexing rules can change that, so read its licensing FAQ before you buy.

The same logic applies to Make vs Power Automate. If you want to see what's possible without paying extra, I've written up 12 Power Automate examples for small businesses, each built on standard connectors.

What about n8n?

n8n is a workflow automation tool that you can use on n8n's own cloud or install on your own server. Self-hosting gives you full control over where data lives, but n8n's documentation says it needs technical expertise, and updates and security become your job. For most small businesses without IT staff, it's a later step.

It uses a fair-code licence, and the self-hosted Community edition is free to use, though you pay for your own server. On n8n Cloud you pay by executions, and one execution is a whole workflow run, however many steps it has. Its guide to choosing cloud or self-hosted sets out the trade-offs plainly.

Where do Zapier, Make and Power Automate store your data?

It depends on the tool, and sometimes on a choice you make at set-up. Zapier hosts data in the United States. Make lets you pick an EU or US data centre when you create your organisation, and you can't change it later. Power Automate uses your environment's region, and n8n's cloud runs in Frankfurt.

• Zapier: its data privacy overview covers US hosting on AWS, Zap history kept for 29 to 69 days, and certification to the UK Extension of the Data Privacy Framework.
• Make: the help centre page on organisations and data centres explains the EU or US choice.
• Power Automate: Microsoft's regions overview explains that flows run in their environment's region.
• n8n: its security page says n8n Cloud is hosted on Microsoft Azure in the EU.

Which automation tool should you choose?

Start with what you already pay for and the apps you use most, then match the tool to the job. Quick links between popular apps suit Zapier, and longer processes with branches suit Make. Work that lives in Microsoft 365 suits Power Automate, and full control on your own server suits n8n.

Why start with what you already pay for?

Because your team already knows the apps, the logins exist and the data is already there. If you're on Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard or Premium, Power Automate's standard connectors are included. Build one automation there first. You'll learn what you really need before you add another subscription and another bill.

The same goes beyond Microsoft. Accounting, booking and CRM systems often have reminders and rules of their own. Check those before you pay a separate tool to do the same job.

Common pitfalls

• Choosing by app count. A big number doesn't help if the action you need isn't there. Check the exact trigger and action for your app.
• Not knowing how the meter runs. Polling triggers in Make, premium connectors in Power Automate and task limits in Zapier can all surprise you.
• Building on one person's login. Use business accounts, and make sure someone else can get in.
• Forgetting where the data goes. Check the region before customer or staff details flow through a new tool.
• Two tools doing one job. Pick one per process, or nobody knows where to look when it breaks.

What to do next

1. List your apps. Write down every app the process touches.
2. Check what you pay for. On a Microsoft 365 business plan, look at Power Automate first.
3. Write one automation down. The trigger, then each action in order.
4. Count the steps and runs. Use the table above to estimate usage, then check each vendor's pricing page.
5. Check where the data goes. Especially for customer or staff details.
6. Test it first. Use a free plan or trial with test data before the real thing.

How I can help

If you'd like someone independent to look at your apps and processes, that's part of my business automation work for Sussex businesses. I'll recommend whatever fits, including the tools you already have. Not sure what to automate first? The AI audit will find it.

Questions people ask

Is Make cheaper than Zapier?

It depends on the automation. Make counts every module run, including trigger checks, while Zapier only counts successful actions and never charges for triggers. A scenario that checks for new data every few minutes can use more credits than you'd expect. Model your own automation on both vendors' pricing pages.

Is Make the same as Integromat?

Yes. Integromat became Make, and Make's own announcement said support for Integromat would end in 2023. Older guides that mention Integromat still explain the ideas, but the screens and plans have changed.

Can I use Zapier and Make together?

Yes, they can pass data to each other, for example through webhooks. But two tools mean two bills, two sets of logins and two places to look when something breaks. For a small business, one tool per process is usually easier to live with.

Can I switch tools later?

Yes, but there's no one-click move. You rebuild each automation in the new tool, and Make's own advice for people leaving Zapier is to recreate each Zap as a scenario. Keep a short note of what each automation does, and switching is much easier.

Do I need a developer?

Not for everyday automations in Zapier, Make or Power Automate, which you build from menus. Self-hosting n8n is different: its documentation says you need technical expertise. Whichever tool you use, anything touching payments or sensitive data deserves a second pair of eyes.

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