CompareAIOur verdict
Make is our top automation pick because it scales with you: simple enough for a first Gmail-to-Sheets flow, powerful enough to run a business's backend. The visual builder makes logic you can actually follow six months later.
Our take: map one repetitive weekly task, rebuild it as a Make scenario on the free tier, and measure the hours saved. Most people find their second and third automations within a week.
What is Make?
Make (formerly Integromat) is a visual automation platform that connects thousands of apps — Gmail, Sheets, Slack, CRMs, AI models, you name it — so data moves and tasks happen without manual work. You build scenarios by dragging modules onto a canvas instead of writing code.
Compared with simpler tools, Make handles complex multi-step workflows: branching logic, error handling, iterators, and data transformation. It's the tool people graduate to when basic 'if this then that' automations aren't enough.
- Best for
- Solopreneurs and teams that want to automate multi-step processes — lead routing, content pipelines, reporting — without hiring a developer.
- Skip if
- You only need one or two simple triggers. A lighter tool (or the apps' built-in automations) will do.
- Affiliate program
- Make's affiliate program pays a recurring commission on referred subscriptions (reported ~20% as of Sept 2026). Terms can change.
Key features
- Visual scenario builder with branching, filters, and error handlers
- Thousands of app integrations plus HTTP/API and webhook modules
- Built-in AI modules (OpenAI, Anthropic, and others)
- Data stores, iterators, and aggregators for complex workflows
- Execution history and debugging for every run
- Team workspaces with role-based access
Pricing
Make has a genuinely useful free tier (a monthly allowance of operations). Paid plans scale with the number of operations you run per month, so costs grow with usage rather than per user. Check make.com for current tiers — operation allowances and prices change periodically.
SaaS pricing changes often — confirm current prices on the vendor's site before buying.
Pros & cons
What we like
- Most powerful visual automation builder for the price
- Free tier is enough to automate real workflows
- Handles complex logic competitors can't
- Excellent execution logs make debugging easy
What could be better
- Steeper learning curve than simpler alternatives
- Operation-based pricing can surprise heavy users
- UI can feel dense for simple one-step automations
Frequently asked questions
Is Make better than Zapier?
For complex multi-step workflows, yes — Make's visual builder, branching, and pricing per operation (not per task) usually win. For the simplest two-step zaps, Zapier's larger template library can be faster to start.
Do I need to know how to code to use Make?
No. The builder is visual and no-code. Knowing basic concepts like JSON and APIs helps for advanced scenarios, but isn't required to start.