When choosing between Make vs. Zapier, the points of comparison are pricing, API connection to existing software and the need for collaborators to interact around future automated tasks.
Automation and, more broadly, the digitization of business operations are important issues for organizations to address. Nevertheless, the panorama of software solutions has never been clearer. Finding the right software requires resources and knowledge that are not readily available to most companies. So which automation software should you choose? There are two software solutions in this vertical: Make vs Zapier.
These two software programs attract a lot of attention, but you should be aware that other alternatives exist (such as Lapala) that allow you to go beyond automation.
If you had only one thing to remember from this article :
To sum up, choosing the right software depends on 3 factors:
- Software you want to connect via API to Make and Zapier
- The complexity of your processes to be automated
- The human interactions required to keep a process running smoothly in the midst of automated tasks (e.g. a manager’s validation of a purchase).
What is Zapier?
Introducing Zapier
Zapier is a software program for automating no-code tasks on a company’s various applications. A workflow automation is called a Zap. The Zap consists of two parts:
- The definition ofa single trigger for this Zap. For example, the receipt of an email with the word “Request” in the subject line.
- A set of actions that follow on from each other in a linear fashion, with no turning back. However, conditions and filters are available to create different paths according to configurable criteria. For example, if the request contains the word logistics, then the request is sent to Marc, otherwise a transaction is created in the company’s ticketing tool.
On paper, the number of shares is unlimited. However, there are three points to bear in mind:
- There can only beone trigger per Zap. If you want several triggers, you need to make several Zaps.
- Zapier is a linear automation software. An action can have only one entry. In other words, once a condition is set, it can never be repositioned on a neighboring path.
- Similarly, Zapier doesn’t allow for retroactive loops or backtracking.
Automation examples with Zapier
- Lead management and CRM: Using information retrieved from forms… Zapier can automatically enrich your CRM like Salesforce or Hubspot. All you need to do is create a Zap whose trigger is the submission of a form such as Typeform. Various actions can then be taken to create the contact in the CRM, create the company, fill in various qualification information, launch a search on Pappers to retrieve the company’s legal information, or send a Calendly appointment-setting link to the contact.
- Notification and customer support: From an email request or complaint, Zapier can create a support ticket in Zendesk or Freshservice and automatically assign the ticket to an agent. All you need to do is create a Zap whose trigger is the receipt of an e-mail to a dedicated address or respecting selection criteria such as keywords. Zapier creates a ticket in Zendesk, then enriches it with the request information. Depending on the information, it assigns the ticket to a specific agent filtered by knowledge or availability.
- Automate backup of email attachments: from an email, Zapier can export a PJ file and save it in an online storage service such as Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive…
Find out more in our article on process automation
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of automation with Zapier?
The main advantages of Zapier and Zaps :
- This workflow automation software is easy to use, thanks to its “consumer” ergonomics.
- Integrations and API connections to the best software on the market.
- New database creation and interface design functionalities not integrated with automated workflows.
The main drawbacks of Zapier :
- Linear scenario only (tree structure, no backtracking or multiple entries).
- Automation doesn’t take human interaction into account. Automation is good, but making the processes between robots and humans more efficient is better.
- Zapier is known as the most expensive automation software.
The price may be seen as a drawback, but Zapier saves time and money… So if Zapier saves all your teams 1 hour a day… it quickly becomes a minor problem.
In this Make vs Zapier match, it’s Make’s turn to go under the microscope.
What is Make (formerly Integromat)?
Presentation Make (Integromat)
Zapier, on the other hand, is American. Make is owned by a German company, Celonis.
Make is no-code automation software for automating workflows and tasks. Like Zapier, an automation in Make is broken down into a single trigger and a set of specific actions (enriched with filters and conditions).
Like Zapier, Make can handle linear automations (see diagram in Zapier section). An automation is called a Scenario. If you need several triggers in a process, you’ll need to create several scenarios.
As with Zapier, you can connect many of the best web applications on the market via API.
Getting to grips with Make takes a little getting used to. But once you’ve got the hang of it, the interfaces are very easy to master.
Examples of automation with Make (Integromat)
- Expense tracking and invoicing: With Make, you can automate expense tracking. Simply create a scenario triggered by a new purchase on your corporate credit card, then automatically add a new expense in your accounting tool. You can also link the associated invoice to the transaction amount.
- Automate recruitment processes: You can create scenarios that automatically qualify a job application and notify you. You can automatically send an e-mail as soon as you have decided that a candidate is not suitable. As soon as a candidate is selected, you can automatically launch the various onboarding stages (ID collection, generation and signature of employment contract, etc.).
- Report generation and management: Make can facilitate the creation and distribution of reports by automating the collection of data and sending it to other applications, such as Excel, Google Sheets, Airtable or Power BI. For example, you can create a scenario to extract performance data and automatically insert it into a customized report template, then e-mail this report to your management team on a weekly basis.
Advantages and disadvantages of Make
The main advantages of Make :
- This workflow automation software is easy to use, thanks to its no-code workflow editor.
- Integrations and connections to the best software on the market.
- Handles more complex workflows than Zapier
The main drawbacks of Zapier :
- Linear scenario only (tree structure, no backtracking or multiple entries).
- Automation doesn’t take human interaction into account. Automation is good, but making the processes between robots and humans more efficient is better.
Make’s pricing is more competitive than Zapier’s, see next paragraph.
Make vs Zapier, the comparison
Make vs Zapier vs Lapala comparison chart
Criteria | Zapier | Make | Lapala |
Number of triggers per workflow | 1 trigger | 1 trigger | Multi- trigger |
Publisher No-code | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ + low-code |
Logical condition and filter | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Branching / Multi-entry action | ❌ (linear workflow) | ❌ (linear workflow) | ✅ |
Number of software integrations | 6000 | 1000 | 400 |
Integration of non-standard software | ✅ (Basic) | ✅ (Basic) | ⚛️ (Advanced) |
Database management | ✴️ Yes, but not integrated into workflow | ❌ | ✅ integrated into workflow |
Creating human interaction | ✴️ Yes, but not integrated into workflow | ❌ | ✅ integrated into workflow |
Nationality | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇩🇪 Germany | 🇫🇷 France |
Language | English | English | French and English |
Ease of use /10 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Deployment | SaaS | SaaS | SaaS or Private Cloud |
Customer type | < 500 employees | < 500 employees | < 500 employees |
Contact us if you think we’ve made a mistake
As you can see from the comparison table, the Make vs Zapier match-up is very close.
Indeed, Make and Zapier share the same automation principle: 1 trigger + actions and conditions.
Admittedly, Zapier has more connections to software on the market, but this is not really a differentiating argument, since a company doesn’t have thousands of software applications in its information system.
Although Make takes a little longer to master, both are very easy to learn, thanks to their no-code editor, which requires no computer development skills.
Zapier has database and user interface functionalities.
However, the fact that they are not directly integrated into automations doesn’t really differentiate it from Make.
Indeed, with Make, all you have to do is connect an Airtable, Excel, Typeform or Bubble and you’ll get the same result.
This feature is also the strength of Lapala software.
The big difference between Make and Zapier is pricing and API connection to software.
On the free side, Make offers 1000 operations per month on up to 2 scenarios. Zapier offers 5 Zaps a.k.a. workflows.
On the first pay plan.
Make offers 10,000 operations per month with unlimited scenarios for around 11 euros per month.
Between 100 and 10,000 operations, Zapier will cost between 19 and 130 euros per month.
It’s more expensive, but you’re more likely to have access to your company’s existing software.
As a reminder, Zapier connects to 6,000 applications, compared with 1,000 for Make.
How to choose Make vs Zapier
To choose between the two, we suggest the following approach:
- Find out whether your software is included in the Zapier and Make catalogs.
- If only one tool connects to your software, then your choice is no longer between the two.
- If none of the tools has your software, it’s important to compare other tools
- If both can connect to your software, go to the next point.
- Do you need human interaction among automated tasks?
For example, for enrichments, validations, controls, annotations, various productions…
- If so, Zapier and Make are not for you. We recommend Lapala, Kissflow, Power Automate or Workato.
- If not, go on to the next point.
- Make and Zapier both turn out to be good tools for you.
So the choice will come down to the least expensive tool.
- Make is billed in Ops (Operations in scenarios) and Zapier is billed in tasks (Tasks in Zaps).
- Experimenting is the only way to understand how you’ll be billed by these automation tools. Once you’ve done the tests, simply calculate your future use of these tools and go for the cheapest.
Make vs Zapier, an alternative could be Lapala, a French solution focused on employees
Lapala is the only French Zapier alternative for integrating human interaction into an automated workflow.
For example, in the case of a purchase requisition automation workflow, Lapala integrates a “human” validation if the budget exceeds a certain amount.
Lapala can also handle complete non-linear processes with rollbacks or multiple input actions.
Here’s an example of a Lapala sales administration use case.
It’s easy to use, intuitive and no-code. Its configuration is not dependent on technical teams or the IT department.
Now you know all about Make vs Zapier. Now it’s your turn! See you soon for more content!
Leave a Reply