Zapier vs Make vs custom code: which one should you pay for?
An honest, plain-English comparison from someone who builds automations for a living. Which is easiest, which is cheapest as you grow, and when custom code is worth it.
Ali Hassan
· 4 min read
Quick answer
Choose Zapier if you want the easiest setup and your workflows are simple. Choose Make if your workflows have many steps or run often, because it is usually cheaper at volume. Choose custom code when you run thousands of jobs a day, need special logic, or the monthly tool bill has grown bigger than the cost of building it properly once.
"Which automation tool should I use?" is one of the questions I hear most. Often the person has already read three "ultimate comparison" articles, and each one picked a different winner.
Here's the honest answer: all three are good. They're good at different things. The right one depends on how simple your workflows are, how often they run, and how much you expect to grow.
Meet the three options
Zapier is the easiest. You pick a trigger ("new form submission"), pick an action ("add a row to Google Sheets"), and you're done. It connects to thousands of apps, and most people can build a simple workflow in an afternoon.
Make (it used to be called Integromat) is more visual. You build workflows on a canvas, like a flowchart. It takes a bit longer to learn, but it handles complex, many-step workflows well, and it's usually cheaper once you run a lot of them.
Custom code means a developer writes a small program that does exactly what you need. No platform, no task limits. More work up front, but it can be the cheapest and most reliable option for big or unusual jobs.
Side by side
| Zapier | Make | Custom code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy to set up yourself | Very easy | Medium | No, needs a developer |
| Free plan | 100 tasks a month | 1,000 credits a month | Not applicable |
| Paid plans from | About $20 to $30 a month | Around $10 to $16 a month | Server costs, often under $20 a month |
| Complex logic | OK | Very good | Anything you need |
| Cost when you run a lot | Gets expensive fast | Stays reasonable | Lowest |
| Who can fix it | Almost anyone | Someone comfortable with it | A developer |
Prices from Zapier and Make at the time of writing. They change often, so always check.
Where the costs really come from
This is the bit most comparisons miss. The plan price isn't what you'll actually pay. What matters is how each tool counts your usage.
Zapier counts a task every time an action step completes. A workflow with 4 actions that runs 500 times a month uses 2,000 tasks. Triggers and some built-in tools like filters don't count.
Make counts credits, and most actions use one. But because its plans include far more credits for the money, busy workflows usually cost less there.
When to choose each one
Choose Zapier if…
- You want to build simple workflows yourself
- Your workflows have a few steps and run a few hundred times a month
- You need a connection to a less common app (Zapier usually has it)
Choose Make if…
- Your workflows have lots of steps, branches or loops
- They run thousands of times a month and Zapier's bill is growing
- You or someone on your team doesn't mind a slightly steeper learning curve
Choose custom code if…
- You run thousands of jobs a day
- You need logic the platforms can't do cleanly, like complex calculations or reading unusual files
- Your monthly tool bill is now bigger than the cost of building it properly once
- The workflow is core to your business and you want full control
The mistake I see most
People choose a tool first, then try to fit their business into it.
Do it the other way around. Write down the job in plain steps. Count how often it happens. Then pick the tool. A simple job that runs 50 times a month doesn't need custom code. A critical job that runs 5,000 times a day probably shouldn't live on a no-code platform.
And you're allowed to mix them. Plenty of small businesses run simple things on Zapier and one or two heavy workflows as custom code. That's often the cheapest setup overall.
Not sure which one fits? Book a free 20-minute call. I'll look at what you want to automate and tell you which option I'd use, even if it's one you can set up yourself without us. For a full picture of costs, see what automation really costs in 2026.