The best Zapier alternative for most technical teams is n8n, which ranks just above Zapier in our best AI automation tools and bills per workflow run instead of per step. Make is the best pick for visual builders on a budget, from $9 a month. Microsoft Power Automate suits companies already on Microsoft 365, Activepieces is the open-source option closest to Zapier's simplicity, Lindy is better if you want an AI assistant rather than workflows, and Workato is built for large enterprises. Zapier still has the most integrations (9,000+), so check your apps are supported before you switch.
Why people look for Zapier alternatives
Costs rise with every step
Zapier charges for each successful action step. A Zap with four actions that runs 1,000 times uses 4,000 tasks, which needs the $89-a-month tier (yearly). n8n counts that as 1,000 executions whatever the number of steps. Rising cost is the most common drawback in Zapier's Capterra reviews.
AI steps now cost more tasks
Since June 2026, AI by Zapier steps use 1, 3 or 5 tasks per run by model tier, plus more for each tool call, and new steps default to the 5-task Premium tier. Teams that add AI to many Zaps can see their task use jump.
No self-hosting
Every Zap runs in Zapier's cloud. Companies that must keep data on their own servers, or want to avoid per-run fees entirely, often move to n8n or Activepieces, which both offer free self-hosted editions.
Limits on code and complex logic
Code steps get 1 second of runtime on Free and 30 seconds on Professional and Team. Reviewers also say large, branching Zaps are hard to maintain. Developers tend to prefer n8n, where code and branching are first-class.
Billing and support frustrations
Zapier scores 1.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 321 reviews, mostly about renewals, refunds and email-only support. Working users on Capterra are far happier (4.7/5), but billing surprises are a common reason people look elsewhere.
Zapier alternatives at a glance
Tool
Best for
Price from
Free plan
Our score
Zapier for comparison
Non-developers who need to connect many business apps fast
Scores come from our category rankings (hover for which one). "n/a" means the tool is not in a ranking yet.
The best Zapier alternatives, reviewed
#1 · Best for technical teams that want to self-host or run long workflows cheaply
n8n
by n8n GmbH · from Free self-hosted; cloud from €20/month billed yearly (Starter) · free plan
8.7/10
n8n is our top-ranked automation tool and the natural next step for teams outgrowing Zapier's bills. It bills per execution, meaning one full run of a workflow, no matter how many steps it has, so a 10-step workflow costs the same as a 2-step one. The Community Edition is free to self-host, and the cloud plans start at €20 a month billed yearly for 2,500 executions, or €50 for 10,000. It has strong AI agent building blocks, and Code steps accept JavaScript or Python. The trade-off is a steeper learning curve and a smaller app library than Zapier's.
Versus Zapier:Per-run pricing and self-hosting, but harder to learn than Zapier.
#2 · Best for visual thinkers who want complex flows on a small budget
Make
by Make · from $9/month (5,000 credits) · free plan
8.5/10
Make shows each workflow (a "scenario") as a visual map of connected modules, which makes branching, loops and error handling easier to see than in Zapier's list view. Pricing is still per step: each module action uses one credit. But the entry price is much lower: $9 a month buys 5,000 credits, against Zapier's $19.99 (yearly) for 750 tasks. The Free plan gives 1,000 credits a month and two active scenarios, and paid plans check triggers every minute. Make lists 3,000+ apps, about a third of Zapier's library.
Versus Zapier:Far more steps per dollar and a visual builder, but fewer apps.
#3 · Best for companies that run on Microsoft 365, Teams and Dynamics
Microsoft Power Automate
by Microsoft · from $15/user/month billed yearly (Premium)
8.2/10
If your company lives in Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and Excel, Power Automate is the obvious alternative. It connects deeply to Microsoft's own apps, adds desktop automation (robotic process automation, or RPA) for older Windows software, and is priced per user rather than per task: Premium is $15 per user a month billed yearly. Unattended bots cost $150 per bot a month. There is no permanent free plan, only a 30-day trial, and the mix of per-user, per-bot and add-on licences takes time to understand.
Versus Zapier:Per-user pricing and deep Microsoft links, but a steeper, more confusing setup.
#4 · Best for teams that want an open-source Zapier they can self-host
Activepieces
by Activepieces · from $20/month (Plus, 10,000 credits) · free plan
8.1/10
Activepieces copies Zapier's simple, step-by-step builder but is open source. You can self-host the Community Edition for free or use the cloud: Free gives 100 credits a day, Plus is $20 a month for 10,000 credits and up to 5 users, and Team is $200 a month for 50,000 credits and 25 users. Extra credits cost $0.007 each. It includes flows, agents, tables and MCP. The catch is a smaller catalogue of integrations (called "pieces"), some built by the community, so quality varies.
Versus Zapier:Zapier-like ease with self-hosting and more usage per dollar, but fewer apps.
#5 · Best for an AI assistant that handles email, meetings and follow-ups
Lindy
by Lindy · from $29.99/user/month (Plus, 3,000 credits)
7.9/10
If what you really want from Zapier is an assistant that reads your inbox, books meetings and chases follow-ups, Lindy is built for that. You describe the job in plain English and Lindy's agents carry it out across email, calendar and other apps. Plans are per user: Plus is $29.99 a month for 3,000 credits, Pro $99.99 for 15,000 and Max $199.99 for 35,000. Direct sign-ups are billed straight away; only teammates invited through Slack get a 7-day trial. It gives less precise control than a classic workflow tool.
Versus Zapier:An AI assistant for personal busywork, not a builder for exact workflows.
#6 · Best for large enterprises governing automations and AI agents across many systems
Workato
by Workato · from Custom quote
8.0/10
Workato is an enterprise integration platform for companies that have outgrown Zapier's governance features. It is built for IT teams that need to connect systems like ERPs, HR tools and data warehouses with strong controls, and to run AI agents across them. Workato does not publish prices: you book a demo and get a quote. That makes it overkill for small teams, but a common choice for large companies that need central oversight of hundreds of automations and trained builders to run them.
Versus Zapier:Enterprise-grade control and support, with sales-only pricing.
Your bill is too high and you have a technical person: pick n8n. Self-host it for free, or use the cloud where you pay per run, not per step.
Your bill is too high and nobody codes: pick Make. It is still no-code, and $9 a month buys far more steps.
You must self-host but want Zapier's simplicity: pick Activepieces.
You are a Microsoft 365 company: pick Microsoft Power Automate, especially if you need desktop automation.
You mainly want help with email and meetings: pick Lindy.
You are a large enterprise with an IT team: get a quote from Workato.
Whichever you choose, list your 10 busiest Zaps first and confirm every app they use exists in the new tool. See scores for each in our best AI automation tools ranking, and our Zapier pricing page to compare costs.
Switching tips from our editors
List every active Zap with its trigger, actions and filters before you start, and rebuild the busiest ones first.
Check each app your Zaps use is supported in the new tool. Zapier's 9,000+ library is the largest, and rivals such as Make list about 3,000.
Run the old and new workflows side by side for a week, with the new one writing to a test sheet or channel, before switching Zapier off.
Update any webhook URLs in your source apps so they point at the new tool.
Cancel or downgrade Zapier before your renewal date. You keep paid features until the end of the billing cycle.
Zapier's name for an automated workflow: one trigger followed by one or more actions.
Task
Zapier's billing unit. One action step that finishes successfully counts as one task; triggers and filters are free.
Trigger
The event that starts a Zap, such as a new email, form entry or spreadsheet row.
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
An open standard that lets AI assistants such as ChatGPT or Claude use outside tools. Zapier MCP gives them access to Zapier's app actions.
Activity
The billing unit for Zapier Agents. Each action an agent takes, such as a web search or an app update, is one activity.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Zapier?
n8n's Community Edition and Activepieces' Community Edition are both free to self-host with no task limits beyond your own server. If you do not want to run a server, Make's Free plan gives 1,000 credits a month, ten times Zapier's 100 free tasks.
Is Make cheaper than Zapier?
At the entry level, yes. Make's paid plan starts at $9 a month for 5,000 credits, while Zapier's Professional plan is $19.99 a month billed yearly for 750 tasks. Both count each step, so the gap stays large as you grow.
Is n8n better than Zapier?
For technical teams, usually. n8n ranks above Zapier in our best AI automation tools because it can be self-hosted, bills per workflow run and gives more control over code and AI agents. Zapier is easier and connects more apps.
Which Zapier alternative is best for Microsoft 365?
Microsoft Power Automate. It is priced per user ($15 a month billed yearly for Premium), connects deeply to Outlook, Teams and SharePoint, and can automate desktop apps.
Can I import my Zaps into another tool?
Plan to rebuild them. We did not find an official one-click Zap importer in n8n, Make or Activepieces, so budget time to recreate and test each workflow.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from public information. Vendor figures are labelled as vendor claims.