Make
Why Make
Make connects hundreds of apps together into automated workflows using a visual drag-and-drop interface. It supports complex multi-step logic including routers, iterators and custom code for advanced scenarios. Operations teams and non-technical staff use it to automate business processes across their tools without writing code or maintaining infrastructure.
What it does
Make is a visual automation platform, formerly called Integromat. You build scenarios on a canvas by connecting modules, one for each app or action. A scenario starts with a trigger, such as a new row, a webhook or a schedule, and runs the steps you laid out.
It supports routers, iterators, aggregators, data stores, error handlers and functions, so one scenario can branch, loop and clean up its own data. It also has AI agents, an MCP server and a developer hub with an API.
Why you would need it
Every business ends up with work that moves data between tools by hand. A lead arrives in a form, someone copies it to the CRM, someone else posts it in chat and a third person updates a sheet. It is slow and it breaks as soon as someone is off sick.
I would look at Make when simple A to B automations are no longer enough. If your flow needs a condition, a loop or several apps in sequence, a visual canvas shows the logic in a way that a list of steps does not.
Where it fits
Make sits in the middle of your stack. Triggers from apps and webhooks feed it. It writes to your CRM, chat, sheets, email and anything else with an app or an API. It replaces manual copying and, for many teams, a more basic automation tool. The card for Make says it connects more than 3,000 apps.
What stands out
- Branching, looping and aggregation in one scenario.
- Pricing is based on credits, not seats, so teams do not pay for each user.
- The MCP server and client are included in every plan, including the free one, so AI tools can run scenarios you built.
- Webhooks, an API and custom apps for tools without a ready-made app.
My take
As a Zapier Certified Expert, I have used Zapier since 2014. I have also used Make in the past, when it was still called Integromat, though only on the free version. My view of Make comes from research, not heavy production use.
Coming from Zapier, Make's interface felt both intriguing and intimidating. The canvas suits people who think in flowcharts, but Zapier's linear builder is quicker for simple tasks. Make has a steeper learning curve. Where Make wins is complex, branched workflows. I still prefer Zapier for ease of use and n8n for ultimate flexibility, but Make covers most needs in between.
Verdict
Pick Make if you are hitting limits with simpler tools, need branching logic and do not want to run servers. Skip it if you only need simple A to B connections, where Zapier is friendlier, or if you want to self-host, where n8n is the better fit.
Notes
Your note
Before you choose
Steeper learning curve
You have to think through data mapping and logic flow. Plan time to learn it, and use Make's Academy and community templates. If the people building automations are not technical, start with one small scenario.
Read moreShow less
Credits are harder to predict
Pricing is credit-based, and a scenario with many steps and loops uses credits fast. Run your most complex scenario a few times on the free plan and see how many credits it uses before you choose a plan.
API access depends on the plan
Make's developer docs say most API endpoints are reserved for paid plans. The MCP server's scenario run tools are on all plans, but the tools that manage scenarios, connections and teams need a paid plan.
Compare it with the alternatives
Compare Zapier for ease and the widest app list, n8n for self-hosting and flexibility and Pipedream if your team writes code. Build the same small flow in two of them before you decide.