Key Takeaways
- Make (formerly Integromat) offers a powerful visual workflow builder that rivals Zapier at a fraction of the cost.
- The free plan includes 1,000 operations/month — generous enough for solo creators and small teams.
- Make excels at complex, multi-step automations but has a steeper learning curve than simpler tools.
- With 385,000+ active users estimated in 2024, Make's adoption continues to accelerate rapidly.
- Best suited for power users, developers, and businesses with advanced automation needs.
What Is Make (Formerly Integromat)?
Make — rebranded from Integromat in 2022 — is a no-code automation platform that lets you connect apps, automate repetitive tasks, and build complex workflows using a visual drag-and-drop interface. Think of it as a more powerful, more flexible alternative to Zapier, designed for users who need granular control over their automations.
With over 1,500 app integrations and a unique "scenario" builder that maps workflows visually, Make has carved out a loyal following among freelancers, agencies, and SMBs. If you want to dig deeper into how it stacks up against the competition, check out our No-Code Automation Tools: Full Platform Comparison (2024).
Make User Growth: 2018–2024
Make's user base has seen explosive growth over the past six years, reflecting a broader surge in demand for automation tools across industries.
| Year | Estimated Active Users (thousands) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 45,000 |
| 2019 | 62,000 |
| 2020 | 105,000 |
| 2021 | 180,000 |
| 2022 | 240,000 |
| 2023 | 310,000 |
| 2024 | 385,000 |
Source: AI-generated estimate based on market adoption trends. Data is indicative, not official.
Make Pricing Plans (2024)
One of Make's biggest selling points is its competitive pricing. Here's how the plans break down:
| Plan | Monthly Price | Operations/Month | Active Scenarios | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 | 2 | Beginners & testing |
| Core | $9/mo | 10,000 | 3 | Freelancers & solopreneurs |
| Pro | $16/mo | 10,000 | Unlimited | Growing teams |
| Teams | $29/mo | 10,000 | Unlimited | Collaborative teams |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Unlimited | Large organisations |
Operations are the key metric to watch — each action a scenario performs counts as one operation. Heavy workflows can burn through your allowance fast, so calculate your usage before committing to a plan. Additional operations can be purchased as add-ons across all paid tiers.
Make Pros: What It Does Really Well
1. Visual Scenario Builder
Make's canvas-style workflow editor is genuinely impressive. Unlike Zapier's linear step-by-step builder, Make lets you design branching, looping, and conditional logic visually. This gives you a bird's-eye view of complex automations, making them far easier to debug and optimise.
2. Superior Value for Money
At $9/month for 10,000 operations, Make is considerably cheaper than Zapier's equivalent tier. For budget-conscious creators and small businesses, this pricing difference can be substantial — especially when running dozens of automations simultaneously.
3. Advanced Data Manipulation
Make supports iterators, aggregators, routers, and error handlers natively. You can transform, filter, and manipulate data between steps without writing a line of code — something Zapier charges premium for or locks behind workarounds.
4. Robust App Library
With 1,500+ integrations including OpenAI, Google Workspace, Slack, Airtable, Shopify, and hundreds of niche tools, Make covers most business use cases. The ChatGPT API integration alone makes it a favourite for AI-powered automation workflows.
5. Active Community and Templates
Make's template library contains thousands of pre-built scenarios contributed by users. For common use cases, you're often just a few clicks away from a working automation.
Make Cons: Where It Falls Short
1. Steep Learning Curve
The visual power comes at a cost — Make is noticeably harder to get started with than tools like Zapier or Pabbly Connect. New users often find the interface overwhelming. Budget extra onboarding time if your team isn't technically inclined.
2. Operations Can Add Up Quickly
If your scenarios run frequently or process large datasets, you can blow through your monthly operation allowance faster than expected. Understanding how operations are counted is essential before building production workflows.
3. Support Response Times
While Make offers a solid help centre and community forum, live support can be slow on lower-tier plans. Enterprise users get priority support, but Core and Pro users may wait longer than ideal when something breaks in a critical workflow.
4. Occasional Reliability Hiccups
Some users report intermittent scenario failures and slow execution times during peak periods. While Make has improved significantly, it hasn't yet matched Zapier's uptime reputation in all regions.
Make vs. Zapier: Quick Comparison
| Feature | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free / $9/mo | Free / $19.99/mo |
| Visual Builder | Canvas-style | Linear steps |
| Logic & Branching | Advanced (native) | Limited (premium) |
| App Integrations | 1,500+ | 6,000+ |
| Ease of Use | Moderate | Beginner-friendly |
| Best For | Power users | General users |
For a more thorough head-to-head across multiple platforms including n8n, see our full no-code automation platform comparison.
Who Should Use Make in 2024?
Make is ideal for: Agencies managing multiple client workflows, developers who want no-code speed with developer-level control, eCommerce operators running complex order management pipelines, and content creators automating multi-platform publishing.
Make is NOT ideal for: Complete beginners who need something working in under an hour, teams with very simple, single-step automation needs, or businesses that require the broadest possible app library (Zapier still wins there with 6,000+ integrations).
If your workflows involve AI tools, Make's native OpenAI module makes it easy to plug in AI steps without custom code. Pair it with strategies from our guide on connecting ChatGPT to Google Sheets via API to build seriously powerful data pipelines.
Final Verdict
Make earns a strong 4.3/5 for 2024. It delivers exceptional value, genuinely powerful automation capabilities, and a visual builder that experienced users will love. The learning curve is real, but the payoff — in both capability and cost savings — is substantial. For more context on where Make fits in the broader automation ecosystem, visit Make's official site or check out verified user reviews on G2.
If you're serious about automation and willing to invest time learning the platform, Make is one of the smartest choices available in 2024. For teams who need enterprise-grade power without enterprise-level pricing, it's hard to beat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Make (Integromat) free to use?
Yes. Make offers a permanent free plan with 1,000 operations per month and up to 2 active scenarios. It's enough to test the platform and run simple automations, but most serious users will eventually need a paid plan.
How does Make differ from Zapier?
Make uses a visual canvas-based builder that supports advanced logic like branching, looping, and error handling natively. Zapier is more beginner-friendly with a linear interface but charges more for similar functionality. Make is generally cheaper and more powerful; Zapier is easier and has more app integrations.
What are Make "operations"?
An operation is counted every time a module (app action) runs within a scenario. A scenario with five steps that triggers 100 times per month uses 500 operations. Each plan has a monthly operation cap, and additional operations can be purchased as add-ons.
Can I use Make with AI tools like ChatGPT?
Absolutely. Make has a native OpenAI module that lets you integrate GPT models directly into your workflows — no custom API coding required. This is one of its most popular use cases in 2024, from automated content generation to intelligent data processing pipelines.
Is Make suitable for non-technical users?
Make has a steeper learning curve than tools like Zapier, but it's still genuinely no-code. Non-technical users can get started with templates and the built-in help resources. However, unlocking Make's full power typically requires some willingness to understand automation logic and data structures.