What is Zapier?
The main goal of Zapier is to save users time and effort, easily automating daily tasks in workflows called Zaps. By connecting your applications and creating workflows specific to your needs, you can therefore improve productivity in all areas of work and life.
Here are some of its main features (although not all of them are free)...
- Connect over 1,500 applications (free and premium)
- User friendly workflow editor for creating workflows/ZAPs (gratuitous)
- Zapier integrated applications (Free)
- Multi-step workflow and conditional logic (Premium)
- Collaboration tools for organizations and teams (Premium)
- Extended support (gratuitous)
Price: Zapier offers five plans for individuals, professionals, large teams, and businesses. Prices range from free to $250 per month (billed annually).
Now that you know a bit more about what Zapier has to offer, let's take a look at the top five free alternatives to Zapier that might be right for your organization...
🔗 Link: Discover Zapier
Best alternatives to Zapier
1. Integromat
Integromat is an advanced online automation platform that currently helps more than 49,000 businesses integrate their apps, services, and systems. Used by businesses around the world, Integromat customers include Uber, Adidas, and Cisco, to name a few.
- Visual editor - Integromat's user-friendly editor allows users to visually create automated workflows without having to touch a line of code. This helps users understand the steps of each automation, what is happening, and how the final results are delivered.
- Apps - Integromat integrates with hundreds of applications and services. It also provides HTTP/SOAP and JSON modules that allow you to connect to almost any web service, even without having to code.
- Patterns - Choose from hundreds of templates that allow you to quickly set up workflows. You can use them as they are or customize them to suit your project.
So how does Integromat compare to Zapier?
Advantages and disadvantages
While Integromat has impressive features, now let's take a quick look at its pros and cons compared to Zapier...
Pros
- Automated workflows and tasks - On the free plan, Integromat allows an unlimited number of scenarios (automated workflows) and up to 1,000 operations (tasks performed in a workflow) per month. In comparison, Zapier only offers five Zaps (automated workflows) and 100 tasks per month.
- Apps - Connections to all apps and services are included in the free Integromat plan. However, under the free Zapier plan, you won't be able to include some premium apps in your workflows.
Cons
- Assistance - Both Integromat and Zapier provide extensive knowledge bases and email support to their users. However, Integromat reserves priority support for users of its first-tier premium plans.
Pricing
After the free plan, Integromat offers five paid plans ranging from $9 per month to $299 per month.
🔗 Link: Discover Integromat
2. n8n
n8n is a scalable task automation tool. With an open code distribution model, n8n will always have visible source code, be available for self-hosting, and allow you to add your own custom functions, logic, and applications.
This is personally the tool I use today because Zapier gets really expensive if you automate a lot of tasks. Using n8n costs me 4.99€ per month, that is to say the cost of a VPS server. The price and the restriction on what I can do today no longer exist. A revolution concerning me!
So how does n8n compare to Zapier?
Advantages and disadvantages
Now let's take a look at the pros and cons of n8n compared to Zapier...
Pros
- 100% free, regardless of the number of automations, steps in your sequences or operations
- An active and responsive community
- Open-Source (free and regular updates)
- Easily extendable
- Easy to use
- Self-hosted (locally or via a VPS on Docker/or via Heroku)
- Allows you to secure your data at “you” and not on a third-party cloud
- Easily extendable
- Powerful: Nothing is simply impossible with n8n thanks to the custom functions!
Cons
- The necessary technical skills (in particular for The installation)
- A longer skill upgrade than Zapier
- Fewer native integrations available than Zapier even though the tool is becoming more and more available every day.
Pricing
100% Free
🔗 Link: Discover n8n
3. Automate.io
Automate is an effective solution that helps you integrate your cloud-based applications. With this tool, you can create your own complex workflows (called “bots”) and automate marketing, sales, e-commerce, and business processes.
- Ease of use - Automate is extremely quick to set up, thanks to a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. You can create individual integrations or multi-application workflows in minutes, allowing you to streamline sales processes, set up cross-functional internal workflows, automate email and social campaigns, and more.
- Multi-stage bots - Add multiple applications and actions to create complex automated workflows (Bot).
- eCommerce - Synchronize your store and e-commerce applications via Automate. Automatically create and send invoices, track orders and payments, and more.
Advantages and disadvantages
Automate excels compared to Zapier in a number of key areas...
Pros
- Actions - While Zapier only runs 100 tasks per month with the free plan, Automate runs 250 tasks per month.
- Multi-step workflow - As we have already mentioned, Automate allows multi-stage workflows on all levels, including the free version of its service. Zapier, on the other hand, only offers two-stage flows on the free plan, with multi-stage flows being reserved for premium users.
Cons
- Apps - Zapier connects a lot more apps and services than Automate.
Pricing
You can choose one of Five Automate.io plans, from free to $79 per month (annual billing).
🔗 Link: Discover Automate.io
4. Power Automate (e.g. Microsoft Flow)
Microsoft Flow is a feature-rich, impressive, and underrated service that consistently outperforms Zapier. With Microsoft Flow, you can use a variety of models to quickly create automated workflows between your favorite apps and services, sync files, collect data, and more.
- Patterns - Microsoft Flow has created thousands of templates to help you quickly set up automations. Organized into categories, you'll find templates for sales, marketing, education, social media, email, and HR, to name a few.
- Flow frequency - Microsoft Flow checks to see if your applications contain new information every 15 minutes, then runs automated flows as needed.
- Mobile application - The Microsoft Flow mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows will allow you to monitor and manage your workflows from anywhere.
Advantages and disadvantages
So let's take a look at the pros and cons of Microsoft Flow compared to Zapier...
Pros
- Unlimited flow creation - Microsoft Flow allows you to create as many automated flows as you want. However, Zapier only allows free plan users to create five Zaps.
- Number of tasks completed - Microsoft Flow allows up to 750 workflow tasks to run per month, while Zapier only gives free users 100 runs.
Cons
- Apps - As an automation tool, Power Automate is no match for Zapier in terms of the number of apps and services it allows you to connect to.
Pricing
Microsoft Flow offers three formulas, ranging from a free plan to $15 per month per user.
🔗 Link: Discover Power Automate
5. Workato
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Another item in this collection of free Zapier alternatives is Workato. It's an impressive platform that offers a wide range of features for professionals, teams, and businesses. However, the free plan is for individuals who want to organize and automate personal tasks.
- Intuitive interface - Workato is an extremely user-friendly platform that offers an intuitive interface for creating integrations and automations. So, without having to code, everyone can design workflows tailored to their specific needs.
- Community recipes - Use over 225,000 community recipes to help you set up workflows in minutes. You can personalize these recipes or use them as they are.
- security - Workato takes security seriously and has implemented numerous controls to ensure the safety of your data. These include access controls as well as data encryption and confidentiality with data masking, and much more.
Advantages and disadvantages
Workato currently has over 3,500 customers. But how does it compare to Zapier? We are going to find out...
Pros
- Smart triggers - Free users can use smart trigger functions, which will help them create complex and specific workflows. These include conditional triggers, sequence processing, and duplicate record detection, to name a few. However, if you want to incorporate smart triggers into your Zapier workflows, you'll need to upgrade to a premium plan.
- Scalability - Workato is an ideal platform for businesses and can support and connect large teams, whether the focus is on improving administration, operations, or development. With a wide assortment of features and packages on offer, Workato offers scalability like no other, including Zapier.
Cons
- Support - Workato provides a knowledge base full of tutorials and articles, as well as eBooks, webinars, etc. However, immediate help on the free plan is limited to the community forum, while Zapier provides free users with email support.
Pricing
You have the choice between five formulas, ranging from free to $2,499 per month (billed annually).
🔗 Link: Discover Workato
6. IFTTT
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IFTTT is a completely free tool that will allow you to connect your applications and devices, helping to make your life easier. Organize your social media posts, make your voice assistant more enjoyable, or design a smart home that reacts to real life signals with this fun and useful solution.
- Connect services - IFTTT will allow you to connect over 600 services, which include apps, business tools, cloud platforms and email providers, as well as physical devices, to name a few.
- Applets - These specially designed workflows allow you to connect services and make them work together.
- IFTTT app - Download the app from the App Store or Google Play to access IFTTT on the go.
Advantages and disadvantages
Now let's look at the pros and cons of IFTTT compared to Zapier...
Pros
- Unlimited applets - You can connect as many services as you want and run an unlimited number of workflows through applets. However, by comparison, Zapier's free plan only allows you to create 5 Zaps (workflows).
- Building a smart home - IFTTT can connect physical home devices including refrigerators, dishwashers, washer-dryers, and more. Zapier hasn't seen this type of integration yet.
Cons
- Creating an applet - Zapier allows you to create new custom Zaps in minutes. However, with IFTTT, if you can't find an applet that fits your needs, creating a new applet is not, compared to Zapier, a simple task.
Pricing
After the free plan, IFTTT offers 1 paid plan of $3.33 per month.
🔗 Link: Discover IFTT
Conclusion
Hope you enjoyed this list of the best free alternatives to Zapier.
Have we forgotten about great free alternatives to Zapier? If yes, please share them in the comments below...
