Zapier charges $400/month. Your competitor pays $30 for the same automation.
It’s not magic. They just use Make.com.
Make.com (formerly Integromat) is the visual automation platform that enterprise companies use for complex workflows — but at a price accessible to small businesses.
The problem with most automation tools? They’re either too expensive (Zapier) or too technical (n8n requires a server and code). Make.com is the sweet spot: drag-and-drop interface, 1500+ integrations, and pricing that won’t eat your budget.
This guide is for you if:
- You’re a marketing team wanting to automate without begging a developer
- Operations manager looking for a cheaper Zapier alternative
- Agency building automations for clients
- Freelancer ready to scale your business
What you’ll learn:
- How Make.com works (terminology, concepts)
- Your first scenario from A to Z (hands-on tutorial)
- Advanced patterns: routers, iterators, error handling
- Pricing: how to estimate costs with no surprises
- Make vs Zapier vs n8n: honest comparison
Make.com in 3 Minutes
Make.com is a cloud-based visual automation platform. Instead of writing code, you connect modules on a canvas — like LEGO for business processes.
Core features:
- Visual scenario builder — see data flow in real-time
- 1500+ integrations — from Google Sheets to Salesforce
- Cloud-hosted — no server to maintain, works immediately
- Built-in error handling — errors don’t stop the entire workflow
Terminology: Make vs Zapier
Before continuing, memorize these terms. You’ll see them everywhere.
| Make.com | Zapier | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Scenario | Zap | One complete workflow (from trigger to end) |
| Module | Step / Action | One specific operation (e.g. “Create Row”) |
| Operation | Task | One module execution = what you pay for |
| Connection | Connection | Credentials to an app (OAuth or API key) |
| Bundle | — | Data packet passing between modules |
💡 Key insight: Zapier counts tasks (entire Zap = 1 task). Make counts operations (each module = 1 op). For complex workflows, Make ends up cheaper.
Why Teams Migrate to Make?
- 4-5x cheaper than Zapier for the same volume of operations
- Routers, Iterators, Aggregators — logic Zapier doesn’t have (or is enterprise-only)
- Unlimited scenarios on all plans — you don’t pay per workflow count
- Visual debugging — see exactly where the problem is
6 Make.com Scenarios You Can Steal
Theory is nice. But you want to see what people actually build with Make.com.
Here are 6 scenarios we build most often. Each saves 5-15 hours weekly.
Lead Capture & Enrichment
Trigger: New Typeform/Tally submission
Flow: Clearbit enrichment → HubSpot create contact → Slack notification → Email sequence start
Why Make: Router module sends hot leads (score >50) directly to sales, rest goes to nurture sequence.
E-commerce Order Flow
Trigger: New Shopify/WooCommerce order
Flow: Generate invoice → Update inventory → Create shipping label → Customer email
Why Make: Iterator handles orders with 20+ products without breaking a sweat. Zapier chokes.
Content Repurposing
Trigger: New YouTube video published
Flow: Transcribe → AI summarize → LinkedIn post + Twitter thread + Blog draft
Why Make: HTTP module calls custom AI (Claude/GPT) with the exact prompts you want.
Client Reporting (Agencies)
Trigger: Every Monday 8:00 AM
Flow: Pull GA4 + Meta Ads → Aggregate data → Generate PDF → Email to client
Why Make: Data Stores keep historical data. Aggregator combines everything into one report.
Support Ticket Triage
Trigger: New Zendesk/Freshdesk ticket
Flow: AI classify → Route by category → Auto-respond if FAQ
Why Make: Router + Text Parser filter by keywords. 60% of tickets resolved automatically.
Invoice Processing
Trigger: Email with attachment (invoice)
Flow: Extract PDF → OCR → Validate data → Push to accounting software
Why Make: Built-in OCR + error handling. Bad invoice? Goes to review queue, never lost.
💡 Pro Tip: Don’t try to automate everything at once. Pick one scenario, deploy it, stabilize it. Then add the next one.
Core Concepts (Understand Before You Build)
Before you open Make.com, you need to understand how data flows. Otherwise, you’ll wonder why your scenario isn’t working.
How Operations Are Counted (= Your Money)
One module execution = 1 operation. This is the unit you pay for.
Example: Form → Enrich → CRM → Slack
1 op 1 op 1 op 1 op = 4 operationsWatch out for Iterators: If you have 10 rows in a table and process them with Iterator:
Iterator (1 op) → Process each row (10 ops) = 11 operationsBundles: How Data Flows
Bundle = one data packet passing between modules. Think of it as a JSON object.
{
"name": "John Smith",
"email": "john@company.com",
"score": 75
}When mapping data, you drag fields from previous modules:
{{1.name}} → "John Smith"
{{1.email}} → "john@company.com"
{{formatDate(now; "DD.MM.YYYY")}} → "10.01.2026"💡 The number
1is the module ID. Module #1 is the trigger, #2 is the second, etc.
Instant vs Scheduled: When to Use What
| Type | How it works | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Instant (Webhook) | Reacts immediately | Form submissions, Stripe events, real-time alerts |
| Scheduled | Checks at interval (1-15 min) | Email polling, daily reports, batch processing |
Free plan: minimum 15 minute interval
Paid: down to 1 minute (or instant with webhooks)
Connections: One App = One Connection
When you connect an app (e.g., Google Sheets), Make creates a Connection — stored credentials.
Best practices:
- Create a dedicated service account for automations (not your personal one)
- Name clearly:
Google - Marketing Teaminstead ofMy Google - One account = one connection (don’t share across scenarios without reason)
Error Handling: The 4 Directives
Make has built-in error handling — something Zapier doesn’t have at the basic level.
| Directive | What it does | Use case |
|---|---|---|
| Break | Stops + saves data | API timeout → retry later |
| Resume | Continues with default value | Missing optional field |
| Commit | Saves successful ones, stops on error | Partial success is OK |
| Ignore | Skips the bad bundle | One bad record doesn’t stop 99 good ones |
We’ll cover error handling in detail in the reliability section.
Interface Tour (2 Minutes)
First time in Make.com can feel overwhelming. Here’s what you need to know.
Dashboard: Your Control Center
When you log in, you’ll see 4 key sections in the left menu:
- Scenarios — list of all your workflows (where you’ll spend 90% of your time)
- Connections — stored credentials to apps (Google, Slack, HubSpot…)
- Data stores — internal “databases” for storing state
- Templates — 1000+ ready scenarios for quick starts
Scenario Editor: Where You Build
Click on a scenario and you enter the canvas — a blank slate with one circle in the middle.
Key elements:
- ”+” button — add modules (search bar finds 1500+ apps)
- Lines between modules — show data flow
- Bottom panel — settings for the selected module
- ⚙️ Settings (bottom left) — scheduling, error handling, name
4 Buttons You’ll Use Constantly
| Button | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Run once | Bottom left | Tests the scenario once (without activating it) |
| ON/OFF toggle | Bottom left | Turns scheduling on/off |
| 🕐 History | Top right | Execution logs (what passed, what failed) |
| 📝 Notes | Top right | Notes for you or the team |
Where to Find Help
- ”?” next to every field — documentation for that specific module
- Make Academy — free video courses
- Community Forum — questions and answers
- Templates — reverse-engineer ready-made scenarios
💡 Pro tip: When confused, start from a Template and modify it. Faster than starting from zero.
Your First Scenario from A to Z
Enough theory. Let’s build something real.
What we’ll build: Google Form submission → record in Google Sheet → Slack notification.
Why this example: Covers 3 apps, shows data mapping, and is immediately useful.
Create a new scenario
- Login to make.com (free account is enough)
- Click “Create a new scenario” (top right)
- You’ll see an empty canvas with a question mark in the middle
- Click on it → search for “Google Forms”
- Select “Watch Responses”
Connect Google Forms
- Click “Add” next to Connection → “Create a connection”
- Login with the Google account where your form lives
- Grant access (Make asks for read-only for Forms)
- Select your form from the dropdown
- “From now on” — will only catch new submissions
Add Google Sheets
- Click ”+” to the right of the Google Forms module
- Search “Google Sheets” → “Add a Row”
- Connect the same (or different) Google account
- Select spreadsheet and sheet
- Mapping: drag fields from Forms to columns:
Column A (Name) ← {{1.answers.`Your name`}}
Column B (Email) ← {{1.answers.`Email address`}}
Column C (Date) ← {{formatDate(1.timestamp; "DD.MM.YYYY HH:mm")}}Add Slack notification
- Click ”+” after the Sheets module
- Search “Slack” → “Send a Message” (or “Create a Message”)
- Connect your Slack workspace
- Select a channel (e.g., #leads)
- Compose your message:
🎯 New form submission!
Name: {{1.answers.`Your name`}}
Email: {{1.answers.`Email address`}}
Time: {{formatDate(now; "HH:mm")}}
→ Sheet updated automatically ✅Test
- Click “Run once” (bottom left)
- Open your Google form in another tab
- Fill out and submit a test response
- Return to Make — you should see green checkmarks on each module
- Verify: new row in Sheet? Message in Slack?
Activate
- Everything passed? Click the ON/OFF toggle (bottom left) → ON
- Choose interval: “Immediately” (webhook) or “Every 15 minutes” (free plan)
- Save the scenario (Ctrl+S or click “Save”)
- Done! 🎉
Result: Every new form → automatically in Sheet + Slack ping. Without touching anything.
6 Advanced Modules You’ll Use Constantly
Basic scenarios are done. Now comes Make’s real power — modules that Zapier doesn’t have (or hides behind enterprise pricing).
Router: Branching Logic
Problem: You want different actions based on conditions.
Solution: Router creates multiple paths from a single point.
Lead Score > 50 → Route 1 → Notify Sales
Lead Score ≤ 50 → Route 2 → Add to NurtureExample: New lead → Router checks source. Facebook? → One flow. Google? → Another flow.
Tip: Each route has a filter. No filter = default path.
Iterator: Processing Arrays
Problem: You receive a list (5 products in an order, 10 attachments in an email).
Solution: Iterator breaks the array into separate bundles.
Order with 5 items → Iterator → 5 separate bundles
Each bundle = 1 product to processExample: Email with 3 PDFs → Iterator → Upload each to Google Drive separately.
Warning: 1 Iterator + 10 items = 11 operations (1 start + 10 processes).
Aggregator: Combining Data
Problem: After Iterator you have 10 bundles, you want to combine them back.
Solution: Aggregator combines multiple bundles into one.
3 types:
- Array Aggregator — collects into array
- Text Aggregator — concatenates text
- Numeric Aggregator — sum, average, count
Example: 5 order line items → Text Aggregator → one email with all products.
HTTP Module: Custom APIs
Problem: Your app doesn’t have native Make integration.
Solution: HTTP module calls any API directly.
Method: POST
URL: https://api.yourapp.com/leads
Headers: Authorization: Bearer {{token}}
Body: {"name": "{{1.name}}", "email": "{{1.email}}"}Tip: Use “Parse JSON” module after HTTP for easy access to response fields.
Data Stores: Internal DB
Problem: You need to remember state between executions (which orders you already processed).
Solution: Data Store = key-value database inside Make.
Use cases:
- Deduplication — save order_id, check before processing
- Counters — number of executions today
- Lookup tables — mapping between IDs
Limits: Free = 1 store, 1MB. Pro = 10 stores.
Webhooks: Receiving Data
Problem: You want an external system to trigger your scenario.
Solution: Custom Webhook generates a unique URL.
https://hook.eu1.make.com/abc123xyzSend POST to this URL → scenario executes immediately.
Example: Stripe Webhook → Make receives payment event → updates CRM.
Bonus: “Webhook Response” module returns a response to the caller.
💡 Rule of thumb: If Zapier is limiting you — Router, Iterator, or HTTP module probably solve the problem in Make.
Error Handling & Reliability
APIs go down. Data is missing. Services timeout. The question isn’t if it will happen, but when.
Make has built-in error handling — something that separates production-ready scenarios from fragile prototypes.
The 4 Error Directives (In Detail)
When a module fails, you choose what happens:
| Directive | What it does | Real use case |
|---|---|---|
| Break | Stops scenario, saves data for later | API timeout → retry in 1 hour |
| Resume | Continues with default value | Email missing → use “unknown@temp.com” |
| Commit | Saves successful ones, stops on error | 9/10 rows passed → save them, log the bad one |
| Ignore | Skips the bad bundle, continues | One bad JSON shouldn’t stop 99 good ones |
How to add: Click on the line between modules → Add error handler → choose directive.
Incomplete Executions: Your Safety Net
When a scenario stops with an error and you use Break, data goes to Incomplete Executions.
Where: Scenario → History → Tab “Incomplete”
What you can do:
- Replay — try again (after API is back up)
- Resolve manually — mark as handled
- Delete — remove if it was just a test
Auto-retry: Scenario settings → Incomplete executions → “Automatically resolve” + number of attempts.
Notifications: Know When Something Breaks
Built-in:
- Email notification — Scenario settings → Notifications → ON
- You get an email on every error
Custom (better):
Error Handler (Break) → Slack Module → "#errors channel"Message template:
🚨 Scenario {{scenarioName}} failed!
Error: {{error.message}}
Bundle: {{bundle}}
Time: {{formatDate(now; "HH:mm DD.MM")}}Pattern: Centralized Error Handler
For production with many scenarios — one “Error Hub” scenario:
- Every scenario has Error Handler → HTTP module → POST to Error Hub webhook
- Error Hub receives all errors → logs to Google Sheet + Slack + Email
- One dashboard for all errors
💡 This is the equivalent of Error Workflow in n8n. Production-grade setup.
Pricing: How to Calculate Costs (No Surprises)
Make pricing is predictable — if you understand how operations are counted. Here’s everything.
How Operations Are Counted
1 module executed = 1 operation (this is what you pay for)Examples:
| Scenario | Calculation | Total ops |
|---|---|---|
| Form → Sheet → Slack | 1 + 1 + 1 | 3 ops |
| Form → Iterator (5 items) → Sheet | 1 + 1 + 5 | 7 ops |
| Form → Router (2 routes taken) → 2×Slack | 1 + 2 + 2 | 5 ops |
Error = also an operation. If a module fails, it still counts.
Make.com Plans (2026)
| Plan | Price/month | Operations | Scenarios | Min Interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 | 2 | 15 min |
| Core | $9 | 10,000 | ∞ | 1 min |
| Pro | $16 | 10,000 | ∞ | 1 min |
| Teams | $29 | 10,000 | ∞ | 1 min |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | ∞ | Instant |
Additional ops: +$9 per 10,000 (on all plans).
Make vs Zapier: The Real Comparison
| Monthly volume | Zapier price | Make price | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | ~$100 | ~$9 | 91% |
| 20,000 | ~$300 | ~$27 | 91% |
| 50,000 | ~$600 | ~$54 | 91% |
💡 Why the difference? Zapier counts “tasks” (entire Zap = 1 task). Make counts “operations” (each module). For complex workflows, Make is drastically cheaper.
How to Optimize Operations
- Filters BEFORE expensive modules — save ops by stopping unnecessary executions early
- Aggregator instead of multiple sends — 10 Slack messages = 10 ops. 1 aggregated = 1 op
- Data Store for deduplication — check if you already processed before starting
- Combine HTTP calls — one batch request instead of 10 separate ones
When to Upgrade
| From → To | When |
|---|---|
| Free → Core | >2 scenarios or >1,000 ops/month |
| Core → Pro | Need custom variables, full-text search |
| Pro → Teams | Team >1 person, folders, permissions |
| Teams → Enterprise | SSO, audit logs, dedicated support |
Make vs Alternatives (Honest Comparison)
No tool is perfect for everything. Here’s when Make is the right choice — and when it isn’t.
Make vs Zapier
| Criterion | Make | Zapier | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $9/10K ops | $50/5K tasks | Make (4-5x) |
| Ease | Medium | Very easy | Zapier |
| Power | Routers, Iterators, Error handling | Basic branching | Make |
| Integrations | 1,500+ | 5,000+ | Zapier |
| Visual debugging | Real-time | Limited | Make |
Verdict:
- Choose Make if you want power at an affordable price
- Choose Zapier if your team is 100% non-technical and wants the simplest option
Make vs n8n
| Criterion | Make | n8n | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Cloud only | Cloud + Self-host | n8n |
| Price | Per operation | Free self-host | n8n |
| Code access | Limited | Full JS/Python | n8n |
| Setup | Instant | Requires server | Make |
| Learning curve | Medium | Higher | Make |
Verdict:
- Choose Make if you want no-code and won’t host anything
- Choose n8n if you have tech resources and want full control
When NOT to Choose Make
💡 Our approach: We recommend the right tool for the job. Sometimes that’s Make, sometimes n8n, sometimes a combination.
Security & Compliance
“Can I run business data through Make.com?” — Yes. Here’s what you need to know.
Where Does Your Data Live?
Make.com offers EU and US data centers. You choose the region when signing up.
| Certification | Status |
|---|---|
| SOC 2 Type II | ✅ Certified |
| GDPR | ✅ Compliant (EU data center) |
| ISO 27001 | ✅ Certified |
Data retention: Configurable. Execution logs can be kept from 1 day to 1 year (depends on plan).
How Are Credentials Protected?
- Encrypted at rest — API keys and tokens are encrypted in the database
- OAuth 2.0 — for most apps (Google, Slack, HubSpot) you don’t store passwords
- Connection isolation — each connection is separate, not shared across scenarios without explicit choice
Access Control (Teams/Enterprise)
| Feature | Teams | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| User roles | ✅ | ✅ |
| Scenario permissions | ✅ | ✅ |
| Folders & organization | ✅ | ✅ |
| Audit logs | ❌ | ✅ |
| SSO (SAML) | ❌ | ✅ |
For Regulated Industries
💡 Bottom line: For most B2B use cases, Make.com is secure enough. For healthcare/finance — Enterprise plan + additional agreements.
Templates & Resources (Don’t Start from Zero)
Why reinvent the wheel? Here’s where to find ready-made solutions.
Make Template Gallery
1000+ ready scenarios, organized by category:
- Marketing — Lead capture, email sequences, social posting
- Sales — CRM sync, deal alerts, proposal generation
- HR — Onboarding flows, time tracking, leave requests
- Finance — Invoice processing, expense reports, payment reminders
How to use: Templates → Search → Preview → “Use template” → adapt for your apps.
Make Academy (Free)
| Course | Level | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Make Fundamentals | Beginner | 2-3 hours |
| Advanced Automation | Intermediate | 4-5 hours |
| Make Certification | Pro | Exam-based |
Community
- Make Community Forum — official, active, answers from Make team
- Reddit r/Integromat — tips, use cases, troubleshooting
- Facebook groups — local communities
🎁 Zapier → Make: Migration Guide
Paying too much for Zapier? We’ve prepared a complete migration kit:
- 📊 Detailed price comparison — Zapier vs Make plan by plan
- 📋 Equivalence table — Zap terms → Make terms
- ✅ 7-step migration checklist — no missed steps
- ⚡ Make.com Cheat Sheet — quick reference for print
Free. Enter your email in the sidebar form →
Conclusion: Make.com in 5 Points
You’ve read 4000+ words. Here’s what matters:
Make = sweet spot between price and power. It’s not the cheapest (n8n self-hosted is free). It’s not the easiest (Zapier is simpler). But it’s the best balance.
Visual builder shows what’s happening in real-time. Debugging from hours → minutes.
Pricing is predictable. Operations, not tasks. For complex workflows — 4-5x cheaper than Zapier.
Error handling is built-in. Break, Resume, Commit, Ignore. You don’t lose data when something breaks.
Ideal for: marketing teams, operations, agencies, freelancers. Anyone who wants automation without writing code.
Your Action Plan
| When | What | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Sign up (free) → first scenario from section 6 | Working Form → Sheet → Slack |
| Day 2-3 | Build a real automation from your work | 2-3 hours saved weekly |
| Week 1 | Add error handling + test | Production-ready scenario |
| Week 2 | Optimize operations, add second scenario | ROI visible |
Need Help?
Building complex scenarios? Migrating from Zapier? Not sure where to start?
We build Make.com scenarios for businesses. From simple integrations to enterprise solutions.
This guide is updated regularly. Last update: January 2026.
Found an error or have suggestions? Let us know. We’ll fix it quickly.