---
slug: best-zapier-alternatives
title: '10 Best Zapier Alternatives for Workflow Automation'
description: Zapier's per-task pricing punishes growth. Compare the 10 best Zapier alternatives - free, open-source, and AI-native - with real pricing breakdowns and use-case recommendations.
date: 2026-07-01
updated: 2026-07-01
authors:
  - emir
readingTime: 14
tags: [Zapier Alternatives, Workflow Automation, AI Agents, Sim]
ogImage: /library/best-zapier-alternatives/cover.jpg
canonical: https://www.sim.ai/library/best-zapier-alternatives
draft: false
---

You're here because the invoice surprised you.

Zapier's per-task pricing looked reasonable at five automations, but now your workflows have branches, your team has grown, and every action step is another line item you didn't budget for.

Whether you're hitting the complexity ceiling, need self-hosting for compliance, or your automation needs have evolved past simple trigger-action logic into AI-driven decision-making, this list covers the best Zapier alternatives across every profile and budget.

## TL;DR: The 10 Best Zapier Alternatives at a Glance

- **Sim:** The pick for teams building AI agent workflows that reason and act, not just move data between apps. Open source, self-hostable, SOC2 compliant.

- **Make:** Visual scenario builder with operations-based pricing that can cost 2 - 5x less than Zapier at equivalent volume. Best for power users who need branching and loop logic.

- **n8n:** Self-host for free with no execution limits and full data control. Requires technical chops but can't be beat on cost or privacy.

- **Pabbly Connect:** Flat-rate pricing with a lifetime deal starting at $249 one-time. The budget pick for straightforward multi-step automations.

- **Workato:** Enterprise-grade integration with strong governance, audit logging, and support SLAs. Priced accordingly, starting around $1,000/month.

- **Activepieces:** Open-source with an MIT license and a cleaner, more approachable UI than n8n. Growing integration library (280+) with a free self-hosted tier.

- **Microsoft Power Automate:** Deep native integration with Microsoft 365, Azure, and Dynamics 365, often already included in your existing license. Best for organizations standardized on the Microsoft stack.

- **Pipedream:** Hybrid code + no-code with serverless execution and 1,000+ integrations. Best for developers who want to drop real Node.js, Python, or Go into a workflow wherever a connector falls short.

- **Relay.app:** Purpose-built for human-in-the-loop workflows that pause for approval or review. Best for RevOps, HR, legal, and finance teams where one step needs a human decision.

- **Integrately:** One-click, pre-built automations with minimal configuration. Best for standard, well-defined scenarios where setup speed matters more than deep customization.

## Why Teams Are Leaving Zapier in 2026

Four major problems are pushing teams to explore alternatives. Most of them show up in the same month your automation count crosses double digits.

**Per-task pricing that scales against you.** Zapier becomes expensive because pricing is based on task volume, and every step in every automation counts as a task. Multi-step workflows and frequent runs push users into higher tiers quickly, even when the automation itself stays simple. A three-step Zap that runs 500 times per month burns through 1,000 tasks, and suddenly your $29.99/month Professional plan is either maxed out or you're paying overages.

**A free plan that isn't really a workable solution.** The Free plan gives you 100 tasks per month and limits you to two-step Zap workflows (one trigger and one action). Even light business automation quickly exceeds 100 tasks/month. If you're trying to validate real business workflows before spending money, 100 single-step tasks won't get you there.

**Limited multi-step logic on paid plans.** Zapier's linear editor handles sequential steps well but gets clunky when you need branching, looping, or complex conditional routing. Some AI tools offer a comparable feature set at roughly one-third the cost per operation, and their visual workflow builder handles branching, loops, and error handling better than Zapier.

**AI that feels bolted on.** Zapier has added AI features, including Copilot and Agents, but they sit alongside the existing trigger-action model rather than being woven into the workflow engine. For teams whose automation needs now involve reasoning, decision-making, and multi-model orchestration, the architecture matters as much as the feature list.

## The 10 Best Zapier Alternatives Reviewed

### Sim: Best for AI Agent Workflows

Most automation platforms treat AI as an add-on: connect to OpenAI, pass a prompt, get text back. Sim is built differently. It's an open-source, visual AI agent workflow builder where AI decision-making blocks sit at the center of your workflow logic rather than being tacked onto data routing.

The drag-and-drop editor lets you connect 1,000+ integrations with multi-LLM support spanning OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Mistral, and xAI. You can chain AI models, route data through conditional logic, loop through records, and deploy results via REST APIs, webhooks, scheduled jobs, or chat interfaces.

Chat, Sim's natural-language agent creation surface, lets you describe what you want in plain language and have Sim build the workflow for you. For teams with compliance requirements, Sim is SOC2 compliant and offers self-hosting via Docker or Kubernetes, meaning your workflow data never has to leave your infrastructure.

A free plan is available with no credit card required, and paid plans follow a credit-based model with options for bring-your-own API keys, eliminating markup on model usage. Team plans pool credits across seats with shared storage.

**Best for:** Developers, ops teams, and technical founders building AI-first automation where workflows need to think, not just transfer data.

### Make (formerly Integromat): Best for Complex Visual Workflows

Instead of a linear list of steps, Make gives you a visual canvas showing exactly how data flows through your automation. You can see branches, conditions, loops, and error handlers all at once, making debugging easier because you can literally trace where things went wrong.

The pricing model is where Make changes the math for growing teams. Make's Core plan starts at $10.59/month for 10,000 operations, compared to Zapier's $29.99/month for 750 tasks at entry-level pricing. Operations and tasks don't map 1:1; Make counts operations differently than Zapier counts tasks, and a single Zapier task might equal three to eight Make operations. Most teams running moderate automation volume will spend meaningfully less on Make.

Make connects 3,000+ apps and offers deeper per-app API coverage than Zapier on many integrations, with native modules for routers, iterators, aggregators, and error handlers that let you build workflows Zapier simply can't express in its linear editor.

The trade-off: if you've never used automation tools, Make will challenge you. The visual builder is powerful but intimidating for non-technical users. The learning curve is steeper, and the credit system requires some attention to avoid unexpected consumption.

**Best for:** Power users and small-to-mid teams who've outgrown Zapier's linear logic and want visual control over complex branching workflows.

### n8n: Best Open-Source Self-Hosted Option

n8n gives you a node-based visual editor with full JavaScript (and Python) support, and the standout feature is that you can self-host it for free with no execution limits. Your automation volume is bounded only by your server's capacity.

The data privacy angle is the primary reason teams choose n8n over hosted alternatives. Self-hosting means workflow data, API credentials, and execution logs never touch a third-party server. For companies in regulated industries or with strict data residency requirements, this isn't a nice-to-have; it's a hard requirement that rules out most other tools on this list.

n8n provides unlimited workflows and executions for free if you're willing to self-host. It requires a server and some DevOps knowledge, but there are no per-task charges at all. The cloud-managed version starts at roughly $24/month for teams that want n8n's workflow capabilities without managing infrastructure.

This means you'll need considerable technical expertise in setup and ongoing maintenance, including updates, backups, SSL, and uptime monitoring, to save more. If your team doesn't have someone comfortable with Docker, server provisioning, and debugging node-level errors, n8n will cost you time instead of saving it.

**Best for:** Developers and technical teams who need full data control or have compliance requirements that prohibit sending workflow data through third-party servers.

### Pabbly Connect: Best Budget Pick

Pabbly Connect's value proposition is straightforward: flat-rate pricing with no per-task surcharges on internal steps. There is no charge for internal tasks like filters and routers, which means your actual task consumption is lower than the equivalent workflow would cost on Zapier.

Paid subscription plans include Standard at $16/month for 12,000 tasks, Pro at $33/month for 24,000 tasks, and Ultimate at $67/month for up to 300,000 tasks (billed annually). But the real differentiator is the lifetime deal: Pabbly Connect offers unlimited workflows with lifetime pricing from $249 one-time. That's a single payment for perpetual access with a fixed monthly task allocation. For solopreneurs and small businesses running stable, predictable automations, the long-term savings compared to any recurring-fee platform are substantial.

As of March 2026, Pabbly Connect supports over 2,000 application integrations and handles multi-step workflows, conditional logic, webhook triggers, and scheduled automation. However, the interface feels less polished than Zapier or Make, with occasional quirky UX decisions, and support is email-only on lower plans with response times that can stretch past 24 hours.

**Best for:** Solopreneurs and small businesses running straightforward multi-step automations who want fixed, predictable costs without per-task billing.

### Microsoft Power Automate: Best for Microsoft 365 Shops

If your organization runs on Microsoft 365, Power Automate might already be included in your license. That's the single most important thing to check before evaluating it as a standalone purchase, because the native integration with the Microsoft 365, Azure, and Dynamics 365 ecosystem is the primary value driver.

Power Automate offers Copilot-assisted flow building (describe what you want and get a draft flow), desktop RPA capabilities for automating legacy applications that lack APIs, and deep hooks into SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, and Dataverse. For organizations already standardized on the Microsoft stack, the workflows you can build without leaving the ecosystem are impressive.

Pricing is per-user/month, and the licensing model is genuinely complex. There are standalone plans, plans bundled with Microsoft 365, plans for attended vs. unattended RPA, and premium connector fees that apply on top. Figuring out your actual cost requires reading Microsoft licensing documentation, which is an experience unto itself.

Outside the Microsoft ecosystem, however, Power Automate's connector quality drops sharply, and the UI feels dated compared to Make or n8n. If you're not a Microsoft shop, almost every other option on this list will serve you better.

**Best for:** Organizations already standardized on Microsoft 365 where Power Automate may already be included in their existing license.

### Workato: Best for Enterprise Integration

Workato is where you land when "we need Zapier but for the enterprise" stops being a joke and becomes a purchasing requirement. It handles complex logic, data orchestration, and governance at a level that none of the mid-market tools on this list attempt.

Enterprise-grade security features include robust audit logging, role-based access control, environment management (dev/staging/production), and support SLAs backed by contractual commitments. Workato connects deeply into ERP systems, CRMs, HRIS platforms, and custom internal applications, making it the standard choice for enterprises running mission-critical integrations across SAP, Salesforce, Workday, and NetSuite.

The pricing puts it firmly out of range for SMBs: expect starting costs around $1,000/month with pricing that scales based on connector count and recipe volume. This is negotiated, contract-based enterprise purchasing.

**Best for:** Enterprises running mission-critical integrations across ERP, CRM, and custom systems where governance, compliance, and reliable support SLAs justify the premium cost.

### Activepieces: Best Open-Source Pick for Non-Technical Users

Activepieces occupies a useful niche: open-source automation that doesn't require DevOps expertise to get started. Activepieces is licensed under MIT, the self-hosted version is free, and the cloud tier offers a free plan for light usage.

The interface is cleaner and more approachable than n8n's, which makes Activepieces the better open-source pick for teams that want the benefits of open source (data control, no vendor lock-in, community-driven development) without the technical overhead of managing a self-hosted n8n instance.

The integration library is growing but still smaller than the established players, with roughly 280+ pieces as of 2026. That's a trade-off worth acknowledging upfront: if your workflow depends on a niche app, check compatibility before committing. For common SaaS tools (Slack, Google Workspace, Notion, GitHub, CRMs), coverage is solid and expanding steadily.

**Best for:** Teams that want open-source flexibility with a friendlier interface than n8n, especially non-technical users who value data control but don't want to manage complex server infrastructure.

### Pipedream: Best for Developers Who Want Code + No-Code

Pipedream is the tool for developers who resent the constraints of no-code but appreciate not having to build and deploy an entire integration service from scratch. Its hybrid model lets you mix no-code integration steps with custom Node.js, Python, or Go code in the same workflow, all running serverlessly.

With 1,000+ pre-built integrations and a serverless execution model, there's no deployment overhead. You write a function, reference pre-authenticated app connections, and the platform handles the infrastructure. When a pre-built connector doesn't exist for an API you need, you drop in a code step and handle it directly, then return the results back into the visual workflow.

The pricing includes a generous free tier for individual developers and usage-based paid plans. The experience is closer to "cloud functions with a GUI" than a traditional automation platform, which is exactly why engineering teams like it so much.

**Best for:** Developers who need broad integration support with the freedom to write custom logic in real code wherever a no-code connector doesn't exist.

### Relay.app: Best for Human-in-the-Loop Workflows

Relay.app addresses a genuine gap that Zapier and most alternatives ignore: workflows where a human needs to approve, review, or decide before automation continues.

Full automation is inappropriate in many business contexts. Legal review, financial approvals, content sign-off, HR decisions; these all involve judgment calls that you don't want an automation engine making unilaterally. But fully manual handling is equally wasteful when 90% of the workflow is routine, and only one step requires human input. Relay.app lets you build the automated pipeline and insert human decision points exactly where they're needed. The workflow pauses, notifies the right person, collects their input, and continues.

The interface is clean, the setup is straightforward, and the concept is immediately understandable to non-technical stakeholders. The limitation is scope: Relay.app doesn't try to be a general-purpose automation powerhouse. It's purpose-built for approval and review workflows.

**Best for:** RevOps, HR, legal, and finance teams where full automation is inappropriate but full manual handling is equally wasteful.

### Integrately: Best for One-Click Setup

Integrately's pitch is speed to first automation. It offers a library of ready-made automations (called "one-click automations") that activate with minimal configuration. Pick your two apps, choose from pre-built workflows, authenticate, and you're running.

The depth of customization is limited compared to Make or n8n, but that's the point. Integrately serves teams that need basic automation running today without spending an afternoon in a workflow builder. Common use cases like CRM syncing, lead notifications, contact management, and social media posting are covered with templates that work out of the box.

Pricing is competitive for low-volume usage, and the free tier offers enough to test standard scenarios. The platform won't scale to complex, multi-branch logic, but for well-defined, standard automation scenarios, it's the fastest path from zero to running.

**Best for:** Small businesses and marketing teams running standard, well-defined automation scenarios who value setup speed over deep customization.

## How to Choose the Right Zapier Alternative for Your Team

The right tool for your needs depends entirely on where Zapier is failing you and what your team can realistically adopt.

Start with two questions: What specifically is failing for you in Zapier? And what does your team's technical depth look like? Those answers narrow the field faster than any feature comparison.

| Your Situation | Recommended Tool | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| I want AI agents that reason and decide, not just data routing | Sim | Native AI decision-making blocks, multi-LLM support, self-hostable |
| I need self-hosting for data compliance | n8n or Sim | Both offer Docker/Kubernetes deployment with no data leaving your infrastructure |
| I just want something cheaper with visual workflows | Make | Operations-based pricing costs 2 - 5x less than Zapier at equivalent volume |
| I want the absolute lowest cost, period | Pabbly Connect | Flat-rate pricing, lifetime deal from $249 one-time, no per-task surcharges on internal steps |
| I'm deep in the Microsoft ecosystem | Power Automate | Native M365/Azure/Dynamics integration, possibly already in your license |
| I need enterprise governance and support SLAs | Workato | Built for mission-critical integration with audit logging and environment management |
| I want open source, but I'm not deeply technical | Activepieces | MIT-licensed, cleaner UI than n8n, free self-hosted tier |
| I need code + no-code in the same workflow | Pipedream | Write Node.js/Python/Go alongside no-code steps, serverless execution |
| I need human approval steps in my automation | Relay.app | Purpose-built for workflows that pause for human review or decision |
| I want basic automation running in five minutes | Integrately | Pre-built one-click automations with minimal configuration |

## Zapier vs. Alternatives: Pricing Breakdown

This table shows pricing as of mid-2026. Verify all figures directly with vendors before committing to a purchase, as pricing changes frequently.

| Tool | Pricing Model | Entry-Level Paid Plan | Tasks/Ops Included | Free Tier? | Self-Host Option? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Zapier | Per-task | $29.99/mo (monthly) | 750 tasks | Yes (100 tasks/mo, 2-step only) | No |
| Sim | Credit-based | Varies by plan | Credit-based allocation | Yes (free plan, no CC required) | Yes (Docker/K8s) |
| Make | Per-operation (credit) | ~$10.59/mo (annual) | 10,000 operations | Yes (1,000 ops/mo) | No |
| n8n | Self-host free; cloud paid | ~$24/mo (cloud) | Unlimited (self-hosted) | Yes (self-hosted unlimited) | Yes |
| Pabbly Connect | Flat-rate | $16/mo (annual) | 12,000 tasks | Yes (100 tasks/mo) | No |
| Power Automate | Per-user/month | ~$15/user/mo | Varies by plan | Included in some M365 licenses | No (on-prem gateway available) |
| Workato | Custom/contract | ~$1,000/mo | Negotiated | No | No |
| Activepieces | Free self-hosted; cloud plans | Cloud free tier available | Varies | Yes (self-hosted unlimited) | Yes |
| Pipedream | Usage-based | Free tier generous | Varies by plan | Yes | No |
| Relay.app | Per-run | Varies | Varies by plan | Yes (limited) | No |
| Integrately | Task-based | Competitive entry price | Varies by tier | Yes (limited) | No |

Key insights from this table:

- Zapier's per-task model and operations-based models (Make) and flat-rate models (Pabbly Connect) behave very differently at scale
- Zapier's per-step task counting model means costs escalate quickly as workflows grow in complexity
- A five-step workflow running 100 times per day costs 500 tasks daily on Zapier, while Make's Core plan covers 10,000 operations per month for $10.59, and Pabbly's flat rate doesn't penalize you for internal steps at all
- For high-volume teams, the annual difference can be thousands of dollars

## The Bottom Line

The best Zapier alternatives in 2026 are split into three categories. If your primary goal is cost reduction, Make and Pabbly Connect deliver the most dramatic savings with different trade-offs: Make gives you visual complexity at lower per-operation pricing, while Pabbly's flat rate and lifetime deal make costs fully predictable. If your goal is data control and compliance, n8n (self-hosted), Activepieces, and Sim all offer self-hosting options that keep your data on your own infrastructure. And if your workflows have outgrown trigger-action logic entirely and you need AI agents that reason, decide, and act across your stack, Sim is the platform built from the ground up for that shift.

No single tool replaces Zapier for every team. Start by identifying the specific constraint that brought you here, whether it's pricing, complexity, data control, or AI capabilities, and match it against the routing table above. Most teams that switch successfully do so because they understand what they actually need rather than chasing the tool with the longest feature list.

## FAQ

### What is the best free alternative to Zapier?

It depends on whether you mean cloud-hosted or self-hosted. For cloud free tiers, Sim offers a free plan with no credit card required, and Make provides 1,000 operations per month on its free plan. For genuinely unlimited free automation, n8n (self-hosted) and Activepieces (self-hosted) both offer unrestricted execution at no cost, though they require you to provision and maintain your own server. The cloud free tiers are best for testing; the self-hosted options are viable for production if your team has the technical resources.

### Is n8n better than Zapier?

For teams with developer resources, n8n wins on cost (free self-hosted with no execution limits) and data control (nothing leaves your infrastructure). Zapier wins on ease of use, integration breadth (7,000+ apps vs. n8n's smaller catalog), and polished onboarding. The best answer depends on whether your team has the expertise to manage a self-hosted instance. If you do, n8n can save thousands annually. If you don't, the time cost of maintaining n8n may exceed the subscription savings.

### What is the cheapest Zapier alternative?

For zero-cost automation, n8n and Activepieces self-hosted options are free with no execution limits. Among paid hosted platforms, Pabbly Connect starts at $16/month with annual billing and includes 12,000 tasks with no charges for internal steps. Pabbly also offers lifetime pricing from $249 one-time, making it the cheapest long-term option for teams that want hosted automation without managing their own servers.

### Can I migrate my Zaps to another platform?

There is no automated migration tool between platforms. You need to rebuild workflows manually. Simple two- to three-step Zaps typically take 10 - 15 minutes to recreate on any alternative platform. Complex multi-branch workflows with conditional logic, custom formatting, and multiple API connections can take 30 - 60 minutes each. Most Zapier Zaps can be recreated in Make in 15 - 30 minutes because the concepts are similar, and a full migration typically takes one to two days for a moderate-sized automation library.

### What is the difference between Zapier and an AI agent workflow platform?

Zapier follows a trigger-action model: an event happens in App A, and data moves to App B. The logic is predefined, deterministic, and sequential. An AI agent workflow platform like Sim adds a fundamentally different capability: blocks in your workflow where an AI model reasons about the data, makes a decision, and chooses the next step. Instead of "when a new email arrives, add a row to a spreadsheet," you build workflows like "when a new email arrives, an AI agent reads the content, classifies the intent, decides whether to respond, escalate, or archive, and then executes the appropriate path." The distinction is between routing data and making decisions about data.
