Alternatives
Best Make Alternatives for Agencies (2026)
By Red Kite Search Agency Created Updated 7 min read
Summary
Make is a solid choice, but it does not fit every agency. Zapier: No-code automation across more than 9,000 apps. n8n: Fair-code workflow automation you can self-host. Prices and ratings below were checked in October 2026.
What are the best Make alternatives for agencies in 2026?
Make is powerful and low cost, but credit counting takes learning, it has fewer apps than Zapier, and monthly prices were not stated.
We compared each option with Make on price, ease, and public ratings, so you can see what you would gain and give up by switching. Decide how much logic you need first.
The two alternatives below are the usual comparisons: the easiest tool to adopt and a self-hostable tool for technical teams.
The shortlist is Zapier, n8n. The table puts them next to Make.
| Tool | Editorial score | Review-site ratings | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Make | 4.4 / 5 | G2 4.6 | Free for 1,000 credits a month. At 10,000 credits a month on annual billing, Core costs $12, Pro $21 and Teams $38 a month; Enterprise is custom. | Individuals to enterprises |
| Zapier | 4.4 / 5 | G2 4.5 | Free for 100 tasks a month. Professional from $19.99 and Team from $69 a month on yearly billing (the page says yearly saves 33%); Enterprise is quoted. | Individuals to enterprises |
| n8n | 4.4 / 5 | G2 4.7 | Starter $20, Pro $50 and Business $800 a month on annual billing; Enterprise is quoted. A free self-hosted edition is available on GitHub. | Small teams to enterprises |
Why do agencies look for Make alternatives?
Agencies usually look beyond Make for easier setup, more apps, or self-hosting.
Others want pricing that does not depend on counting credits.
A fair test is to take your three most valuable automations, such as client onboarding, lead routing, and monthly reporting, and rebuild each in a free plan. Note how long each took, how many runs it used, and how easy it was to hand to a colleague.
Think about maintenance as well as setup. Automations break when apps change their APIs or when someone edits a connected account, so check how each tool shows errors, retries failed runs, and alerts you. For an agency, a broken automation is a missed deadline for a client.
Finally, look at how each tool handles client separation. Decide whether each client gets their own account, workspace, or project, and who owns the connections, since moving that setup later is slow and easy to get wrong.
Cost behaves differently in each tool, so model it before you switch. Zapier counts every step as a task, Make counts credits per module action, and n8n counts one execution per workflow run. A five-step automation that runs ten thousand times a month can land in very different price tiers depending on the tool.
Security and compliance also deserve a check. Some clients ask where data is processed, who can see connected accounts, and how credentials are stored. Ask each vendor for its latest security documents, and keep a short record of which client data flows through which automation.
Do not underestimate the value of support and community. A large library of templates and tutorials shortens setup time, while a forum or paid support plan decides how quickly you recover when something fails. Weigh these alongside price when you shortlist.
Common limitations of Make
- Prices are shown for the 10,000-credit tier on annual billing and rise with credits; monthly prices were not stated.
- Free allows 1,000 credits a month and a 15-minute minimum interval.
- Teams and team roles start at $38 a month.
- Mobile apps were not stated, and data is hosted in the EU or North America only.
Is Zapier a good Make alternative for agencies?
Zapier has more than 9,000 apps, a free plan, and the easiest setup. It costs more at volume.
Zapier connects more than 9,000 apps with multi-step automations called Zaps, plus Tables, Forms, Agents, Chatbots and an MCP layer for AI tools. It has a free plan and Professional, Team and Enterprise plans priced by monthly task volume.
Who it suits: Agencies that automate reporting, lead routing and client onboarding across many apps without writing code.
Zapier pros
- More than 9,000 app integrations.
- A free plan with unlimited Zaps and 100 tasks a month.
- Professional from $19.99 a month on yearly billing, with multi-step Zaps, webhooks and live chat.
- Team adds 25 users, shared Zaps and folders, shared app connections and SAML SSO.
Zapier cons
- Prices rise with the monthly task tier and the listed prices are starting prices at the lowest tier.
- Free is limited to two-step Zaps and 100 tasks.
- Team starts at $69 a month and is needed for shared workspaces and SSO.
- Security certifications and mobile apps were not stated; client-specific app connections were not described.
Is n8n a good Make alternative for agencies?
n8n counts whole workflow runs, includes every integration, and can be self-hosted. It needs more technical skill.
n8n is a workflow automation platform with a visual builder, AI agent and MCP nodes, and the option to self-host. Cloud plans are priced by monthly workflow executions, with unlimited steps per workflow and every integration included on every plan.
Who it suits: Technical agencies that build complex automations and want self-hosting, execution-based pricing and version control.
n8n pros
- Executions are counted per workflow run regardless of steps, starting at $20 a month for 2.5K executions on annual billing.
- All integrations are included on every plan.
- A self-hosted version is available on GitHub, and hosted data is stored in Frankfurt.
- Business adds SSO and LDAP, multiple environments and Git version control.
n8n cons
- Business costs $800 a month and is self-hosted only.
- Starter has 1 shared project and Pro 3.
- SOC 2, GDPR and an integration count were not stated on the pages checked.
- Enforced 2FA is Enterprise only, and dedicated support is Enterprise only.
What is the quick verdict on each Make alternative?
If you only have a minute, this table gives our verdict on each alternative to Make, based on the research above.
| Tool | Verdict | Editorial score |
|---|---|---|
| Zapier | The widest app coverage of any automation tool, a free plan and clear collaboration features on Team. Costs rise quickly with task volume, security detail was not available because the security page returned an error, and mobile apps were not stated. | 4.4 / 5 |
| n8n | A strong value for technical teams, since pricing counts whole workflow runs rather than steps and all integrations are included. It needs more technical skill than Zapier, the Business plan is expensive and self-hosted only, and SOC 2 and GDPR status were not stated on the pages checked. | 4.4 / 5 |
How much do Make and its alternatives cost?
Make Core costs $12 a month at 10,000 credits on annual billing. Zapier Professional starts from $19.99 on yearly billing, and n8n Starter costs $20 a month for 2,500 executions.
| Tool | Pricing summary |
|---|---|
| Make | Free for 1,000 credits a month. At 10,000 credits a month on annual billing, Core costs $12, Pro $21 and Teams $38 a month; Enterprise is custom. |
| Zapier | Free for 100 tasks a month. Professional from $19.99 and Team from $69 a month on yearly billing (the page says yearly saves 33%); Enterprise is quoted. |
| n8n | Starter $20, Pro $50 and Business $800 a month on annual billing; Enterprise is quoted. A free self-hosted edition is available on GitHub. |
What do reviewers say about Make and its alternatives?
Review-site scores are a useful signal for how happy teams are after the first few months. They are snapshots from October 2026, and review counts differ widely between tools.
| Tool | Source | Rating | Number of reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make | G2 | 4.6 / 5 | 376 |
| Zapier | G2 | 4.5 / 5 | 2,088 |
| n8n | G2 | 4.7 / 5 | 319 |
Which Make alternative suits which kind of agency?
The right pick depends mostly on team size, how clients interact with the tool, and whether you need money data. This table maps common situations to a recommendation.
| Agency situation | Best pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ease and coverage | Zapier | The widest app list. |
| Technical teams | n8n | Self-hosting and version control. |
| Complex logic | Make | Stay for visual control. |
How hard is it to switch away from Make?
Export scenario blueprints from Make before you leave, for reference. They do not import elsewhere.
Rebuild scenarios one at a time and test against live data.
Run old and new in parallel for a week before you switch the old ones off.
Before you leave Make
- List active scenarios and modules.
- Check app coverage in the new tool.
- Estimate monthly runs.
- Document each scenario.
- Run both in parallel.
How do you choose the right Make alternative?
Decide whether ease or cost matters more.
Compare how each tool counts usage.
A quick decision guide
- Choose Zapier for the widest app coverage and ease.
- Choose n8n for self-hosting and execution-based pricing.
- Stay with Make for visual control at a low cost.
- Rebuild one automation in each before you decide.
- Compare cost at your monthly volume.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best Make alternative?
- Zapier for ease and app coverage, and n8n for self-hosting.
- Why do agencies look beyond Make?
- Credit counting, fewer apps, and a steeper learning curve.
- Which alternative has more apps?
- Zapier.
- Which alternative can be self-hosted?
- n8n.
- Does Make have a free plan?
- Yes, with 1,000 credits a month.
Sources
Prices, plan limits, and ratings were gathered in October 2026 from:
- Make pricing page
- Zapier pricing page
- n8n pricing page