Teams look past Make when credits run out mid-month, when they want to host the engine themselves, or when a visual canvas gives way to code. Most move to n8n for per-execution billing and self-hosting, to Zapier for breadth and simplicity, or to Activepieces for an open option with a free tier.
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What each alternative does differently
1. n8n
Node-based workflow builder with code steps and self-hosting · Germany
Charges per finished workflow execution, whatever number of steps it contains, where Make charges per module run. Cloud tiers from 2.5K executions are listed, and a self-hosted Community Edition on GitHub removes the hosting question. SSO, environments and Git version control sit in the Business tier.
Switch from Make if your scenarios have many modules and you want billing per run or self-hosting.
Pricing: Cloud plans are published: Starter at 20 euros a month and Pro at 50 euros a month, both billed annually, with Business at 667 euros a month (self-hosted only) and a quoted Enterprise tier. (free trial)
Full review: #1 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit n8n →
2. Zapier
The best-known no-code app connector · United States
Counts a task for each successful action step instead of each module run, and publishes tiers from 100 free tasks upward. Its editor is a linear list of steps, not a canvas of routes. Zapier's help center says only successful actions count toward usage.
Switch from Make if you want a larger app catalog and a simpler step-list editor over a canvas.
Pricing: Free plan with 100 tasks; Professional from $19.99 a month billed annually, Team from $69 a month billed annually, and a quoted Enterprise tier. (free plan)
Full review: #4 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Zapier →
3. Activepieces
Open-source, no-code automation with an MIT community edition · United States
Free plan with 1,000 credits that reset daily, unlimited flows and up to 5 users. Plus is a flat $20 with 10,000 credits and overage at $0.007 per credit. Every tier lists cloud or on-prem hosting, which Make does not offer outside a quoted Enterprise plan.
Switch from Make if you want a flat monthly fee, a daily-resetting free tier and an on-prem option.
Pricing: Free plan with 1,000 credits and up to 5 users; Plus is $20 a month for 10,000 credits, Team $200 a month for 50,000 credits and 25 users, with a custom Ultimate tier. (free plan)
Full review: #3 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Activepieces →
4. Pabbly Connect
Low-cost automation with lifetime plan options · India
Its pricing page says internal apps such as Filter, Router, Iterator and the formatters do not count as tasks, so branching and transforming is free. Plans are shown in rupees, and one-time lifetime plans exist, which Make does not sell. The free plan gives 100 tasks.
Switch from Make if you want routers and formatters free of charge and a one-time lifetime option.
Pricing: Free plan with 100 tasks a month; paid plans were listed in rupees at about 1,138 a month (Standard, yearly billing) and 4,999 a month (Unlimited), plus one-time lifetime plans. (free plan)
Full review: #7 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Pabbly Connect →
5. Microsoft Power Automate
Microsoft's cloud flows and desktop automation · United States
Microsoft licenses by user (Premium) or by automation capacity (Process licenses), not by credit. It adds desktop flows for screen-level automation of apps with no API. Microsoft's licensing article lists a free tier restricted to standard connectors, so most premium work needs a paid license.
Switch from Make if your stack is mostly Microsoft and you also need to automate desktop applications.
Pricing: Per-user Premium at $15 a month billed yearly, Process (unattended) at $150 per bot a month and Hosted Process at $215 per bot a month, with a free trial limited to standard connectors. (free trial)
Full review: #5 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Microsoft Power Automate →
6. Windmill
Open-source engine that turns scripts into workflows and UIs · France
Runs scripts in several languages as flows and apps, with a free open-source edition that lists unlimited executions. Paid Enterprise is seat-based plus compute: $20 per developer and $10 per operator a month. It suits engineers who would rather write code than drag modules.
Switch from Make if your builders are developers and you want unlimited executions on your own servers.
Pricing: Free and open-source self-hosted edition; Enterprise is seat-based at $20 per developer and $10 per operator a month, plus compute units at $50 a month per 2 CU. (open source)
Full review: #6 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Windmill →
7. Tines
No-code automation and orchestration platform with a free edition · Ireland
Aimed at security and IT operations, with case handling and approvals around the workflow. The free edition has unlimited users, spaces and connectors but three live workflows and a one-time $50 AI allowance. Paid editions are quoted. Poor value for marketing or sales automations.
Switch from Make if you automate security or IT response and need governed, auditable workflows.
Pricing: Free edition with unlimited users, spaces and connectors but 3 live workflows; paid editions are quoted, with unlimited workflows. (free plan)
Full review: #8 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Tines →
8. Celigo
Integration platform priced by endpoints and flows · United States
Prices by endpoints and flows and states there are no overage fees, so a busy day does not raise the bill the way credit consumption does at Make. Editions are Standard, Professional and Enterprise with no listed prices. It fits steady system-to-system integrations.
Switch from Make if volume is high and predictable and you would rather pay for connected systems.
Pricing: Pricing is by endpoints and flows rather than per task, in Standard, Professional and Enterprise editions, with a 30-day free trial; no prices are published. (free trial)
Full review: #9 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Celigo →
9. Workato
Enterprise integration and automation platform · United States
An enterprise platform covering integration, API management, B2B/EDI and data orchestration, sold through sales. The pricing page we checked listed no figures. It targets IT-led programs with central governance, a different buyer from a team building scenarios in the Make editor.
Switch from Make if IT runs automation across ERP and CRM systems and wants one governed platform.
Pricing: The pricing page offers a free trial and a path to demo or sales; entry prices are not published on the page we checked. (free trial)
Full review: #10 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Workato →
10. Tray.ai
iPaaS and AI agent platform for larger teams · United States
Separates plans by workspace count: Pro has 3, Team 20 and Enterprise unlimited, with 700+ connectors listed. Usage is metered in tasks and quoted by sales. Enterprise adds regional hosting and advanced on-premise options. It is built for several departments, not one team.
Switch from Make if several departments need separate workspaces, log retention and regional hosting.
Pricing: Pro, Team and Enterprise plans differ by workspace count (3, 20, unlimited); pricing is based on usage and features and quoted by sales, with a free trial. (free trial)
Full review: #11 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Tray.ai →
11. Boomi
Enterprise integration platform with editions and pay-as-you-go · United States
A large integration platform covering data integration, API management, B2B/EDI, a no-code task automation product and AI agent tooling. Pricing is by edition with a free trial and no dollar figures on the page. Heavy for a team whose scenarios are a dozen app connections.
Switch from Make if you need integration, API management and B2B exchange from a single platform.
Pricing: Tiered editions from Professional to Enterprise Plus, a pay-as-you-go option and a 30-day free trial; the page checked listed no dollar prices. (free trial)
Full review: #12 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Boomi →
Questions and answers
Can I export my Make scenarios?
Yes, each scenario can be exported as a .json blueprint from the Scenario Builder menu. A blueprint holds the modules, module settings and mapped values, but not connections, which you must set up again. The help center describes importing only into Make.
What happens to my credits if I cancel Make?
Unused credits are not carried over. Make's cancellation article says you keep the plan until the end of the billing cycle, then drop to the Free plan with the standard 1,000 credits a month, and unused credits do not transfer.
Do I get a refund when I leave a paid Make plan?
No cash refund is offered. The help center states a no cash refund policy. If you upgrade, unused credits are converted into a discount on the new plan, and if you downgrade they move to the new plan.
Why does Make cost more than the plan price suggests?
Because most modules consume one credit per bundle processed, and extra credits carry a 25% surcharge. The help center gives an example where 1,000 extra credits on a $9 plan cost $1.125. Triggers count once per check.
Is there a self-hosted alternative to Make?
Yes. n8n offers a self-hosted Community Edition, Windmill has a free open-source edition, and Activepieces lists cloud or on-prem hosting on all of its plans. Each leaves some features, such as SSO, to paid licenses.
Which alternative handles Make-style branching best?
Pabbly Connect is the closest in spirit, since its pricing page lists Router, Filter and Iterator as free internal tasks. n8n also branches in a node canvas. We have not compared how well either one imports Make logic.
