Many businesses discover automation with Zapier, then quickly hit the ceiling of the free plan. The next question makes sense: is there a free tool that does the same thing? Yes, several. But each has its own limit, and it is not always where you expect.
For this article, I read the free plan terms on each vendor's official page on October 17, 2026. I only kept figures I could read myself. When a page did not give a piece of information, I say so. If you are still weighing the paid tools, my n8n vs Make vs Zapier comparison goes further on prices and billing models.
Is Zapier free or paid?
Zapier has a free plan, but it is narrow. According to its pricing page:
- 100 tasks per month, with no pay-as-you-go option: past that, everything stops until the next cycle;
- two-step Zaps only: one trigger, one action;
- a check every 15 minutes;
- no Filters & Paths, no Formatter, no webhooks, no premium apps.
The first paid plan (Professional) started at $19.99 per month billed annually for 750 tasks, or $29.99 billed monthly. A simple "if the amount is over 1,000, alert the manager" already needs a filter, so a paid plan.
Which free plans exist, and with what limits?
| Tool | Free plan | Main limit | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| n8n (Community) | Free software you install on your server | Server and upkeep are on you | High volume, data kept in-house |
| Make (Free) | 1,000 credits per month | 15-minute minimum interval between scheduled runs | A few visual scenarios, no server |
| Activepieces (Free) | 1,000 credits per month, unlimited flows, up to 5 users | Smaller integration catalog than Zapier or Make | Small teams, open source option |
| Power Automate | Included in Microsoft 365 (plus a Free license) | Standard connectors only, 6,000 actions per day per user | Companies already on Microsoft 365 |
| Pipedream (Free) | Development use | No production environment | Testing before paying, technical users |
On Make, one credit usually equals one module operation: reading a row, sending an email. A 4-module scenario run 250 times already uses about 1,000 credits. That is the math to do before you choose.
How good is each free Zapier alternative?
Self-hosted n8n
n8n's docs say it plainly: without a license key, n8n runs as the free Community edition. No per-execution subscription: the limit is your server's capacity. Workflows with as many steps as you need, conditions, code, AI. It is the most complete alternative, and the one I use most. The trade-off: you need to rent a server, install it, back it up and keep it updated. The pricing page shows no free cloud plan: the version hosted by n8n starts at €20 per month billed annually.
Make Free
The most pleasant visual editor for beginners. The pricing page lists 1,000 credits per month on the free plan, and the official Make Academy course states that the minimum interval between runs is 15 minutes on the free subscription. The number of active scenarios allowed was not readable in the version of the page I checked: confirm it on the pricing page before you start.
Activepieces
A newer open source tool that feels close to Zapier. Its pricing page lists 1,000 credits per month, unlimited flows and up to 5 users on the free cloud plan, plus a self-hostable Community edition. Its integration catalog is smaller: check that your tools are in it.
Power Automate
If you already pay for Microsoft 365, you have Power Automate without knowing it. Standard connectors cover Outlook, Excel, SharePoint, Teams, and also Gmail or Google Calendar. Once a connector is premium, you need a paid license. I go into this in n8n vs Power Automate.
Pipedream
Built for developers. The free plan is labeled "Development only", with no production environment: it is for testing, not for running your business.
Does a free tool really cost nothing?
Rarely. Three costs remain, even without a subscription:
- Your build time. A simple automation takes an afternoon once you know the tool. The first one often takes much longer.
- Monitoring. A password changes, a file gets renamed, and the flow stops silently. You need an error alert, whatever the tool.
- The server, for self-hosted n8n or Activepieces: rental, backups, security updates.
For a tradesperson who just wants a text message when a contact form comes in, Make's or Zapier's free plan is plenty. For a small company that wants to follow up on quotes, sync its CRM and sort emails with AI, free quickly gets in the way. A concrete example: automated quote follow-up needs a condition ("the client has not replied") and a date calculation, which Zapier's free plan does not allow.
Which free alternative should you choose?
- You are on Microsoft 365 and your flows stay inside Microsoft: Power Automate.
- You want to start without installing anything, with a few scenarios: Make Free or Activepieces.
- You have volume, AI, or data you want to keep in-house: self-hosted n8n, set up properly by someone who can maintain it.
- You are a developer and want to test code: Pipedream.
If you are not sure which one fits your tools, that is exactly what I look at during a free call. In my automation projects, I pick the tool based on your volumes and your software, not the other way around.
When is it better to stay on Zapier, even paid?
- Your tool only exists on Zapier. Zapier has one of the largest integration catalogs. If some industry software only has a connector there, switching means going through its API.
- You already run many Zaps. There is no export to other tools: everything would have to be rebuilt.
- Nobody can manage a server. In that case, self-hosted n8n is a false economy.
- You have two or three simple automations that fit in 100 tasks a month: keep Zapier's free plan.
Sources checked on October 17, 2026
- Zapier pricing page
- Make pricing page, credits help page and Make Academy, scheduling a scenario
- n8n pricing page and self-hosting docs
- Activepieces pricing page
- Microsoft Learn, Power Automate licenses
- Pipedream pricing page
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free equivalent to Zapier?
Yes. n8n is free when self-hosted, Make and Activepieces give 1,000 credits a month, and Power Automate is included in Microsoft 365 with standard connectors. Each has limits: a server to manage, capped volume or restricted connectors.
How many tasks does Zapier's free plan include?
100 tasks per month, with two-step Zaps (one trigger, one action) and a check every 15 minutes, according to the pricing page checked on October 17, 2026. Filters, webhooks and premium apps are not included.
Is Make free?
Make has a free plan with 1,000 credits per month. On that plan, the minimum interval between scheduled runs is 15 minutes. For the number of active scenarios allowed, check Make's pricing page.
Is n8n really free?
The software is: without a license key, n8n runs as the free Community edition. You still pay for a server and handle updates. The cloud version hosted by n8n is paid.
What is the best open source Zapier alternative?
n8n and Activepieces are the two best-known options. n8n is more complete, especially for AI and complex workflows. Activepieces feels closer to Zapier when you start.