What it's for
It's cheaper than Zapier for complex multi-step scenarios and is the platform behind our Make automation freelancing note.
- Multi-step automations between apps
- Client CRM and lead routing
- AI steps inside workflows
Plans and prices
| Plan | Price (USD unless shown) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 credits/mo |
| Core | $10.59/mo, or $9/mo billed yearly | Paid scenarios with more credits |
| Pro / Teams | Shown as a slider on the pricing page | More credits, team features |
Read on the official pricing page on . Prices change; check before you buy.
Free plan in real output
1,000 credits a month. Most actions use 1 credit; some AI features use more. Error-handler and router modules don't use credits.
- A 4-step scenario (watch form, look up a row, update the CRM, send an email) uses about 4 credits per run, so 1,000 credits ÷ 4 = about 250 runs a month on Free.
- At 20 leads a day that's 600 runs × 4 = 2,400 credits a month, which needs Core.
Cost at your stage
| Plan | Monthly cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 (testing, low volume) | Free | $0 |
| Month 12 (working volume) | Core | $10.59 |
Break-even: Core is covered by a single automation retainer client; most freelancers charge far more than $10.59 a month.
Month-12 plan is our estimate of what a solo seller at steady weekly output needs, based on the plan limits above. Costs exclude tax.
Commercial use and output rights
Not a content generator. Make doesn't generate content, so output rights don't apply. Your scenario data passes through Make's servers; check the DPA for client data.
Your data and AI training: Not applicable / not checked.
This is a summary of public terms, not legal advice. Terms change; re-read the clause before client work.
First-hour setup
- Create a free account and pick your region.
- Build a scenario: trigger → one action → test with real data.
- Add error handlers so failures don't silently stop the scenario.
- Switch polling triggers to webhooks where possible to save credits.
- Check credit use per run under History before giving the client a quote.
Competitors compared
| Tool | Pricing model | Free plan | Starting price | Difficulty | Output rights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Make | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then $10.59/mo, or $9/mo billed yearly | 3/5 | Not a content generator | Complex automations on a budget |
| Zapier | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then from $19.99/mo billed yearly ($29.99 monthly) | 2/5 | Not a content generator | Simple automations across almost any app |
| n8n | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | Free · then $20/mo billed yearly | 4/5 | Not a content generator | Technical users and self-hosted automation |
| Pipedream | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | 3/5 | – | Developers who want code plus integrations |
| Activepieces | Free, open source | Yes | Free | 3/5 | – | An open-source Zapier alternative |
| IFTTT | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | – | – | Personal and smart-home automations |
Head to head: Make vs n8n vs Zapier
Learning difficulty
3/5: The visual builder is friendly, but data mapping, iterators and error handling take real learning.
When not to use it
Skip it for one-step automations a free Zapier plan already covers, or when the client insists on self-hosting (use n8n).
Cheaper or free alternatives:
- Zapier: Simple automations across almost any app (yes free plan)
- n8n: Technical users and self-hosted automation (yes free plan)
- Pipedream: Developers who want code plus integrations (yes free plan)
- Activepieces: An open-source Zapier alternative (yes free plan)
Which of our hustles use it
- AI automation agency for SMBs: Visual multi-step client automations at low cost
- AI customer-service chatbots for small shops: Connecting the bot to orders, email and CRMs
- Voice AI receptionist for local businesses: Sending call data to CRMs and calendars
- Zapier automation freelancing: Cheaper option for complex scenarios
- Make.com automation freelancing: The automation platform you build on
Price history
Each monthly check adds rows here. Older rows are never edited, so you can see when prices changed.
Sources
- Make pricing (read 17 October 2026)
Last verified . Anything we couldn't confirm on an official page is marked "not published", "not shown" or "not verified".