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Make (formerly Integromat) lets you connect apps and automate work without writing code. A new form entry can become a spreadsheet row, an email and a Slack message; a new YouTube video can trigger posts on your other platforms. You build these "scenarios" on a visual canvas. Make is cheaper than most rivals for multi-step automations — but its billing in credits catches many beginners out. Here's how it works.
How we researched this review: we read Make's official pricing and help information and independent 2026 reviews, including a pricing check dated 26 September 2026 and a detailed review from October 2026. Make's pricing page shows prices interactively, so confirm the current figures there. This is a research-based review; our own hands-on test results will be added when our full test is complete.
- Best for
- Automating repetitive work between apps: content publishing, lead handling, reports, notifications
- Free plan
- Yes — 1,000 credits a month, 2 active scenarios, runs every 15 minutes at most
- Paid plans
- Core from $9 a month billed yearly (about $10.59 monthly)
- Standout
- Powerful visual builder with branching, loops and error handling; 3,500+ apps
- Watch out for
- Credits are charged per item processed, so costs grow with data volume
What is Make?
Make is a no-code automation platform. Each automation is a scenario: a trigger ("when a new row is added to Google Sheets") followed by actions ("create a Canva design, post to X, send me an email"). You drag apps onto a canvas and connect them like a flowchart. Make says it supports 3,500+ apps out of the box, and it can talk to almost any other service through its HTTP module.
Key features
Visual scenario builder
Make's canvas shows exactly how data flows, with routers (send data different ways depending on conditions), iterators and aggregators (handle lists of items) and error handlers (decide what happens when a step fails). This makes complex workflows possible without code — and much easier to troubleshoot than a long list of steps.
AI Agents and Maia
In 2026 Make added AI Agents that run inside scenarios and decide which tools to use for a goal, plus Maia, an assistant that builds and fixes scenarios from a plain-language description. You can use Make's built-in AI or connect your own OpenAI or Anthropic account.
Scheduling, webhooks and code
Scenarios can run on a schedule (every minute on paid plans, every 15 minutes on Free) or instantly through webhooks. Paid plans can also run small pieces of JavaScript or Python when you need custom logic.
Make Grid
On paid plans, Make draws a map of all your scenarios and how they depend on each other — useful once you have more than a handful.
How Make's credits work
Make bills in credits. Most actions cost 1 credit per item they process. So a step that handles 10 new emails uses 10 credits, not 1. Polling triggers (that check an app for new data on a schedule) use credits on every check, even when nothing new arrived. AI steps that use Make's built-in AI cost extra credits.
How to keep costs low: use instant triggers (webhooks) instead of frequent polling, filter out unneeded items early in a scenario, and schedule non-urgent scenarios to run less often.
Make pricing (2026)
| Plan | Billed yearly | Billed monthly | Credits a month | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 1,000 | 2 active scenarios, every 15 minutes at most, 5-minute run limit |
| Core | $9 a month | about $10.59 | 10,000 | Unlimited scenarios, every minute, 40-minute run limit |
| Pro | $16 a month | about $18.82 | 10,000 | Priority execution, custom variables, full-text log search |
| Teams | $29 a month | about $34.12 | 10,000 | Team collaboration, roles and shared templates |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Contact sales | Custom | Advanced security, longer log retention |
Prices as checked by an independent review on 26 September 2026, in US dollars before tax. Larger credit packages cost more, and unused credits expire at the end of each period. See the official pricing page for current prices.
Which plan makes sense? Start on Free to build and test your first two scenarios. Move to Core when you need more than two scenarios or faster schedules — for most solo creators and small businesses, Core is all you need.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Visual builder handles complex, branching workflows
- Cheaper than Zapier for multi-step automations
- Free plan with no time limit
- 3,500+ app integrations plus HTTP for anything else
- Good error handling and detailed run logs
Cons
- Credit costs can be hard to predict as volume grows
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier
- Data mapping and iterators take practice
- Scenarios can break when an app changes its API
- Cloud only — no self-hosting
A first automation to try (5 steps)
A simple, useful scenario for a content creator: save every new YouTube video to a Google Sheet and get an email.
- Create a scenario and add the YouTube module "Watch videos in a channel" as the trigger.
- Add Google Sheets → "Add a row", and map the video title, link and publish date to columns.
- Add Email (or Gmail) → "Send an email" with the title and link.
- Click "Run once" to test it with your latest video, and check each step's output bubble.
- Turn it on and set the schedule — every few hours is plenty and saves credits.
Make vs Zapier vs n8n
| Make | Zapier | n8n | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Builder | Visual canvas with branches and loops | Simple step-by-step list | Node canvas, code-friendly |
| Billing | Credits per action, per item | Tasks | Per workflow run |
| Hosting | Cloud only | Cloud only | Cloud or self-hosted |
| Best for | Non-developers building complex flows | Quick, simple automations | Technical users and long workflows |
Who should use Make — and who shouldn't
A good fit: creators and small businesses who want to automate publishing, lead capture, invoicing, reports or notifications, and who are comfortable spending an afternoon learning.
Look elsewhere if: you only need one or two very simple automations (Zapier is quicker to learn), or you're a developer who wants to self-host and run long workflows cheaply (n8n).
Verdict
Make is one of the best-value automation tools in 2026, especially for workflows with several steps and conditions. The free plan is enough to prove an idea, and Core at $9 a month (yearly) covers most small businesses. Learn how credits are counted from day one, prefer instant triggers, and Make can quietly take hours of repetitive work off your week.
Frequently asked questions
Is Make free?
Yes. The free plan includes 1,000 credits a month and 2 active scenarios, with schedules no more frequent than every 15 minutes. It has no time limit.
How much does Make cost?
Core is $9 a month billed yearly (about $10.59 monthly), Pro $16 (about $18.82 monthly) and Teams $29 (about $34.12 monthly), each with 10,000 credits a month at the base level. Enterprise is by quote.
What is a credit in Make?
Most module actions cost one credit for each item they process. A step handling 10 items uses 10 credits. Polling triggers use credits on every check, and AI steps using Make's built-in AI cost extra.
Is Make better than Zapier?
Make is usually better value and more flexible for complex, multi-step workflows. Zapier is easier for simple automations and quicker to learn.
Can Make post to social media automatically?
Yes, for platforms with supported integrations. Make has modules for many social and publishing platforms, and an HTTP module for others with an API. Each platform's own rules on automated posting still apply.
Sources
- Make — official pricing page (credits, usage allowances and billing rules)
- Jet Admin — Make.com pricing in 2026 (plan prices, checked 26 September 2026)
- eesel AI — Make review 2026 (AI Agents, credits, comparison with Zapier and n8n)
