What Make actually does.
Make is a no-code automation platform. Its principle is the same as Zapier's or n8n's: an event in one tool triggers a chain of actions in other tools. What sets it apart is how you build: you draw the data's path on a large canvas, step by step, with the branches in plain sight.
A few facts, checked on make.com:
- Over 3,000 apps to connect, plus over 350 AI apps.
- Cloud hosting on AWS, in Europe or North America.
- Official training, the Make Academy, and a library of scenario templates.
Make used to be called Integromat. If you come across older tutorials under that name, the logic is the same.
Scenarios, modules, routers: how it works.
Everything in Make revolves around four notions:
| Notion | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Scenario | A complete automation | "Every new website lead goes into the CRM" |
| Module | One step of the scenario | Read a form, create a contact, send an email |
| Router | A branch | B2B leads one way, consumers the other |
| Filter | A condition between two modules | Only continue if the budget field is filled in |
A scenario starts either when an event arrives (a webhook, a new email) or on a schedule. That is where the first difference between plans shows up: on the free plan, a scheduled scenario cannot run more than once every 15 minutes; from the Core plan, you can go down to the minute.
Make pricing.
Make bills in credits: every module action uses one credit. Here are the plans shown on make.com as of September 27, 2026, in US dollars, for 10,000 credits a month:
| Plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 credits/month, full editor, routers and filters, 15-min minimum interval |
| Core | $9/month | Unlimited active scenarios, scheduling down to the minute, Make API access |
| Pro | $16/month | Priority execution, custom variables, full-text log search |
| Teams | $29/month | Teams and roles, shared scenario templates |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | Custom functions, 24/7 support, overage protection |
Two useful details. Annual billing saves 15% or more, and credits paid annually stay valid for twelve months instead of expiring every month. For AI modules provided by Make, usage is not counted per action but by the tokens and operations consumed.
The point to watch: a long scenario costs on every run. A 10-module scenario run 1,000 times a month uses up to 10,000 credits, the full quota of a Core plan. Count your modules before picking your tier.
Make and AI: agents, Maia and MCP.
Make has invested heavily in AI. Its pricing page highlights:
- AI agents that can act across the 3,000+ connected apps, with a library of ready-made agents.
- Maia by Make, to build automations and agents by describing them in plain language.
- An MCP server, to drive your Make scenarios from an AI tool.
- AI Content Extractor, which pulls structured text and metadata from files, right inside a scenario.
For an introduction to MCP and what it changes, see MCP (Model Context Protocol).
Make vs n8n and Zapier.
| Criterion | Make | n8n | Zapier |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is billed | Each module action (a credit) | The workflow execution, however long | Each successful action (a task) |
| Free offer | 1,000 credits/month | Self-hosted Community edition | 100 tasks/month |
| Apps | 3,000+ | 2,274 listed, plus the HTTP node | 9,000+ |
| Self-hosting | No | Yes | No |
| Learning curve (our view) | Easy | Medium | Easiest |
Sources: official Make, n8n and Zapier pages, checked on September 27, 2026. The detailed comparison, with the cases where we recommend each tool, is in n8n vs Make vs Zapier.
When to choose Make, and when to avoid it.
Make is the right choice when:
- a business team (marketing, operations, HR) wants to build and evolve its own automations, without depending on a developer;
- volumes stay moderate, and a server to maintain would be one constraint too many;
- readability matters: a Make scenario can be understood at a glance, even by someone who did not build it.
Look elsewhere when:
- volumes grow. Cost tracks the number of actions; past a certain point, self-hosted n8n costs the price of a server. The math is in n8n Pricing 2026.
- data must stay with you. Make cannot be self-hosted.
- you have two or three very simple automations and no wish to learn a tool: Zapier will be up and running faster.
For a full overview of the self-hostable alternative, see the n8n guide. And if you want us to choose, build and run your automations, that is what we do: our services.
Make: what people ask us.
Is Make free?
Yes up to 1,000 credits a month, with the full visual editor, routers and filters. The limit you hit quickly: a 15-minute minimum interval between scheduled runs. Paid plans start at $9/month for 10,000 credits.
Are Make and Integromat the same thing?
Yes. Make is Integromat's new name. Scenarios, modules and the visual logic are the same; the offer has evolved since, notably with AI agents and credit-based billing.
What is a credit in Make?
The billing unit. Each module action in a scenario, such as adding a row to Google Sheets or reading an email, uses one credit. For AI modules provided by Make, usage depends on tokens and operations.
Make or n8n: which one should I choose?
Make for a business team that wants to build its own automations, with no server. n8n as soon as volumes grow, data must stay with you or AI becomes central, because it bills per full execution and can be self-hosted. Details in n8n vs Make vs Zapier.
Where is the data hosted with Make?
In Make's cloud, on AWS, in Europe or North America. There is no version to install on your own server.
How do I learn Make?
Make offers the Make Academy, an online training program, and a library of scenario templates. For a team, the most effective approach is still to build a first scenario on a real business process, with support.