Want to increase your productivity with automation but are frustrated with Zapier’s pricing? Wish there was an alternative that was a little easier to use?
We understand. Zapier can be expensive and isn’t always the easiest to work with.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other tools that offer Zapier-like automations at a much lower cost.
Drawing from our own experience of building automation software, we know what users like you are looking for.
That’s why we listed the top 5 Zapier alternatives. These tools are FREE to use and come with very affordable premium plans!
What Is Zapier and How Does It Work?
Zapier helps you connect multiple applications together to create automated workflows.
It works on a very simple principle: when a trigger event happens, perform an action. The best part is that you can perform more than one action when the same trigger event occurs.
Suppose you have an online clothing store built with WooCommerce and you want to automate the purchase cycle:
When a customer makes a purchase you want to add them to your email marketing tool as a subscriber. Then add the order details to a Google Sheet for analysis and finally, send an order confirmation message to the customer via WhatsApp.
Zapier can make it happen.
What Is Zapier Used For?
Zapier is used by business owners who don’t have the time or resources to handle repetitive tasks.
You can use it to automate day-to-day activities such as:
- Sending followup emails after events, such as webinars or purchases.
- Adding information to databases, like creating new entries in Google Sheets after a sale.
- Collecting leads and transferring them to a CRM or email marketing tool.
- Sending a Slack message from new RSS feeds.
- Sharing newly published blog posts from a WordPress site to social media.
And many, many more.
The examples that we mentioned above are the simple ones. Once you start using an automation tool, you can think of many more ways to automate your day!
Is Zapier Worth It? Do I Need a Zapier Alternative?
Zapier is unquestionably a great automation tool with thousands of integrations you can use to automate your business.
But there are few challenges with Zapier, like its pricing. Zapier is very expensive. Small or even growing businesses may not be able to afford Zapier.
While expensive, Zapier may not be suitable for you if you want to automate WordPress-related tasks. There are better choices available in the market that can perform the same tasks as Zapier and help you in automating WordPress-related work in a better way.
What Is the Best Zapier Alternative?
If you do decide that Zapier isn’t for you, what’s the alternative?
We have carefully selected what we think are the best Zapier alternatives. We tried them, tested them and rated them according to what we think a business needs.
We compared:
- Ease of use: It should be easy for you to get started with the app.
- Integrations: All apps should be available with the required triggers and actions.
- Formatter and data manipulation tools: You need tools to format the data that you receive from different sources, such as capitalizing names and converting currency from one format to another.
- APIs and webhooks: You should be able to transfer data from unsupported apps using APIs and webhooks.
- Pricing: It all comes down to pricing – how much you can spend and how much value you can get within your budget.
- Relevance for specific needs: We also took into consideration your specific needs and determined which automation tool is suitable for each business/individual.
- Unique value: We also looked at the special or unique value in each tool.
So now, let’s begin with our list.
Top 5 Zapier Alternatives
Here is our list of the best Zapier alternatives you can use.
SureTriggers
SureTriggers is a fantastic automation tool that is very easy to use, offering a user-friendly interface similar to Zapier.
Let’s see how it compares.
Ease of Use
You will find SureTriggers very easy to use.
It uses similar terminology to Zapier. Triggers are called triggers, actions are known as actions, and so forth. Just the zaps are called workflows!
The experience while creating automation in SureTriggers is similar to what you feel when using Zapier.
SureTriggers also has hundreds of workflow templates, known as recipes, that help you understand how different apps can be connected to automate different processes.
This makes things easy from the start.
We believe that you will find SureTriggers easy to use if you have a little experience with automation tools.
Integrations
SureTriggers currently integrates with 375+ apps, including a variety of popular applications such as Google Sheets, Gmail, Slack, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, and others.
SureTriggers also integrates with hundreds of popular WordPress plugins like LearnDash, Elementor Forms, WP Forms, and many more.
The team keeps adding new integrations based on what users need, announced in their Facebook community.
Formatter (Data Manipulation Tools)
SureTriggers has a powerful formatter app that can help you manipulate date/time, numbers and text in a lot of useful ways. It’s available on all paid plans.
APIs and Webhooks
SureTriggers also has the ability to receive data from incoming webhooks, and send data to other sources via APIs.
Unique Features
There are two very cool features that make SureTriggers unique compared to the other tools in our list.
First, if you’re someone who has a lot to automate , you can use SureTriggers within your WordPress admin area without slowing down your site.
Next, SureTriggers has a trigger button app, which provides you with a button shortcode that can be placed anywhere on your WordPress sites.
When your logged-in users click on the button, you can automatically pass information related to their profile, such as name, email address or username, into any connected app.
For example, have you seen those “Register Now” buttons on websites that sell courses and bring up a form when you click them?
You can create something similar for your website using the trigger button.
When someone clicks on the button, SureTriggers will automatically add them to any app of your choice, such as Everwebinar or LearnDash.
There’s no need for customers to manually provide information through forms. A single click does the job.
Imagine the automations you can build with this feature!
Pricing
SureTriggers subscription is almost half the price of Zapier. You can check the pricing details here.
SureTriggers also offers a lifetime account purchase offer. Save yourself from monthly or yearly renewals by securing a lifetime account for a one-time fee.
SureTriggers Is Relevant for…
It’s relevant for anyone who’s running an online business of any kind, such as an eCommerce store, selling courses, services, or any other digital venture.
It is also a good choice for people managing multiple WordPress sites who want to transfer data from one website to another.
Make (Formerly Integromat)
Make was previously known as Integromat until February 2022. Later, it underwent a rebranding, adopting the new name Make, along with a fresh logo and an updated platform.
So, if you’re familiar with Integromat, it’s now Make.
Let’s compare it with Zapier.
Ease of Use
The terminology used in Make is slightly different from Zapier’s, so you may need to review the documentation to become familiar with it.
Additionally, the interface for creating automations differs significantly from the traditional user interfaces you see in most of the automation tools.
However, you can always refer to the helpful tutorial videos and knowledge base to become friendly with Make’s UI.
Integrations
Make has 1600+ integrations, including most of the popular web applications that you’re probably using. You can check the complete list here.
Formatter (Data Manipulation Tools)
Called functions in Make, and it might be a new concept for anyone who starts using it. Learn more about formatting here.
Most essential functions are available on the free plan. However, if you wish to create custom functions, you’ll need to upgrade to an enterprise plan.
It’s rare that you may need to create custom functions that often, as most of the common functions related to date/time, numbers, and text are available on free plans.
APIs and Webhooks
Webhooks are available in Make to transfer data between different sources. Instead of using APIs, you can use Webhook Response to send external API requests.
Unique Features
One of the most unique features of Make is its automation builder user interface. It might look a bit overwhelming at first, but after some time, you may enjoy creating automations.
Additionally, Make has high security and data protection standards similar to Zapier, which makes it a reliable choice for enterprise-level customers.
Pricing
Make’s paid plans start from $10.59 per month and increase based on the features offered. Most plans provide the basic features you may need to automate your work.
You can find all the details related to Make’s pricing here.
Make Is Relevant for…
Make is good for medium and large sized businesses who use a lot of popular apps and want to automate their work.
Additionally, Make can be a good choice for enterprises with strict norms to comply with when selecting software for their business processes.
Integrately
Integrately is also among the contemporaries of Zapier and Make; it is an efficient tool for automating manual work.
Let’s see how it compares to Zapier in detail.
Ease of Use
Integrately feels very easy to use.
You’ll become familiar with Integrately’s user interface in no time. The language is simple, and there are many automation templates that you can start using with just a few clicks.
Integrations
There are apparently 1100+ popular app integrations available. Most of these are free while some are classified as premium.
You can only use the premium apps if you are on a paid plan.
Formatter (Data Manipulation Tools)
Similar to other automation tools, Integrately has the ability to modify data using Integrately’s features called Data Modifiers.
These data modifiers are only available on all paid plans.
Webhooks and APIs
Integrately offers webhooks as their premium app, which can help you receive data through webhooks and make HTTP calls.
However, Webhooks/API integration is only available on the paid plans.
Unique Features
The most unique thing about Integrately is its “Readymade Automations,” which are super easy to set up and comprise combinations of almost every app they offer.
Pricing
Integrately’s pricing is quite simple compared to other automation tools.
There’s one free plan and four paid plans, each with a fixed number of task limits. There’s no tiered based pricing where you can choose a plan, and how many tasks do you want in a month.
See integrately’s pricing details
Integrately Is Relevant for…
Integrately is relevant for individuals, small, and mid-sized businesses with simple automation requirements and a fixed number of tasks every month.
Activepieces
Activepieces is a new and growing open source automation platform which started in 2022.
Here’s how Activepieces compares to Zapier.
Ease of Use
The UI is nice and looks smooth, especially their canvas builder. The process to create an automation within Activepieces is not very different from Zapier.
Plus their demo workflow and onboarding wizard can help you get used to working with Activepieces in no time.
Integrations
Integrations or apps are called pieces. As we write this post, there are 160 pieces available that you can connect with each other.
They have a public roadmap where you can request new pieces.
Formatter (Data Manipulation Tools)
The tools that help manipulate data in Activepieces are called Helpers, such as text helpers, math helpers, and date helpers.
These helpers are available in all plans.
Webhooks and APIs
There are webhooks for receiving incoming data and a piece called HTTP for making API requests. Both of these pieces are included in the free plan.
Unique Features
Firstly, Activepieces is open source so you can customize as you like.
You can get unlimited tasks for running automations if you can host Activepieces on your own servers.
Pricing
Since Activepieces is open-source software, there are two ways to approach it.
You can either purchase the cloud-hosted version through a subscription, or you can host it on your own server and use the free version with unlimited tasks.
Activepieces offers a free plan hosted on the cloud, providing 1000 tasks every month that you can start using immediately.
If you require more tasks, you can upgrade to higher-tier paid plans.
Activepieces Is Relevant for…
Activepieces can be a good choice for businesses or individuals who are just getting started and don’t mind waiting for new integrations (pieces).
It is also suitable for teams with a few developers who can set up Activepieces and add their own integrations.
IFTTT
IFTTT is an acronym for “If This Then That,” and it’s one of the oldest automation tools available on the market today.
It was started in December 2010 and delivers a good service to many people by automating work at very affordable rates.
Here’s how IFTTT compares to Zapier.
Ease of Use
IFTTT’s user interface is slightly different, with large fonts and big icons that give it a visually appealing appearance.
However, the screen where you create does not look like the traditional user interface that you might have seen in Zapier, or other automation tools.
For instance, when setting up a step to add a row in Google Sheets, you’ll find that there is no dropdown to select it. You’ll need to manually type the sheet name for it to work.
It’s not difficult to use IFTTT, it’s just not very intuitive. You will likely have to watch some tutorials to help you understand how it works.
Integrations
There are more than 900 apps available on IFTTT, encompassing various applications, including business apps like Google Sheets and LinkedIn, among many others.
In addition, there are unique services such as CNN and Forbes that can trigger your applets (automated workflows) and pass that data to other apps.
Formatter (Data Manipulation Tools)
So if you want to format or manipulate data, such as capitalizing letters or changing date format, you’ll need to use JavaScript codes that can be inserted between two steps.
Webhooks and APIs
IFTTT offers an app that has the ability to receive data via webhooks and make API calls. It’s available on all plans, paid as well as free.
Unique Features
IFTTT integrates with iOS and Android, allowing you to create automations using your mobile.
Pricing
There’s a free plan where you can create two applets that can run an unlimited number of times.
If you want to create more applets or use premium features, such as adding filter codes, you’ll have to upgrade your IFTTT account.
IFTTT Is Relevant for…
It’s not too expensive, even the highest tier costs $12.50 per month which includes all features. IFTTT can be suitable for individuals or a group of people with limited automation needs.
However, if you have extensive automation requirements, we suggest trying IFTTT for a few days, as they offer a 7-day trial.
Comparing Top 5 Zapier Alternatives
| Apps | SureTriggers | Make (Formatter) | Integrately | Activepieces | IFTTT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use/User Interface | Simple user interface, easy to use, visual automation builder, tutorial videos | Non-traditional UI, might feel new | Smooth UI, zoomable canvas builder, almost no learning curve | Non-traditional canvas builder with drag and drop | Readymade automations, simple to use |
| Integrations | 375+ (growing list) | 1600+ integrations | 1100+ integrations | 160+ pieces (integrations) | 900+ integrations |
| Formatter | Available in all paid plans | Called functions, available in all plans | Called data modifiers, available in all paid plans | Called helpers, available in all plans | JavaScript code between two steps |
| Webhooks and APIs | Webhooks available in all plans, API only available in Business plan | Available in all plans | Available as a premium app and in all paid plans | Available in all plans | Webhooks available in all plans |
| Unique Features | WordPress plugin integrations, cross-site automation, trigger button, use within WordPress, advanced workflow templates | Non-traditional canvas builder with drag and drop | Simple to use, readymade automations | Open-source software, free when hosted on own servers | Integration with popular services, Android and iOS app available |
| Pricing | Free plan with 1000 tasks/month, paid plans starting from $9/month | Free plan with 1000 ops/month, paid plans starting from $10.59/month, discount offered when paid annually | Paid plans starting from $29/month | Cloud-hosted plans starting from $249/month for 50K tasks/month | Free plan with 2 applets, paid plans starting from $2.92/month |
Final Words
We hope this article provided a little clarity about some of the most effective alternatives to Zapier.
Zapier is a popular tool for automating tasks, but there are now other good options. We looked at SureTriggers, Make, Integrately, Activepieces, and IFTTT.
Choosing the right one depends on your specific needs, such as ease of use, compatibility with different apps, and cost.
While Zapier is still a good option, these alternatives provide different choices for automating tasks based on what suits you best.
Which will you try and why? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
