This week, Alegria.group takes a look at three essential tools: Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat) and n8n. These platforms enable you to create connections between different applications, tools or sites, with the aim of automating tasks.

Zapier

Let's start with Zapier. Created in 2011, it is probably the most popular automation tool.

And with good reason: used by companies such as Spotify and BuzzFeed, it boasts over 3,000 integrated apps, is easy enough to learn, and gives you access to a large number of pre-built workflows to make your life easier.

Its free version gives access to 100 tasks - i.e. 100 successful actions in a workflow - which, in practice, is very few. For example, if you've built a workflow with 10 actions, it can only be completed 10 times. And to take advantage of at least 2,000 tasks, you'll need to subscribe for $49 a month, subject to a one-year commitment.

In fact, since April 2024, people who have subscribed to a Starter plan now have access to all the features of the Pro plan without adding an extra euro.

Positives:

• Wide range of integrations: over 3,000 applications available.
• Ease of use: quick to learn thanks to an accessible interface and simple automation processes. 
• Integrated, ready-to-use workflows
• Support and resources: extensive learning resources and robust customer support.
• Ability to add code to workflows.

Negative points:

• Price: Zapier rapidly becomes expensive as automation needs increase.
• The complexity of configuring certain advanced workflows. 
• Dependence on integrations: if an application is not integrated, automation may be limited.

Make (ex-Integromat)

Renamed in 2022, Makewas launched in 2016, a few years after Zapier, and now has a solid reputation. The European tool counts Adidas and Uber among its customers.

Its users appreciate its visual editor, which enables them to build automation scenarios intuitively. The number of actions to be performed per module? is greater, and all data received on Make will be stored - which is not possible with Zapier.

The free version allows 1,000 operations, the $9/month version 10,000, and the $29 version 40,000, which is much more.

Positives:

• Intuitive: A simple, accessible graphical interface makes it easy to create workflows.
• Automations can be customized.
• Value for money: A good balance between price and functionality. Each plan can be adjusted according to the number of operations required.

Negative points:

• Learning curve: may take some time to master all functions.
• Limitations on the free plan: some key features are restricted to paid plans. 
• Technical support: although quality, support can be less responsive at times.

n8n

Being open source, n8n allows you to deploy your scenarios on a local server, for example on your personal computer, free of charge and without limit. So you won't be limited by the number of tasks, and you can test your scenarios without worrying about reaching a limit too quickly.

A Cloud version also exists, but at a cost of €20 per month for 2,500 workflow executions, regardless of the number of steps they contain.

Positive points:

• The ability to add JavaScript and Python to your workflows. Very practical.
• Open-source: for a high degree of customization and flexibility.
• Self-hosting: the ability to host the solution locally for greater data control.
• Active community: community resources and user support.
• The price: you're billed per workflow execution. So it's very interesting if you have a lot of volume to process, a lot of data to synchronize.

Negative points:

• Set-up and maintenance: self-hosting requires technical knowledge for set-up and maintenance.
• Documentation: although comprehensive, n8n can be dense for new users.
• Academy: n8n has two levels of certification, but they are not widely maintained.
• Rather low-code tool. As a result, integrations are more geared towards tools used by developers. You'll have fewer connectors than with Zapier or Make. So you'll need to use APIs directly.

Open source offers a flexibility and adaptability often sought after by those who want extensive customization and complete control over their digital environment. To explore these possibilities and how they fit into the wider NoCode movement, here's a more in-depth discussion of the subject here.

n8n, Zapier or Make (ex-Integromat): Which to choose?

If you're new to the world of NoCode and automation, we advise you to start with Zapier, as it's more instinctive and has a much larger connector catalog than the other two. But it's also much more expensive.

n8n will be better suited to profiles that already have advanced technical skills. We associate it more with a low-code tool than NoCode. But it can be ultra-powerful and very economical for those who master self-hosting.

And last but not least: Make is a perfect in-between. A tool we love at Alegria.group, by the way. It meets the needs of most companies today. Flexible, good value for money and a very satisfying catalog of integrations.

That said, we adapt to customer needs and work equally well with all three tools.

Other interesting automation tools include Workato and Mindflow: Workato and Mindflow. More suited to large groups.