What Is Make.com? How Make Automation Works (and When to Use It)
7 min read · By Hamza Amir · Updated November 2, 2026
Make.com is a visual automation platform that connects apps and moves data between them without code. You build "scenarios" on a canvas: a trigger starts the run, and modules read, transform, route, and write data across your tools. It was formerly called Integromat; Celonis acquired it in 2020 and relaunched it as Make in February 2022.
Make says it connects with 3,000+ apps out of the box. It charges in credits: each action a scenario performs consumes credits, most actions use one credit, and the free plan includes 1,000 credits per month, according to Make's pricing page.
Key takeaways
- Make is a visual, no-code automation platform, formerly Integromat.
- Scenarios are built on a canvas with routers, iterators, and error handlers.
- Billing is by credits; most actions use one, and the free plan has 1,000 per month.
- Make sits between Zapier's simplicity and n8n's power.
- Great for visual thinkers and complex logic on a budget.
How Make automation works
A Make scenario is built from a few building blocks:
- Trigger: a new row, email, form submission, webhook, or schedule starts the scenario.
- Modules: each step reads, creates, updates, or transforms data in an app.
- Routers: split the flow into branches based on conditions.
- Iterators and aggregators: process lists item by item, then combine results.
- Error handlers: decide what happens when a step fails, such as retry, skip, or alert.
Make pricing and credits
Make bills in credits. Each action a scenario performs consumes credits; most use one, while some AI features use more. Router and error-handler modules do not use credits. A single run can use anywhere from two credits to thousands, depending on how many items and steps it processes. The free plan includes 1,000 credits per month, and paid plans are sold by monthly credit volume. When credits run out, scenarios stop until more are added. Check Make's pricing page for current paid plan prices, which change over time.
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Make vs Zapier vs n8n
How Make compares with the two tools it is most often weighed against:
| Make | Zapier | n8n | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Builder | Visual canvas | Step-by-step list | Visual canvas |
| Billing unit | Credits per action | Tasks per action step | Executions per workflow run |
| Free option | 1,000 credits/month | 100 tasks/month | Free self-hosted edition |
| Self-hosting | No | No | Yes |
| Best for | Visual, complex logic on a budget | Beginners, simple automations | Volume, code, AI agents |
Details: n8n vs Zapier, n8n alternatives (including n8n vs Make), and Zapier pricing.
When to use Make
Make is a strong choice when you think visually, need branching and data transformation, and want lower costs than Zapier for moderate volumes. It is less suitable when you need self-hosting for compliance, very high volumes of long workflows, or deep AI agent logic, where n8n usually fits better. If your company runs on Microsoft 365, compare it with Power Automate.
We build automations on Make, n8n, and Zapier depending on your stack and volume. See our workflow automation service or claim a free automation.
Make.com is a visual, no-code automation platform, formerly called Integromat, that connects apps and moves data between them using scenarios built on a canvas with triggers, modules, routers, and error handlers.
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Coverage
USA · UK · EU
Team
10 engineers · 1 PM