Make vs Power Automate
Make is visual automation platform for building complex workflows with a drag-and-drop builder, while Power Automate is microsoft's automation platform connecting 400+ services with desktop and cloud flows. Make comes in cheaper, but price alone does not tell the full story. Make is built for power users who want complex automations at a lower cost than zapier, whereas Power Automate targets microsoft 365 teams wanting enterprise automation.
At a glance
|
Make
|
Power Automate
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Power users who want complex automations at a lower cost than Zapier | Microsoft 365 teams wanting enterprise automation |
| Starting price | $9/mo | $15/user/mo |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Free tier available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| 400+ Connectors | — | ✓ |
| AI Builder | — | ✓ |
| Branching Logic | ✓ | — |
| Cloud Flows | — | ✓ |
| Data Mapping | ✓ | — |
| Desktop Flows | — | ✓ |
| Error Handling | ✓ | — |
| Real-Time Webhooks | ✓ | — |
| Visual Builder | ✓ | — |
Make
Strengths
- Visual workflow builder is more powerful than Zapier
- Significantly cheaper — more operations per dollar
- Complex logic: branching, loops, aggregation
- Real-time webhooks (not polling)
Weaknesses
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier
- Smaller app library than Zapier
- Interface can be overwhelming for beginners
- Documentation not as comprehensive
Power Automate
Strengths
- Includes Desktop Flows as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows
- Includes Cloud Flows as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows
- Free with M365 limits — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
- Includes ai builder alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed
Weaknesses
- Free plan has meaningful restrictions: free with m365 limits
- Enterprise-focused design means the interface can feel heavy for smaller teams
- Complex automations can break silently if a connected service changes its API
- Overkill for freelancers or small teams who need something lightweight
The bottom line
Pricing: Both tools offer free tiers, so you can test each before committing. Make's free plan: Free for 1,000 ops/month. Power Automate's free plan: Free with M365 limits. When you outgrow the free tier, Make is the cheaper option at $9/mo vs. $15/user/mo for Power Automate — roughly 66% less.
Feature gaps: Make offers Branching Logic, Data Mapping and Error Handling that Power Automate lacks. Power Automate brings 400+ Connectors, AI Builder and Cloud Flows that Make does not have.
Team fit: Make is geared toward small teams teams, while Power Automate is aimed at enterprise teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.
Where each tool shines: Make's biggest strengths are: visual workflow builder is more powerful than zapier. significantly cheaper — more operations per dollar. Power Automate's biggest strengths are: includes desktop flows as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows. includes cloud flows as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows.
Watch out for: With Make, users commonly note that steeper learning curve than zapier. With Power Automate, the main complaint is that free plan has meaningful restrictions: free with m365 limits.
Choose Make if...
- You need a tool built for power users who want complex automations at a lower cost than zapier
- You want to save on per-user costs — Make is $6.00/user/mo cheaper
- You specifically need Branching Logic and Data Mapping
- You care about significantly cheaper — more operations per dollar
- Your team size fits the small teams profile Make is designed for
Choose Power Automate if...
- You need a tool built for microsoft 365 teams wanting enterprise automation
- You specifically need 400+ Connectors and AI Builder
- You care about includes cloud flows as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows
- Your team size fits the enterprise profile Power Automate is designed for
- The free tier works for you: free with m365 limits
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