Activepieces vs. Zapier vs. Make: An Honest Comparison
Three automation platforms in direct comparison: features, costs, data privacy, and scalability — honestly evaluated from practical experience.
The three best-known automation platforms compared: Activepieces, Zapier, and Make. We've used all three in client projects and share our honest assessment.
Platform Overview
Zapier is the market leader with the greatest brand recognition and over 6,000 integrations. Make (formerly Integromat) positions itself as a more flexible alternative with a visual builder. Activepieces is the open-source alternative that enables self-hosting and is steadily growing with over 280 integrations.
Feature Set
Zapier offers the most ready-made integrations, but workflow logic is relatively limited. Make allows more complex workflows with branches and loops. Activepieces combines both: an intuitive visual builder with the ability to insert custom code blocks and develop individual integrations. For AI integration, all three platforms offer OpenAI connections, but Activepieces is the only platform that enables integration of local AI models.
Costs in Detail
With Zapier, you pay per task: starting at $29 for 750 tasks per month, the business package with 2,000 tasks costs $99. Make is cheaper: starting at $10 for 10,000 operations. Activepieces as a self-hosted solution is free — you only pay server costs, typically 20 to 50 euros per month. At high volume, the difference becomes dramatic: 50,000 automation runs cost over $500 monthly with a SaaS provider, while Activepieces still only costs the server fees.
Data Privacy and GDPR
This is the biggest difference: Zapier and Make process your data on their cloud servers, predominantly in the US. Activepieces can be operated entirely on your own infrastructure — in Europe, in your data center, under your control. For companies with sensitive data or strict compliance requirements, this is a decisive advantage.
Scalability
Zapier and Make scale through their cloud infrastructure, but costs scale with them. With Activepieces, you scale your own infrastructure — costs increase linearly with server resources, not exponentially with usage. For growing companies, this is a significant financial advantage.
User-Friendliness
Zapier is the easiest to use — the interface is intuitive and suitable for non-technical users. Make has a steeper learning curve but offers more flexibility. Activepieces is in between: the visual builder is intuitive, but for self-hosting you need technical know-how or a partner to handle the setup.
Our Conclusion
For quick experiments and small teams without IT resources, Zapier can be a good entry point. Make offers more flexibility at a fair price. Activepieces is the best choice for companies that prioritize data privacy, cost efficiency, and long-term scalability. We recommend Activepieces to our clients because it offers the best balance of functionality, cost, and data privacy.