Automation tools connect apps and run workflows when something happens. They are priced by different units: tasks, credits or executions. The same workflow can cost very different amounts depending on the unit, so estimate your monthly runs before comparing prices.
Some tools are rule-based and some add an AI assistant that drafts messages. Anything that sends messages on your behalf should have an approval step.
Small teams and freelancers who want apps to pass information to each other, such as new form entries going into a spreadsheet or a message when a record changes, and who will check the results.
Documented plan details, listed alphabetically. Free-plan availability does not mean every feature is included. Compare confirmed free plans across categories.
Scroll sideways in the table to compare prices and tradeoffs.
| Tool | Free plan | Paid entry price | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| LindyChecked 21 Oct 2026 | No free plan | From $29.99/user/mo (currency not named), billed monthly | Credits do not roll over, every active user is billed, and the page does not describe an API. |
| MakeChecked 21 Oct 2026 | 1,000 credits a month; 1 MB data storage; 1 data store | From $9/mo (currency not named), billed annually | Every module run costs credits, so scenarios with many steps use them quickly, and scenarios stop when credits run out. |
| n8nChecked 21 Oct 2026 | Not confirmed | From €20/mo, billed annually | Only annual-billing prices are shown, in euros, and the free Community Edition's licence terms are not stated on the pricing page. |
| ZapierChecked 21 Oct 2026 | 100 tasks a month; two-step Zaps; 15-minute polling; 2,500 Table records; 10 form pages | From $19.99/mo, billed annually, or $29.99 month-to-month | Tasks are the billing unit, so busy automations can hit limits. With pay-per-task on, overage is charged at 2.5x (monthly) or 1.25x (annual) the base rate. |
Automation
AI teammate for email, meetings and follow-ups, with a Slack-native workflow and credit pricing.
Best for: Small teams that want an assistant to draft email replies and follow up after meetings
Automation
Automation platform billed in credits, with a free plan of 1,000 credits a month.
Best for: Multi-step scenarios where you want to pay by the credit and manage the platform through an API
Automation
Workflow automation priced by executions, with cloud plans and a self-hosted option.
Best for: Technical teams that want unlimited users and workflows, or to self-host
Automation
Workflow automation sold by monthly task volume, with a free plan.
Best for: Simple event-driven automations across apps, with a free plan to test
Chosen from published plan details. Not hands-on tested, and not influenced by affiliate status.
A free plan and simple event-driven automations
Free lists 100 tasks a month with two-step Zaps, and Pro starts at $19.99 a month on annual billing.
Multi-step scenarios billed by credits, with an API
Free lists 1,000 credits a month, and the page lists 300+ REST API endpoints.
Execution-based pricing and self-hosting
Plans list unlimited users and workflows, with cloud plans in euros and a self-hosted Business plan.
Email and meeting follow-ups handled from Slack
The page lists drafted replies, meeting follow-up and built-in approvals, with Team from $29.99 a month.
Free automation plans are small and metered in different units: tasks for Zapier, credits for Make, and trial access for tools without a free plan. A free allowance that fits a test may not fit a live process, and a duplicated run spends it twice.
Counted from our records of the 4 tools here: 2 have a confirmed free plan, 2 offer only a free trial, 1 price per seat, 4 meter credits or usage, and 2 show prices without naming the currency.
We have not verified any vendor's data handling and do not give legal advice. See the privacy review checklist.
Go deeper: How automation tools bill their usage (guide); Why an automation runs twice, and what to do (guide); Why AI tools use credits so quickly (guide); Turn a meeting into a reviewed follow-up (workflow);cost planner.
Zapier counts tasks, Make counts credits per module run, n8n counts workflow executions with unlimited users and workflows. Lindy uses credits per assistant task.
Zapier's Free plan is limited to two-step Zaps; Make's Free plan lists 1,000 credits a month.
n8n offers a self-hosted plan and a Community Edition, while Zapier and Make are hosted.
For customer follow-ups, prefer tools that let you review drafts before sending.
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A two-week pilot method for deciding whether to pay for an AI tool, with trial and refund terms several vendors state and a scorecard you can reuse.
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Illustrative workflows for meetings, follow-ups, product photos, marketing video and team documents, with the free-plan limits that matter at each step.
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A practical AI software buying checklist for US, UK, Canadian and Australian teams: currency, seats, annual billing, regional offers and pilot tests.
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Ongoing free plans, free trials and one-time credits are different offers. How to tell them apart, with examples, and how to decide whether free is enough.
Guide · Published 21 Oct 2026
Tasks, credits and executions are not the same unit. How Zapier, Make, n8n and Lindy count usage, and how to estimate yours before you compare prices.
Guide · Published 21 Oct 2026
How to turn per-seat prices into a real yearly cost, with worked examples from USD-confirmed pricing pages and the minimum-seat and commitment traps to check.
Guide · Published 21 Oct 2026
Duplicate runs and duplicate messages: the common causes, how to tell them apart, the simplest fix for each and a safer pattern for customer messages.
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