Zapier is often seen as the market leader in the world of automation, and for good reason. It has a simple pricing structure, is relatively simple to implement, and has a vast bank of integrations. That said, there is an ever-growing number of other products coming to the market, some of which people swear by as a great Zapier alternative.
In the following article, we’ll explore what it is that Zapier actually does, why you might want to consider an alternative to Zapier, and then work through a rundown of our 6 alternatives.
Zapier is is a piece of software that facilitates automation between other pieces of software. The aim is to increase productivity, reduce administrative tasks and improve workflow efficiency. It’s a code-free system with thousands of integrations ready to go at the click of a button.
A great example would be that when an email arrives in Gmail, a trigger is pulled, and then actions happen. Once the trigger fires, it could be that an attachment is automatically downloaded to Dropbox and then you’re notified in Slack.
There are a number of reasons why you might want to consider a Zapier alternative. The main reason why people consider alternatives is the way that Zapier prices itself. The main cost variation is down to the number of Zaps (automation) that you have in place. The free version of Zapier allows you 5 zaps, the starter 20 zaps, and it scales from there. Many businesses feel that actual automation shouldn’t be the defining factor, rather, it should be how often they are used. Of course, a benefit to Zapier’s pricing is that when you are comfortable with the number of automations or Zaps that you have in place, the pricing will remain the same no matter how many times the automation is completed.
What follows is a list of great alternatives to Zapier. These tools might not be the market leader, but they are a great alternative if Zapier isn’t quite right for you.
A great first alternative to Workato, the free version is perfect for individuals looking to enter automation and focus on themselves, but for teams, the paid version is the route. With the simple, intuitive dashboard suite, you’ll create automation with no code in minutes. One of the leading features is the community library, you’ll find literally hundreds of thousands of submissions that you’re able to lift, customize and then use within your workspace.
Price: There’s a comprehensive free version of Workato, but paid plans require a virtual demo with a sales associate for pricing.
Referring to itself as a hybrid integration platform, Elastic.io is an excellent choice if you find yourself needing to connect APIs within your business’s own ecosystem and with external cloud-based apps too. If your stack already involves some of the standard integrations, you may find that connections are already waiting for you to use within Elastic’s library. Creating connections is relatively straightforward, but if you’re working with a professional developer, they’ll find the dev settings comprehensive and impressive.
Price: No free plan for Elastic.io, and pricing starts from a significant $599 a month.
Self-branded as the glue of the internet, Integrtomat seeks to keep all of the individual moving parts stuck together seamlessly. There are many integrations and connections ready to go out of the box, but the sophisticated editor will allow you to customize to your heart’s content. If you need to, the dedicated analytical suite will provide data on your automations, as well as simplistically show how your data has traveled from the source.
Price: The free version of Inegromat allows you 1000 operations a month at a 15-minute interval. The entry-level paid plan starts at $9 monthly for 10,000 operations with 5-minute intervals. Paid plans scale from there.
CloudHQ focuses specifically on automation within Gmail. Branded as a productivity tool, CloudHQ seeks to automate all of the manual tasks associated with inbox management; features include the ability to save emails as pdfs, zips, and other files, synchronized labeling for accounts with multiple users, and a simple Chrome extension that offers an email tracking service. The email templates within CloudHQ are a nice touch, especially when paired with the auto follow-up function.
Price: CloudHQ approach pricing differently from other products in the list, where they charge per feature rather than offering the whole suite in one package. Pick and choose and create your package. The free option is for a single user and is a great introduction to CloudHQ.
Automate.io aims to create connections between the various cloud-based software within your stack so that data can travel seamlessly across departments. Sales, marketing, and administrative activities all become connected and share automations that streamline your business. Automate.io is code free and has many straightforward integrations between a considerable number of apps. The drag-and-drop system makes editing automations pain-free.
Price: The free forever plan is great if you’re a solo worker, with 250 actions a month, 5 bots, and data checks every 5 minutes. If, however, you’re a larger business, the plans start from $49 a month for 10,000 actions, 50 bots, and data checks every 2 minutes.
One of the leading Zapier alternatives, LeadsBridge has many instant integrations ready to go when you subscribe. The main focus of Leadsbridge, as the name suggests, is to automate connections between advertising and marketing data. One of the most popular features is the synchronization of leads across advertising platforms, so you can see Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn leads all in one place. If you’re working with LeadsBridge at one of the higher tiers, tailor-made integrations allow you to create intricate, complex workflows specific to your business and its needs.
Price: The free version is a nice introduction to using LeadsBridge; it gives you 100 leads a month but only 1 bridge. The pro version is a scaleable model where you can pick the number of leads and bridges you require. It starts from $22 a month for 800 leads across 3 bridges.
Zapier isn’t right for everyone, but there’s a chance that one of these alternatives is going to fit your business and its needs. The key is to consider your tech stack and how easily the software will allow you to create automations. Remember that automations are meant to make you more efficient, if it becomes a laborious process it defeats the purpose.