The short answer
- Make Core runs the same simple automations, with webhooks, schedules down to the minute, retry handlers and error emails, for $12/mo. Modeled first-year saving against Zapier Professional: $166. the math
- Self-hosting n8n or Activepieces costs nothing to license, but is modeled at $1,100 more than Zapier Professional in year one once upkeep counts. the math
- Replacing 3 simple zaps with custom jobs is modeled to cost $280 more in year one: at a low bill, building rarely pays. the math
- Stay on Zapier if you use many of its connectors, or teammates build their own Zaps. recipe
Who should switch, and who shouldn't
Switch if
- Your automations are a handful of stable jobs: webhook triggers, schedules, field mapping, retries and failure alerts. recipe
- You've moved up a task tier: Make Core includes 10,000 credits a month. make.com
- Someone on the team is happy to run a server: n8n's self-hosted Community edition is free with unlimited executions. the math
What Zapier costs today
List prices from the vendor's pricing page, as stored in the Stackcut catalog. Each price links its source.
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly (per month) | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier Professional | $29.99/mo | $19.99/mo | 750 tasks/mo tier; multi-step Zaps, premium apps, webhooks |
| Zapier Professional 2K tasks | $73.50/mo | $49/mo | 2,000 tasks/mo |
| Zapier Professional 10K tasks | $193.50/mo | $129/mo | 10,000 tasks/mo |
| Zapier Team | $103.50/mo | $69/mo | 2,000 tasks/mo tier; 25 users, shared Zaps, SAML SSO |
- Zapier's Free plan allows 100 tasks/month, two-step Zaps only, 15-minute polling. zapier.com
The alternatives, ranked
4 ways out, ranked by modeled saving in the first year after setup and upkeep (4 priced). Modeled, not measured: each figure links the math on the recipe page.
- Most paths are modeled against Zapier Professional at $29.99/mo; the custom-jobs path against the yearly-billed price. recipe
What automation costs at 750, 2,000 and 10,000 runs
Zapier sells task tiers; Make and Activepieces sell credits. They aren't the same unit, so map your own run history before you compare.
| Tasks or credits a month | 750 | 2,000 | 10,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier Professional today | $29.99Professional | $73.50Professional 2K tasks | $193.50Professional 10K tasks |
| Makecounts credits; free plan: 2 active scenarios | $0Free | $12Core | $12Core |
| Activepieces (cloud) | $20Plus | $20Plus | $20Plus |
| n8n Community (self-hosted)Sustainable Use License | $0+ your server | $0+ your server | $0+ your server |
| Activepieces (self-hosted)MIT Community Edition | $0+ your server | $0+ your server | $0+ your server |
How to leave Zapier
Export first, then cancel. Every step links the vendor's own help page, checked on the date shown.
How to leave Zapier
Export first
- Zaps, task history, tables and more: Settings → Security and data → Export my data (ZIP of JSON and CSV). zapfile.json holds every undeleted Zap; an email tells you when the export is ready. help.zapier.com
What you lose
- Multi-step Zaps on the Free plan, which runs 2-step Zaps only
Cancel
- Export your Zaps first (see export).
- Billing and usage → Manage → select the Free plan.
- Takes effect
- At the end of the current billing cycle; paid features work until then.
- Refunds
- Zapier subscriptions are non-refundable.
- After you cancel
- Pay-per-task usage from the current cycle can still be charged after you cancel, and add-ons aren't cancelled with the plan.
Not covered by the paths above, per the recipe: Thousands of connectors, Arbitrary visual builder, Enterprise controls, Zero-maintenance API updates. If you rely on one of these, keep the incumbent or check the path closely.
Open-source and forkable options
- n8n: Self-hosted Community edition is free with unlimited executions (you run it). License: Sustainable Use License (source-available) · source code
- Activepieces: MIT-core open source; free tier or Plus $20/mo flat. License: MIT (Community Edition) · source code
Open source means no license fee, not free to run: the server, backups and upgrades are yours. Read the license before you fork or resell; several of these are open-core or source-available.
Replace with AI, or hand it to an agent skill
Replace with AI Replace with AI: three custom jobs: Three low-volume, stable jobs fitting the starting tier. First year: costs $280 more (modeled, not measured).
- The spec turns named workflows into small jobs with idempotency keys, a queue, retry logs and failures a person can see. It only pays when the bill is high enough to justify the work. recipe
FAQ
Does Zapier refund unused time?
No. Zapier subscriptions are non-refundable, and cancelling takes effect at the end of the billing cycle. help.zapier.com
Can I export my Zaps?
Yes. Settings → Security and data → Export my data gives a ZIP, and zapfile.json inside it holds every undeleted Zap. help.zapier.com
Are Make credits the same as Zapier tasks?
No. Zapier counts tasks and Make counts credits, so map each workflow's usage before you compare plans. recipe
Is n8n open source?
n8n's self-hosted Community edition is free under the Sustainable Use License, which is source-available. Activepieces' Community Edition is MIT-licensed. the math
Keep reading
Check your own stack
Get your free stack audit
Stackcut finds every software subscription in your inbox and shows what to cancel, what to pay per use, and what AI can replace, with a spec and a cost for each. Your stack audit is free and takes about 2 minutes.
Or ask your agent
Connect the Stackcut MCP server (https://stackcut.io/mcp, no API key) and ask: “We pay for Zapier Professional to run 3 simple zaps. What should we do?”
find_alternatives({"vendor": "Zapier", "monthly_spend_usd": 29.99,
"features_used": ["Webhook triggers", "Scheduled jobs", "Retries"]})