Save Money: How I Cut $500/Year by Switching from Zapier to Make.com

Introduction: The Zapier Tax Nobody Talks About

“In 2026, wasting money on overpriced tools is a rookie mistake. If you are a freelancer or VA in the Philippines, I will show you how I cut $500+/year by switching to Make.com. Get 10x more automation power for a fraction of the price.”

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve already felt it: that quiet monthly sting when Zapier bills your card again.

$29.
$49.
$69.
$99.

“Why pay $29 for only 750 tasks when you can get 10,000 operations on Make for the same price?”

And for what? A few automations that run in the background and quietly burn your cash.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: in 2026, wasting money on overpriced tools is a rookie mistake.
Especially if you’re a freelancer, a VA in the Philippines or India, or a small business trying to keep margins tight.

Zapier isn’t “bad.”
It’s just ridiculously overpriced for what you get.

There is a Zapier alternative that does the same job, handles more complex workflows, and costs a fraction of the price.

That tool is Make.com.
And if you care about cheap automation and real ROI, you should be using it instead.

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The Price Comparison: Zapier vs Make.com (The Numbers Don’t Lie)

Let’s start with what actually matters: money.

Free Plan Comparison

Feature	Zapier Free Plan	Make.com Free Plan
Monthly Tasks / Ops	100 tasks	1,000 operations
Multi-step Zaps	❌ Not allowed	✅ Allowed
Visual Workflow Builder	❌ No	✅ Yes
Advanced Logic	❌ Very limited	✅ Built-in
Webhooks	❌ Paid only	✅ Free

“The bottom line: Make gives you 10x the capacity of Zapier—completely for free. That alone makes it a total no-brainer.”

“Make normally offers a free plan with 1,000 operations/month. HOWEVER, by using the link below, you are eligible for an exclusive upgrade to 10,000 operations (1-Month Pro) to start!“

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Paid Plans: Where Zapier Really Bleeds You Dry

Let’s compare at scale:

Monthly Volume	Zapier Cost (Approx)	Make.com Cost (Approx)
2,000 tasks/ops	$29/month	$10/month
10,000 tasks/ops	$69/month	$18/month
50,000 tasks/ops	$249/month	$40/month

Bottom line:

• Zapier charges you like a Silicon Valley SaaS startup.
• Make charges you like a tool built for actual working humans.

At just 10,000 tasks/month, you’re saving over $600/year.
That’s not a rounding error. That’s real money you can reinvest into ads, tools, or your own paycheck.

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Why Make.com Is the Smarter Zapier Alternative

This isn’t just about price.
Make is technically better in ways that actually matter.

1. Visual Canvas (Drag-and-Drop That Actually Makes Sense)

Zapier feels like filling out tax forms.
Make feels like building LEGO.

You get a visual workflow canvas where you:

• Drag modules
• Connect apps
• See data flow in real time
• Debug errors visually

For VAs and freelancers who manage multiple clients, this is a massive productivity win.

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2. Unlimited Multi-Step Automations (Even on Free)

Zapier locks multi-step Zaps behind a paywall.
Make doesn’t.

That means you can:

• Trigger → filter → transform → store → notify
  …all without upgrading your plan.

For Notion automation especially, this is huge.

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3. Real Logic Power (Not Toy Logic)

Make isn’t just “if this then that.”

It supports:

• Routers (branching workflows)
• Aggregators (merge multiple data sources)
• Iterators (loop through lists)
• Conditional logic
• Error handling
• Custom webhooks

Translation:
You can build workflows in Make that Zapier literally cannot handle.

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Real-Life Use Case: Google Calendar → Notion Sync

(The “Poor Man’s Motion” Setup)

If you use Notion for task management and Google Calendar for scheduling, this one alone is worth switching.

Goal

Automatically sync all new Google Calendar events into a Notion database.

What You Need

• Google Calendar
• Notion
• Make.com (free plan is enough)

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Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Create a New Scenario in Make

• Choose Google Calendar as the trigger
• Event: Watch Events

Step 2: Filter Only Real Meetings

• Add a filter:
  • Exclude all-day events
  • Exclude personal calendars (optional)

Step 3: Create a New Notion Database Item

• App: Notion
• Action: Create a Database Item
• Map fields like:
  • Event Title → Task Name
  • Start Time → Due Date
  • Description → Notes
  • Location → Meeting Link

Step 4: (Optional) Add Smart Logic

• If event contains “Client” → Tag as “Client Work”
• If event duration > 1 hour → Mark as “Deep Work”
• If event starts tomorrow → Priority = High

Result:
Every meeting auto-appears in Notion.
No copy-paste.
No missed deadlines.
No $30/month Zapier tax.

That’s Notion automation done right.

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Final Verdict: Stop Wasting Money

Let’s be blunt.

If you’re:

• A freelancer
• A VA in the Philippines or India
• A Notion user
• A small business owner
• Or anyone who cares about cash flow

Then staying on Zapier is a bad financial decision.

Make.com is:

• Cheaper
• More powerful
• More flexible
• Easier to debug
• Better for scaling

This is not hype.
This is just math.

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Call to Action

If you’re serious about saving money and upgrading your automation game:

👉 Switch to Make.com today
👉 Kill your Zapier bill
👉 Keep an extra $500+ per year in your pocket

Start here:

“In a competitive market like the Philippines, saving $500/year isn’t just a choice — it’s your competitive advantage. Stop overpaying, start automating.”

You don’t get bonus points for loyalty to overpriced tools.
You get paid for making smart decisions.

Make the smart one. 💸