Make (Integromat)

Make, formerly branded Integromat before its 2022 rename, is a visual workflow automation platform that competes directly with Zapier but takes a fundamentally different interface approach: instead of Zapier's linear trigger → action list, Make presents automations ("scenarios") as a 2D canvas of connected nodes ("modules"), letting builders visually see branches, loops, and parallel paths at a glance. Why it matters: Make is generally considered more powerful for complex automations — native support for routers (splitting one flow into multiple conditional branches), iterators (looping over array data, like every line item in an order), aggregators (collapsing multiple items back into one, like combining several API results into a single report), and built-in error handlers per-module (retry, resume, or ignore-and-continue on failure) — capabilities Zapier either lacks natively or requires paid add-ons/Premium apps to replicate. Make's pricing is also typically more favorable at scale because it charges per "operation" (each module execution) rather than per completed task chain, and its free tier is more generous for hobbyists and early-stage builders. How it works: a Make scenario starts with a trigger module (webhook, polling, or scheduled) and flows left-to-right (or in any direction) through connected modules, with data from each module available to all downstream modules via a variable-mapping panel — you click into any field and select "Order Total from Module 2" rather than memorizing variable names. Worked example — a Make scenario that processes an e-commerce order and updates inventory across two systems: Module 1 (Trigger): "Watch new orders" webhook from Shopify. Module 2 (Iterator): loops over `order.line_items` (an array), since one order can contain multiple products. Module 3 (Router): branches based on `line_item.sku` prefix — SKUs starting "DIGI-" go to Path A (mark as delivered instantly, no shipping), all others go to Path B (deduct from Airtable inventory table via an Update Record action, then create a shipping label via a ShipStation module). Module 4 (Aggregator, after the router rejoins): combines results from all line items back into a single order-confirmation email sent via SendGrid. This kind of branching-and-rejoining logic is straightforward to build visually in Make's canvas but would require multiple separate linked Zaps (or Zapier Paths, a paid feature) to replicate in Zapier. Make's visual canvas also makes debugging easier for complex scenarios — every module retains its last execution's input/output data inline on the canvas, so a builder can click any node after a failed run and see exactly what data it received and returned, without digging through a separate log viewer.