What is Make?
Make is a visual automation platform, formerly known as Integromat, that connects apps and services to create complex, multi-step workflows without writing code. It functions as a powerful online automation tool where users visually design scenarios by linking different application modules, such as those for Google Sheets, Slack, or Salesforce, with a drag-and-drop interface.
These scenarios can perform tasks such as automatically creating a Trello card from an email, syncing data between a CRM and a database, or posting social media content based on a trigger from an RSS feed. The core principle is to replace manual, repetitive digital tasks with reliable, automated processes.
Make is developed and operated by Celonis, the German process mining and execution management company. Celonis acquired Integromat in 2021, rebranding it to Make to align with its vision of making automation accessible. The platform operates independently but benefits from Celonis's significant investment in scalability and enterprise-grade infrastructure.
This backing provides a level of stability and continued development assurance that some smaller automation startups may lack. It positions Make as a serious contender in the competitive integration-platform-as-a-service (iPaaS) market.
Who is Make best for?
Make is designed for users who have outgrown basic automation tools like IFTTT or Zapier's simpler tiers and need more granular control, complex logic, and higher data volumes. Its visual builder, which resembles a flowchart or mind map, is intuitive for those who think in processes but can be overwhelming for someone seeking a simple one-trigger, one-action solution.
Based on the platform's documented capabilities, it excels for users who need to orchestrate data between multiple apps, apply filters and routers to handle different data conditions, and manipulate data formats extensively within the automation itself.
- Tech-savvy small business owners or operations managers: Those who manage processes across marketing, sales, and support apps and need custom automations without a developer.
- IT and business analysts in mid-sized companies: Professionals tasked with creating and maintaining internal process automations and data syncing between departmental software.
- Agency developers and freelancers: Individuals who build and maintain automations for multiple clients, benefiting from Make's team and scenario transfer features.
- Advanced makers and hobbyists: Users who enjoy building complex, multi-branch automations for personal projects or to streamline their digital life with precise control.
Key features
Visual Scenario Builder
The cornerstone of Make is its node-based scenario editor. Each step in an automation is a module, like a Google Sheets cell or an HTTP request, placed on a canvas. You connect these modules with wires to define the data flow.
The interface allows you to see the entire process from trigger to final action in one view, including parallel paths and error handlers. This provides an immediate, high-level understanding of complex workflows that linear builders can obscure.
Advanced Data Transformation and Tools
Beyond simply passing data from A to B, Make includes a powerful array of built-in tools for data manipulation within a scenario. The most notable is the data transformer, which allows you to map, combine, format, and perform calculations on data using functions similar to those in spreadsheets.
You can also use modules to aggregate data from multiple runs, create arrays, parse HTML or JSON, and perform text operations. This reduces the need for pre-processing data in external apps.
Error Handling and Rollback
Make provides reliable mechanisms for managing execution failures. You can set up dedicated error handler routes for any module, specifying what should happen if that step fails, such as sending a notification, retrying, or logging the error to a file.
Furthermore, its commit and rollback feature allows you to group a series of actions. If any action in the group fails, all previous actions in that group are rolled back, preventing partial updates and ensuring data integrity in critical operations.
Flexible Scheduling and Execution Control
While many tools offer time-based triggers, Make provides exceptional control over scenario execution. You can schedule scenarios to run at custom intervals, such as every 37 minutes, at specific times on specific days, or in response to webhooks.
More importantly, you can control the execution pathway for individual operations. You can set up filters, routers to create branches, and iterators to process collections of items, allowing for highly conditional and adaptive workflows.
Extensive App Library and Custom Integrations
The platform supports over 1,000 integrated apps through dedicated modules. For apps without a dedicated module, Make offers versatile generic modules. The HTTP module lets you call any REST API, the SQL module can connect to databases, and the Webhooks module can capture data from any source.
This makes it possible to build automations with virtually any online service or internal system that has an API. This is a significant advantage for custom or legacy software stacks.
Make pricing
Make employs a credit-based pricing model across several tiers: Free, Core, Pro, and Teams. The Free plan is generous, offering 1,000 operations per month but with limited data transfer speeds and execution time.
| Tier | Approx. Cost | Key Attributes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 operations per month; limited data transfer speeds and execution time. |
| Core | Approx. £7 per user/month (annual) | More operations, faster data transfer, custom error handling, full API access. |
| Pro | Approx. £14 per user/month | More operations, priority support, options for dedicated IPs and private hosting. |
| Teams | Varies | Adds collaboration features like shared workspaces. |
According to the official pricing pages, the value proposition is strong for users who require complexity. The free tier is one of the most capable in the market for testing and simple automations. The jump to paid plans is primarily about increasing volume (operations) and speed, rather than gating essential features like routers or error handling, which are available even on free plans.
Compared to competitors, Make can be more cost-effective for complex, high-volume scenarios because a single "operation" is a module execution. A well-built scenario can accomplish more per operation than a linear step in other platforms. However, for users who only need simple, linear automations, the per-operation counting and visual complexity might make simpler, task-priced competitors more straightforward.
Bottom line: Make's free tier is unusually capable, and paid plans scale by volume and speed, not by gating core features like routers or error handling.
What users like
- Visual clarity: The visual scenario builder provides an exceptional, at-a-glance understanding of complex, multi-branch workflows.
- Data power: The built-in data transformation tools are exceptionally powerful, often eliminating the need for intermediary processing steps in other apps.
- Reliability: The granular error handling and rollback features provide enterprise-level reliability for critical business processes.
- Free plan value: The free plan is genuinely useful for learning, prototyping, and running modest automations without time restrictions.
- Universal connectivity: Generic modules like HTTP and Webhooks offer near-universal connectivity, future-proofing automations against app changes.
What could be better
- Steep learning curve: The learning curve is notably steeper than for linear automation tools, which can be intimidating for complete beginners.
- Debugging complexity: Debugging a failed execution in a complex scenario, while possible, can sometimes require digging through nested data structures in the execution log.
- Module gaps: While the app library is vast, some dedicated modules for popular services can lack specific actions or fields found in competing platforms, occasionally forcing a workaround with the HTTP module.
- Credit management: The pricing model based on operations requires careful scenario design to avoid consuming credits inefficiently, adding a layer of financial planning not present in flat-rate subscriptions.
Make verdict
Make is a formidable and sophisticated automation tool that rewards investment in learning with exceptional control and capability. It is not the easiest tool to pick up and run with for a one-off automation, but for anyone who builds and maintains automations as a core part of their role or business, it offers a depth of features that simpler platforms cannot match.
The visual builder, advanced data tools, and commitment to reliability make it ideal for building the central nervous system of a small business's digital operations or for IT professionals creating reliable internal tools. This makes it a strong recommendation for the tech-savvy process owner, the business analyst, the agency developer, and the automation enthusiast.
These users will find that the initial complexity pays dividends in power, flexibility, and often lower long-term cost for complex tasks. However, individuals or teams who only ever need simple, linear "if this then that" connections between common apps, and who prioritise absolute simplicity and speed of setup above all else, may find tools like Zapier or IFTTT more immediately satisfying, even if they are less powerful or more expensive at high volumes.
Ultimately, Make occupies a compelling middle ground between basic consumer automation and full-blown enterprise iPaaS. It brings professional-grade features within reach of prosumers and small teams, making it one of the most capable and strategic automation investments available at its price point.
The takeaway: Make rewards a learning investment with deep control and reliability. It is ideal for power users, but simple-task users may prefer Zapier or IFTTT.
