Published February 27, 2026 · 14 min read
Automation used to mean writing code. In 2026, it means dragging blocks around a canvas and connecting apps in minutes. The no-code automation space has matured significantly, and the free tiers are more generous than ever. Whether you want to sync your CRM with email marketing, post to social media on a schedule, or push form submissions into a spreadsheet, there is a free tool that handles it.
This guide compares the five best free no-code automation platforms available right now: Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat), IFTTT, n8n, and Pipedream. We cover free tier limits, supported integrations, ideal use cases, and how to choose between them.
Here is a quick overview of what each platform offers on its free plan as of February 2026.
| Feature | Zapier | Make | IFTTT | n8n | Pipedream |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tasks/Month | 100 | 1,000 ops | 5 Applets | Unlimited* | 10,000 credits |
| Multi-Step Workflows | No (2-step only) | Yes | No (2-step) | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | 7,000+ | 2,000+ | 900+ | 400+ built-in | 2,300+ |
| Code Support | No (free tier) | Yes (JS/Python) | No | Yes (JS/Python) | Yes (Node.js/Python) |
| Self-Hosted Option | No | No | No | Yes (free) | No |
| Webhooks | No (free tier) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduling | 15 min intervals | 15 min intervals | Varies | 1 min intervals | 1 min intervals |
| Best For | Simple 2-step automations | Complex workflows on a budget | Smart home & simple triggers | Developers who want full control | Developers needing code + integrations |
*n8n is unlimited when self-hosted. The n8n Cloud free tier has limits.
Zapier is the most well-known automation platform and the one most non-technical users encounter first. The free plan allows 100 tasks per month with single-trigger, single-action workflows (called Zaps). That means each automation connects exactly one trigger app to one action app.
New email subscriber in Mailchimp triggers a welcome message in Slack. This is a classic two-step Zap that runs within the free tier perfectly. If you get fewer than 100 new subscribers per month, you never pay a cent.
Be strategic about which automations you activate. Focus on repetitive tasks that save the most time per execution. If a Zap saves you 5 minutes per task and runs 100 times, that is over 8 hours of work automated for free each month.
The biggest limitation is the two-step restriction. You cannot build multi-step workflows like "When a form is submitted, create a CRM contact, send a confirmation email, AND add a row to Google Sheets." For that, you need Make or n8n.
Make, formerly known as Integromat, offers the most generous free tier for complex workflows. You get 1,000 operations per month with unlimited active scenarios and full access to multi-step, branching workflows. The visual scenario builder is widely considered the most intuitive drag-and-drop automation interface available.
Example: A Typeform submission triggers Make to (1) create a HubSpot contact, (2) send a personalized email via Gmail, (3) add a row to Google Sheets, and (4) post a notification in Slack. That is 4 operations per submission. With 1,000 free operations, you can handle 250 submissions per month.
Make lets you add routers that split workflows based on conditions. If a form response includes "enterprise," route to one path. If it includes "startup," route to another. This conditional logic is free and extremely powerful for segmenting leads or responses.
Make gives you 10x more tasks than Zapier free (1,000 vs 100) and allows complex multi-step workflows. If you need anything beyond simple two-step automations, Make is the clear choice on the free tier.
IFTTT (If This Then That) started as a consumer automation tool and remains the simplest option for basic triggers. The free plan allows 5 active Applets (their term for automations), each with a single trigger and single action.
Smart home automations: "When I leave home (phone GPS), turn off all Philips Hue lights." Or: "When Ring doorbell detects motion, save a clip to Google Drive." IFTTT excels at connecting physical devices to cloud services, an area where Zapier and Make have limited coverage.
Five Applets is restrictive for business use. IFTTT is best viewed as a supplementary tool for personal and smart home automations rather than a primary business automation platform. For business workflows, combine IFTTT for device triggers with Make for everything else.
n8n is the most powerful option on this list if you are comfortable with self-hosting. It is an open-source workflow automation tool that you can run on your own server for free with zero usage limits. No task caps, no operation limits, no restrictions on workflow complexity.
The fastest way to get started: run n8n in Docker on any Linux server. A $5/month VPS from providers like Hetzner or DigitalOcean handles thousands of workflow executions daily. The n8n software itself is completely free and open source under a fair-code license.
With self-hosted n8n, you can build workflows with dozens of steps, process thousands of records, run every minute, and connect to any API. There is no "free tier" because the entire product is free when self-hosted. The paid n8n Cloud option exists for those who prefer managed hosting.
The trade-off is clear: n8n requires technical knowledge to set up and maintain a server. If you are comfortable with Docker and basic server administration, n8n offers the best value by far. If you want zero infrastructure management, stick with Make or Pipedream.
Pipedream occupies a unique space between no-code and low-code. It provides a visual workflow builder like Make, but every step can be customized with Node.js or Python code. The free plan offers 10,000 credits per month, which translates to roughly 10,000 simple workflow invocations.
API integrations that need custom logic. Example: receive a webhook from Stripe when a payment succeeds, extract the customer email with code, look up their account in your database, calculate a loyalty tier, and send a personalized email. Pipedream handles the mix of API calls and custom code elegantly.
Pipedream gives you the convenience of pre-built integrations (OAuth handling, API wrappers) with the flexibility of writing real code. You do not have to choose between no-code simplicity and code-level power. Every step can be either.
Choosing the right tool depends on your specific automation needs. Here is a decision guide based on common scenarios.
| Use Case | Best Tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Simple CRM-to-email sync | Zapier | Two-step workflow, huge app library, easiest setup |
| Complex multi-step business workflows | Make | 1,000 free ops, branching, routers, filters |
| Smart home automations | IFTTT | Best device support, location triggers, simple |
| High-volume data processing | n8n (self-hosted) | Unlimited executions, no caps, full control |
| API integrations with custom code | Pipedream | Code + no-code hybrid, 10K credits, fast |
| Social media scheduling | Make | Multi-step with image handling and scheduling |
| Form-to-spreadsheet pipelines | Zapier or Make | Both handle this easily on free tiers |
| E-commerce order workflows | n8n or Make | Multi-step with conditions and error handling |
Nothing stops you from using multiple platforms. Use Zapier for your 5 simplest automations, Make for complex workflows, IFTTT for smart home, and Pipedream for anything that needs custom code. Each platform's free tier is independent, so you effectively multiply your free automation capacity.
If you have never built an automation before, here is the fastest path to your first one.
Think about tasks you do every day that follow a predictable pattern. Copying data from one app to another, sending the same email after a certain event, updating a spreadsheet when something happens. These are automation candidates.
If your task is two steps (one trigger, one action), start with Zapier. If it involves three or more steps, start with Make. If you need custom code, start with Pipedream.
Sign up for the free plan, connect your apps, build the workflow, and test it. Every platform has a test mode that lets you run the automation once to verify it works before turning it on. Do not skip testing.
Check your automation logs after the first week. Are there failures? Unexpected results? Adjust the workflow based on real-world performance. Automation is iterative, not set-and-forget.
Use our free Automation Planner to map out your workflows, identify the best tools, and track your automation ROI.
Get the Free Automation PlannerYes. Zapier, Make, and IFTTT are fully no-code platforms. You connect apps by selecting triggers and actions from dropdown menus. Make's visual builder handles even complex multi-step workflows without a single line of code. The only platform here that benefits from coding knowledge is Pipedream, and even Pipedream offers no-code steps for common actions.
For pure volume, n8n self-hosted is unbeatable because there are no limits at all. Among the cloud-hosted options, Pipedream offers 10,000 credits per month, followed by Make with 1,000 operations. Zapier's 100 tasks is the most restrictive. If you need the most free automations without self-hosting, Pipedream wins on volume and Make wins on workflow complexity.
It depends on volume. A solopreneur or small team running 5-10 automations with modest volume will fit comfortably within Make's 1,000 operations or Pipedream's 10,000 credits. If you process hundreds of transactions daily, you will likely outgrow free tiers within months. Start free, measure your usage, and upgrade only when you hit a real limit.