IFTTT vs. Zapier: Save Big With Simplicity or Pay More for Enterprise Power?

Pricing: IFTTT Is Much More Affordable

Both IFTTT and Zapier have free versions with limitations. IFTTT caps the number of automations you can create for free to two, for example, but you still can run automations that others create without restrictions. For its part, Zapier limits you to just 100 tasks (actions and triggers) per month for free, which is far more punishing. Both apps throttle the speed at which automations run and prevent access to certain AI features.

Paid plans unlock more features, including access to each app's full suite of integrations, additional ways to customize automations, and the ability to create and run more automations. However, the IFTTT Pro ($2.99 per month, billed annually) and IFTTT Pro+ ($8.99 per month, billed annually) plans significantly undercut Zapier's paid versions. The latter's Professional plan ($19.99 per month, billed annually) targets individuals, while Team ($69 per month, billed annually) and Enterprise (custom pricing) tiers better suit companies. Zapier also offers add-ons for AI agents (starting at $33.33 per month, billed annually) and chatbots (starting at $13.33 per month, billed annually).

Although IFTTT doesn't offer comparable plans for organizations, the price gap versus even the starter Zapier Professional tier is enormous. If all else is equal, you can't ignore the savings IFTTT offers.

Winner: IFTTT

Platforms: Zapier Doesn't Provide Mobile Apps

Both IFTTT and Zapier work on the web, but only IFTTT has Android and iOS apps. Granted, building complex automations is a better experience on a computer versus a phone, but Zapier's lack of support for other platforms makes it significantly less flexible. That said, Zapier still offers some mobile functionality for automations. For example, you can use it to build workflows that send texts to your phone, among other things. 

Winner: IFTTT

Interface: IFTTT's Large, Colorful Tiles Are Easier to Navigate

IFTTT goes all-in on the modern design convention of large, colorful tiles, much like those of  streaming services such as Hulu or Netflix. No individual IFTTT page has all that many interactive elements or an abundance of information, which prevents the experience from ever being overwhelming. That said, the interface sometimes feels like it wastes space. 

Zapier's interface isn't as complicated as that of digital audio workstations or some project management apps , but it's not as intuitive as IFTTT's. Zapier tends to fill pages with more to read and interact with, using traditional icons, lists, and tables rather than IFTTT's large tiles. It's more efficient at the cost of being less visually appealing. Expect to spend some time familiarizing yourself with Zapier before you get automations up and running. 

Winner: IFTTT

Integrations: IFTTT and Zapier Have Distinct Niches

IFTTT and Zapier both connect with a huge range of apps and services, from AI chatbots and  Siri  on your iPhone to weather services. They overlap in many places, but you should still note some differences. For example, IFTTT supports Philips Hue smart lights and LiveWebinar, whereas Zapier supports Minut smart home sensors and GoToWebinar. 

The biggest distinction, however, is that Zapier better accommodates enterprise-focused services, from e-commerce apps to IT operations services and much more. IFTTT doesn't exclusively support consumer-oriented services, but that's clearly its focus. 

If you're looking to automate tedium out of your professional life, you're likely better off with Zapier. But that's a general rule. Before signing up for it or IFTTT, make sure the platform supports all the apps you regularly use.

Winner: Zapier

Automations: Zapier Helps You Take Customizations Further

Both IFTTT and Zapier can create complex, effective automations that you can tweak in various ways. However, Zapier gives you more granular control than IFTTT. Yes, IFTTT allows you to modify the "Then That" component of your automations with various ingredients, such as adding an embed code to the Add a Row to Spreadsheet action. But Zapier lets you do more. For example, you can run custom Python code or use AI to create custom actions for use within automations, among many other things. 

Of course, the extra flexibility and power of Zapier's automations mean you need to spend more time learning how to get the most out of them versus IFTTT's. And you simply might not need the level of control Zapier provides unless you have a niche project in mind.

Winner: Zapier

AI: Zapier Lets You Create Agents and Chatbots

IFTTT and Zapier both allow you to leverage AI in your automations. For instance, you can prompt an AI with a description of what you want an automation to do or rely on AI actions, such as prompting an AI chatbot , within automations. This functionality works as you might expect in both apps, but whether it's useful depends on your interest in AI services in the first place.

However, Zapier also goes beyond the above, giving you the ability to create AI agents and chatbots. Agents are no-code assistants that can perform tasks, while chatbots can interact within the context of given guidelines, such as for customer support. These features are largely for professional use, so you very well might not benefit from them if you care more about personal workflows.

Winner: Zapier

Privacy: More Transparency Is Always Better

The privacy policies of both IFTTT and Zapier are fairly standard. You can expect both to collect large amounts of your data and to take wide latitude in how they use it. However, both allow you to delete your data and enable multi-factor authentication for extra security.

IFTTT hasn't suffered any notable exploits, hacks, or leaks in recent history, but Zapier did experience  unauthorized access to certain repositories  and  a potential exploit targeting authenticated Zapier sessions . Furthermore, IFTTT is updating its privacy policy to be more transparent, promising a "notice every time you connect a new service to IFTTT to use for a specific [automation]" where "the authentication flow will tell you which data is used from your account and the Applet description tells you how that data will be used."

Winner: IFTTT

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