Verdict up front: Zapier is the business automation platform — deeper workflows, far more business apps, and team controls, starting at $19.99 a month billed annually. IFTTT is the cheap, simple option — after its October 28, 2026 overhaul, every plan including Free gets unlimited Applets and every feature, and paid plans start at just $2.09 a month billed annually. Pick Zapier to run work processes; pick IFTTT for personal and smart-home automations on a budget.
Zapier vs IFTTT at a glance
| Feature | Zapier | IFTTT | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0, 100 tasks/month, two-step Zaps only | $0, 1,000 credits/month, unlimited Applets, all features | IFTTT |
| Starting paid price | Professional from $19.99/mo billed annually | Starter $2.99/mo monthly, or $2.09/mo billed annually | IFTTT |
| How usage is counted | Tasks — one per successful action step | Credits — spent when Applets, AI features and MCP run | Tie |
| Integrations | 9,000+ apps, per Zapier | 1,000+ services, per IFTTT | Zapier |
| Workflow depth | Multi-step Zaps, paths, filters, webhooks, Tables and Forms on paid plans | Multi-action Applets, queries and filter code — now on every plan | Zapier |
| Check speed | 15 min on Free, faster on paid tiers | Hourly on Free, 15 min on Starter, 5 min on Pro and Pro+ | Zapier for business triggers |
| Team use | Team plan from $69/mo billed annually, up to 25 users, shared Zaps, SAML SSO | Built for individuals; Pro+ adds multiple accounts per service | Zapier |
| Best for | Leads, CRM, marketing and operations workflows | Smart home, phone and personal automations | Depends on the job |
How does pricing actually work?
Zapier charges for tasks. Free gives you 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, but each free Zap is capped at two steps — one trigger, one action. Professional, from $19.99 a month billed annually for 750 tasks, unlocks multi-step Zaps, premium apps and webhooks. Team starts at $69 a month billed annually for 2,000 tasks and up to 25 users. If you want context on where Zapier sits against visual builders, see our Zapier vs Make comparison and our Zapier vs n8n comparison.
IFTTT charges for credits, and the structure changed completely on October 28, 2026. Free includes 1,000 credits a month. Starter includes 5,000 credits for $2.99 a month, or $2.09 a month billed annually ($25.08 a year). Pro includes 20,000 credits for $7.99 a month, or $5.49 billed annually. Pro+ includes 100,000 credits for $19.99 a month, or $13.99 billed annually, plus multiple accounts per service and dedicated support.
What the pricing pages don’t make obvious
Two gotchas matter here, both verified on the vendors’ own pages for this comparison. First, Zapier now draws everything from one shared task pool: its pricing page states that Zap workflows, AI steps, code and MCP calls all share the same task allocation, with no separate budgets — and when you hit your limit you are switched to pay-as-you-go unless you turn that off. A chatty AI step can therefore eat the tasks your lead-routing Zaps needed.
Second, most IFTTT guides on the web are now wrong. Older coverage describes a free plan limited to 2 Applets, a 20-Applet Pro plan, and a 7-day free trial. IFTTT’s own plans page and billing FAQ say those limits were retired on October 28, 2026: Applets are unlimited on every plan, features are no longer paywalled, credits pause your Applets when they run out instead of deleting anything, and IFTTT no longer offers free trials at all.
Which is better for business workflows?
Zapier, and it is not close. Its library is built around business software — CRMs, ad platforms, payment tools, support desks — and paid plans add branching, filtering, tables and shared-workspace controls. Our Zapier free plan review shows where the free tier stops being enough. IFTTT has no real team plan, and its 5-minute best check speed is slow for lead handling.
Which is better for smart home and personal use?
IFTTT. It was built for phones, wearables, lights, plugs and voice assistants, and at $2.09 to $5.49 a month billed annually it costs less than a coffee to run a house full of Applets. Zapier barely competes in smart home at all.
Which should you pick?
Pick Zapier if the automation touches revenue, customers or a team: form-to-CRM routing, payment notifications, multi-step marketing workflows, or anything where a missed trigger costs money.
Pick IFTTT if the automation is for you or your home, you want every feature without a feature-tier decision, and you would rather pay for usage credits than for workflow depth.
Frequently asked questions
Is IFTTT really unlimited now?
Applets are unlimited on every plan, including Free, since October 28, 2026. What is limited is usage: each plan includes a monthly credit allowance, and Applets pause when it runs out.
Is Zapier free enough for real work?
For one or two simple two-step automations, yes. The moment a workflow needs a second action, a premium app or faster checks, you need Professional at $19.99 a month billed annually.
Which is cheaper, Zapier or IFTTT?
IFTTT by a wide margin. Its most expensive self-serve plan, Pro+, is $13.99 a month billed annually — less than Zapier’s entry Professional price.
Do IFTTT credits roll over?
No. Credits renew monthly and do not carry forward.
Research-based comparison — no hands-on testing claims. Pricing verified on zapier.com/pricing and ifttt.com/plans on November 15, 2026. Plans change; check the pricing pages before buying.