Last updated: July 22, 2026 · Reading time: ~14 minutes
Quick verdict: Make bills in credits (since Aug 2025) — most module actions cost 1 credit; Make’s built-in AI can cost more. For solopreneurs, Core at $9/mo (annual, 10,000 credits) is the default buy. Upgrade to Pro ($16/mo) for priority execution and better logs — not for more base credits. Buy extra credit packs or move the credit slider when volume grows; don’t jump to Teams ($29) unless multiple people need roles. Free (1,000 credits, 2 scenarios) is for testing only.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you sign up through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our Affiliate Disclosure. Prices verified against Make’s public pricing page as of July 2026 — always confirm at checkout.
Make Pricing 2026 at a Glance
| Billing unit | Credits (replaced “operations” Aug 27, 2025) |
| Typical module cost | 1 credit per action (AI / Code can cost more) |
| Best solo plan | Core — $9/mo annual for 10,000 credits |
| When to buy Pro | Priority runs + custom variables + full-text logs ($16/mo) |
| Free plan | 1,000 credits/mo · 2 active scenarios · 15-min interval |
| Vs Zapier (rough) | 10k Make credits ≫ 750 Zapier Pro tasks at lower sticker |
| Official source | make.com/en/pricing |
Full product review: Make Review 2026. Head-to-head: Zapier vs Make. Stack math: AI Stack Under $100.
How Make Credits Work
Since August 27, 2025, Make meters usage in credits instead of “operations.” For standard automations the conversion was 1:1 — if you understood ops before, think credits the same way for Sheets, Gmail, Slack, webhooks, and most app modules.
What usually costs 1 credit
- Read / search / create / update / delete data in an app
- Incoming webhook processed by a scenario
- Many built-in transformers and aggregators
- Watch/polling checks that run a module (even when “nothing new” — design carefully)
What often costs 0 credits
- Router module (branches themselves)
- Error handler modules (Ignore, Break, Resume, etc.)
Actions inside each router path still consume credits when they run.
What can cost more than 1 credit
- Make AI Provider modules / Toolkit / Agents — variable by tokens, file size, or pages
- Make Code — pricing page lists ~2 credits per 1 second of code execution on paid tiers
- BYO LLM keys often keep a simpler per-operation charge — verify current help docs before scaling AI steps
Rule for solos: keep revenue-critical paths on standard modules; put experimental AI on a separate scenario so one chatty agent doesn’t empty the month’s credits.
Make Plans Compared (10,000 Credits Baseline)
Prices below are the public annual rates shown for 10,000 credits/mo on Make’s pricing page (July 2026). Monthly billing costs more (~15%+). You can raise the credit slider (20k, 40k, …) on the same page — price scales with volume.
| Plan | Price (10k credits, annual) | Credits | Active scenarios | Min schedule | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000/mo | 2 | 15 min | Learning, one or two tests |
| Core | $9/mo | 10,000+ | Unlimited | 1 min | Most solopreneurs |
| Pro | $16/mo | 10,000+ | Unlimited | 1 min | Priority + debugging power users |
| Teams | $29/mo | 10,000+ | Unlimited | 1 min | Multi-user roles & shared templates |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Unlimited | Custom | SSO, SLA, overage protection |
What you actually buy when upgrading Core → Pro
Same starting credit bucket at the 10k tier. Pro adds:
- Priority scenario execution (less queue delay at peak)
- Custom variables
- Full-text execution log search
If you’re solo and Core runs are timely enough, stay on Core and spend money on more credits before Pro features.
Core / Pro / Teams feature ceilings (from pricing matrix)
| Limit | Free | Core | Pro | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max file size | 5 MB | 100 MB | 250 MB | 500 MB |
| Data transfer (per 10k credits) | 512 MB | 5 GB | 5 GB | 5 GB |
| Execution log retention | 7 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Make API rate (calls/min) | — | 60 | 120 | 240 |
| Max scenario runtime | 5 min | 40 min | 40 min | 40 min |
Usage allowances scale with licensed credits (e.g. ~5 GB transfer per 10k credits/mo). Details: Make pricing FAQ.
Real Cost Math for Solopreneurs
Example 1: Lead form → CRM → Slack (4 modules)
Scenario modules: Webhook → Filter path → HubSpot/create → Slack message = ~3–4 credits per lead (filter/router free; count only modules that run).
- 100 leads/mo × 4 credits = 400 credits → Fine on Free if you only have ≤2 active scenarios
- 1,000 leads/mo × 4 = 4,000 credits → Comfortable on Core
- 3,000 leads/mo × 4 = 12,000 credits → Core 10k + extra pack or bump slider to 20k
Example 2: Daily digest (scheduled)
Every morning: Google Sheets search → Iterator over 50 rows → Email one summary.
- Naive design: 1 + 50 + 50 email modules = disaster
- Smart design: aggregate in one module → one email = ~3–10 credits/day (~90–300/mo)
Credits punish per-item loops. Batch when you can.
Example 3: “Zapier-shaped” volume comparison
4-step workflow × 500 runs/mo = 2,000 credits on Make (if each step is 1 credit).
| Platform | Rough plan needed | Sticker (order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Make Core | 10k credits covers it easily | ~$9/mo annual |
| Zapier | 2,000 tasks > 750 Pro entry → higher task tier | Often ~$50/mo class annually |
Exact Zapier tiers change — see Zapier vs Make and upcoming Zapier Pricing (#35). The pattern holds: Make wins when steps × runs get large.
Example 4: AI Toolkit heavy month
If each run calls Make-hosted AI for summarization at variable credit cost, 500 runs might burn far more than 500 credits. Cap AI steps, cache results in a Data Store, or use your own API key where Make charges a flatter per-module rate. Monitor My Plan → credit usage weekly when testing AI.
Extra Credits, Overage & Annual Flexibility
- Running out: Scenarios pause until you add credits. Make warns at ~75% and ~90% usage. Webhooks can queue within your webhook queue allowance.
- Buy more: Extra credits in bundles (commonly 1,000 or 10,000) at your plan’s pack price, or enable auto-purchase of 10,000-credit packs on Core/Pro/Teams.
- Pack premium: Third-party reports note extra packs can cost more per credit than included plan credits (markup). If you buy packs every month, raise the plan’s credit slider instead.
- Expiry: Credits expire at end of term. Extra credits follow monthly or annual rules depending on subscription — Teams/Enterprise annual can offer more flexible yearly pools (confirm on your invoice/plan).
- Annual vs monthly: Annual is cheaper on the pricing page (“Save 15% or more”). Commit once usage is stable.
Which Make Plan Should You Choose?
Stay Free if: You’re learning, ≤2 active scenarios, <1,000 credits/mo, and 15-minute delay is OK.
Choose Core ($9/mo annual) if: You’re a solopreneur with unlimited scenarios, need 1-minute schedules, and ~10k credits covers lead routing, invoicing pings, and content ops. This is the FlowVerdict default in our under-$100 stack.
Choose Pro ($16/mo) if: Peak-hour queue delays hurt, you need custom variables across scenarios, or you debug with full-text log search weekly.
Choose Teams ($29/mo) if: Two+ people edit automations and need roles/shared templates. Solos almost never need Teams for credits alone.
Choose Enterprise if: SSO, audit logs, overage protection, and 24/7 senior support are procurement requirements.
When NOT to use Make: You only need one two-step Zap and hate canvases — Zapier Free/Pro may be simpler. You need on-prem control — consider n8n (Make vs n8n).
How to Keep Make Cheap (Without Breaking Workflows)
- Filter early — drop junk records before HubSpot/Slack modules run
- Prefer webhooks over aggressive Watch polling when the app supports them
- Batch / aggregate instead of emailing inside an iterator
- Split AI experiments into a capped scenario
- Turn off unused scenarios — active schedules still wake modules
- Review credit usage by scenario monthly and kill the top 10% waste
Make Pricing vs the Rest of Your Stack
- Zapier: Easier onboarding, pricier at step×volume — comparison · alternatives
- n8n: Self-host to minimize SaaS fees; you pay ops time — n8n Review
- Pabbly: Aggressive task/lifetime deals — Pabbly vs Zapier vs Make
- AI features inside automation: Make AI vs Zapier AI vs n8n AI
FAQ
How much does Make cost in 2026?
Free $0 (1,000 credits). Core about $9/mo annual for 10,000 credits; Pro $16; Teams $29 at the same 10k baseline. Higher credit tiers cost more. Monthly billing is higher than annual.
What is a Make credit?
The billing unit for scenario actions. Most app modules use 1 credit per execution. Routers and error handlers are typically free; AI/Code can use more.
Is Make cheaper than Zapier?
At multi-step, multi-hundred-run volumes, usually yes. For a single simple Zap, Zapier can feel cheaper in time-to-value even if Make’s free tier is more generous on credits.
Do unused Make credits roll over?
They expire at the end of the billing term on standard plans. Some annual Teams/Enterprise arrangements use longer pools — check your contract. Don’t hoard; design for steady use or annual flexibility if you qualify.
What happens when I hit 100% credits?
Scenarios stop until you buy packs, enable auto-purchase, or upgrade. Webhooks may queue within limits. Make emails warnings before you run dry.
Should solopreneurs pay monthly or annually?
Monthly while testing Core for 30–60 days. Switch to annual once a few production scenarios are stable — the ~15%+ savings adds up.
Final Verdict
Rating: Make pricing value 4.8/5 for solopreneurs who design efficient scenarios
Buy this: Start Free → move to Core annual ($9/mo at 10k credits) when you need unlimited scenarios or 1-minute schedules → add credit volume before Pro → Pro only for priority/logs → Teams only for real multi-user ops.
Our pick: Create your Make account · read the full Make Review · compare with Zapier vs Make · fit it in a $100 stack.
Next on FlowVerdict: Zapier Pricing 2026: Tasks, Plans & When It Gets Expensive
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