Run digital processes autonomously, relieve team members, create scalable workflows and increase productivity at the same time? Yes, thanks to iPaaS. With Integration Platform as a Service, previously isolated tools are linked together, automatically exchange data and thus create lean, recurring and efficient processes.
The key to this is iPaaS solutions that deliver the right and important functions. But the iPaaS market is not only young, it is also still very fragmented. There are numerous software with a slightly different focus.
This is exactly why we have taken a look at some of the most important platforms and create an overview of them in our iPaaS comparison:
While not all of these solutions are 1:1 comparable, they have enough similarities to make a closer look worthwhile.
But let's start again: We first clarify what iPaaS is, its benefits and goals, and then take a detailed look at Workato, tray.io, Make, n8n and Zapier. We have also briefly summarized the top features of each platform.
In our iPaaS comparison, we look at the usability, pricing and connectivity of each software. In this way, we try to work out similarities and differences.
iPaaS stands for "Integration Platform as a Service" and is the name of a platform that links other applications with each other, i.e. integrates them. In this way, local or cloud-based applications can exchange data automatically. IPaaS is therefore an important technology for the automation of digital processes.
So-called iPaaS solutions or iPaaS platforms let you create autonomously running processes, often without code and with high usability. The umbrella term is cloud integration.
iPaaS is thus a competitor technology to RPA - Robotic Process Automation - and in our eyes the more suitable of the two. IPaaS offers a central console for the administration, control and integration of cloud-based applications.
It has long been commonplace that many different applications are used in companies. There are different requirements for different activities. These are mapped by a variety of systems. For example, different programs are used in marketing than in sales or in accounting.
These isolated solutions can lead to data silos on the one hand and susceptibility to errors on the other. Important information, such as master data, is needed in many places and must therefore be kept up to date in many places. This can easily lead to discrepancies or duplicates.
IPaaS solutions connect these used programs with each other and thus enable communication between different systems.
In this way, entire processes can be automated from start to finish. This is because predefined triggers start the workflow at certain conditions and thus carry out recurring routine activities independently.
Disclaimer: In our iPaaS comparison, we only highlight details and try to emphasize special features. We have linked to more detailed comparisons and reviews of some iPaaS solutions.
Workato is one of the leaders in Gartner's Magic Quadrant™ for Enterprise Integration Platform as a Service. This means that Workato was rated as one of the best iPaaS technologies with a focus on enterprise.
We have already written here about why this comparison is sometimes insufficient. But that's just a side note. Back to the iPaaS comparison:
Workato has been at the top of the iPaaS world for a number of years. Workato is particularly impressive in that it achieves the almost impossible: it combines cloud with enterprise with on-premise. This makes Workato attractive for a wide range of companies.
In addition, Workato places a lot of emphasis on compliance and security, which also suits the large and very large companies.
One thing has to be said about Workato: The interface and especially the dashboard are extremely clear and therefore very user-friendly. No other iPaaS solution in this comparison manages that.
In terms of structure, Workato follows the familiar view: A trigger is selected at the beginning and gradually a workflow emerges that is very reminiscent of a flowchart:
In addition, Workato offers numerous functions and filters that make this workflow extremely complex and thus also close to reality.
We don't want to say much more at this point, because the usability of Workato is really top-notch. Newcomers quickly find their way around and the fact that a demo is almost unavoidable quickly provides an overview.
As of today, Workato supports over 1,000 connectors and SaaS apps, databases, AI services and APIs. The connectivity is further extended through HTTP requests. In addition, you can easily create your own connectors through Workato's SDK.
As already mentioned at the beginning, Workato has a special feature: on-premise solutions are also supported. Since iPaaS strictly speaking focuses on cloud applications, no other iPaaS tool in this comparison offers this simplicity.
Pricing from Workato
The difference between Workato and the other iPaaS tools on this list is also clear in the pricing. Where others entice with clearly defined packages, there is no price tag on Workato. For companies, the iPaaS tool offers "workato for your business", which is divided into "required" and "as needed".
Required starts with its own workspace, which includes Unlimited Apps, unlimited Connections and unlimited Users. This is a really good start.
On top of that, i.e. as needed, you can add your own recipes. These can be purchased individually or as a package of 10, 25, 50 or 100 recipes. Workato promises access to more than 400,000 recipes.
However, a price is not mentioned. We only know that Workato has pricing strategies for SMEs and enterprise. However, we cannot give you an exact amount. However, a 30-day trial is available free of charge. You can use it to get a taste of the platform.
Next in the iPaaS comparison is Make. An iPaaS platform from the Czech Republic on its way to the top. Acquired by the unicorn Celonis in 2020, Make wants to conquer the cloud automation market. We ourselves use Make on a daily basis as an automation agency and can therefore provide the most insights into this tool.
What exactly Make is, you can read in detail here.
You can find a more detailed comparison of Make with Workato here.
Make has been around in the world of cloud automation for some time now and does it quite well. What makes Make special is that it can map very complex scenarios through countless functions and filters. Admittedly, these require some practice. But once you know the possibilities of Make, you will love it.
One hurdle you have to overcome first, however, is the Make interface. This is only mediocre in an iPaaS comparison. Although Make also offers a "dashboard", it hardly lives up to its name. There you can only see how many operations (i.e. individual steps within a process) you have used in the last month and how much data volume was transferred.
The processes themselves are created in a unique view: A modular interface in which each app, or process step, is represented as a circular icon and can be arranged as desired.
This view makes it very easy for you to see how the process runs and where which branches occur. Nevertheless: As a beginner, it is somewhat overwhelming to configure the individual apps. Especially the functions mentioned before are not self-explanatory. So you will hardly be able to avoid some videos and training material.
When it comes to usability, Make therefore receives deductions in our iPaaS comparison.
Make offers a large number of apps, around 1,000 at the moment. In addition, numerous other applications can be connected through webhooks and HTTP requests.
As an experienced programmer, you can also develop your own apps in Make. Alternatively, as a certified Make partner, we are also able to develop apps for you in Make.
At Make, pricing is based on requirements. As is usual for most SaaS tools, there are different price packages. These are primarily based on the amount of operations you use. Operations are individual process steps. A three-step process therefore consumes 3 operations.
In addition, Make free version offers an excellent entry point. 1,000 operations are included and there is no limit to the number of applications. Translated, this means: you can go a long way with it.
Another feature is the upgrade for $9: No matter which package, you can add 10,000 operations for $9 at any time. This is not only cheap, but also flexible. Simply start here free of charge and get an impression yourself.
In this iPaaS comparison, Make scores with its pricing. It's cheaper than Workato, Zapier and n8n without sacrificing functionality and scope.
n8n is still a young star in the iPaaS sky. Founded in 2019, the Berlin-based start-up recently closed its first VC round and, with the funding behind it, is setting out to make the iPaaS market a little fairer. Because n8n is unique: fair-code licensed and open source. Thanks to the open source code, you are the only one in this iPaaS comparison who can host the tool yourself and therefore also develop it further.
If you have the highest data security requirements and want to decide where your data is stored, you can simply run n8n on your own servers. Best of all, it's completely free.
Also brand new is the n8n desktop app. This is free and allows you to build and run low-code workflows on your desktop. This is ideal to give you an insight into the iPaaS software.
But of course there is also the option of using n8n in the cloud in true iPaaS fashion. Read more about this under n8n Pricing. You can read a more detailed review of n8n here.
The n8n interface is also very similar to a flowchart. You can see at first glance which apps are being used and how the data flows through the automation. It is also easy to flexibly exchange the individual modules.
If you want to use a template, you can import it very easily: Simply copy and paste it into the n8n editor via CTRL + V, as you are used to doing in other applications.
In addition, n8n offers a small but very important detail: Multi Triggering. You can have one and the same process triggered by different actions. And this feature is really powerful. With Make, for example, we have been waiting for this for a long time and usually have to use workarounds.
In our iPaaS comparison, n8n currently supports the fewest apps: just over 200. This may also be due to the fact that n8n is still one of the younger tools in this list. Nevertheless, the trend is strongly upwards. In addition, n8n itself says that new apps can be added by developers in a few hours via JSON or JS. This emphasizes the open source idea.
Nevertheless, the bare figures do not speak for n8n, other tools are already further ahead here.
But n8n also offers HTTP requests. This makes it possible to connect to other applications. In addition, n8n encourages users to develop their own apps, so-called nodes.
Hosted locally or in the desktop app, n8n is free. If you prefer the cloud version, the following picture emerges:
A clear and lean price table with three different packages. The workflow executions are decisive here. An execution is counted as soon as a workflow has run through. This is not to be confused with operations in Make. These refer to a single process step.
Another limitation is the number of active workflows. That's it, no more complicated distinctions. If you want to try out n8n in advance, you can do so with a 30-day trial version.
So N8n's pricing is no surprise but fair in our eyes. With 5,000 workflow executions per month, you can go a long way. What we miss, however, are small intermediate steps: Similar to Make, flexible add-ons could extend the packages. Start here with n8n.
tray.io is also included in the Gartner Enterprise iPaaS comparison. There, the iPaaS tool is classified as a "Challenger". However, Gartner criticizes the completeness of the vision. Tray.io itself says that the platform is valued by enterprises and fast-growing companies. We can definitely see this focus.
For this iPaaS comparison, we clicked through the free trial of tray.io and were able to get a first impression of the platform. Admittedly, this is pretty good. Immediately upon registration, a distinction is made between the personal and organizational workspace. In addition, numerous other workspaces can be created and given the appropriate purpose. For example, the structure can be set up along the organizational structure.
In addition, you can expect some tutorials to introduce you to tray.io. This way you can not only acquire the necessary knowledge yourself, but also the training for team members is easier if tray.io is to be used by many people.
Overall, the design and interface are kept very simple and modern, which provides a lot of clarity and overview. In addition to your workflows, you can access a kind of dashboard via Analytics. However, we would like to see more impressions here.
If you create a new workflow, you can expect a modular interface with drag & drop function that allows you to move connectors, format data and design the workflow as you wish. Filters, branches and functions are of course included.
We are also impressed by the many additional helpers and modules: Crypto Helper, Data Mapper, Date & Time Helper, Encryption Helper, Logic Helper, Math Helper, PDF Helper, Randomizer, XML Helpers, ZIP Files, Text Helper and many more open up countless possibilities for formatting and using data.
You can also extend your workflow with Python & JavaScript, which is an underestimated but very important function. Another small, but in our eyes very useful function is a delay: You can set your workflow to run delayed under certain conditions.
However, there are deductions for the usability of tray.io in the intuitive configuration of the modules and connectors. As beginners, we feel that other iPaaS tools in this comparison, such as Zapier, take us by the hand more.
In short, tray.io supports over 500 applications and if a connector is not available, you can simply configure one of tray.io's universal API, database or file connectors. This sounds really simple. In practice, this is done through GraphQL APIs, SOAP APIs or via HTTP requests. In addition, as with all the other tools in this iPaaS comparison, you can also connect triggers via Webhook and thus also use those apps that are not yet supported by tray.io.
Tray.io offers an unlimited number of users and connectors in each price package. Unlike n8n or Make, however, these packages are not simply graded according to volume, but also offer different functionalities. For example, the cheapest package does not include the above-mentioned custom connectors, which are only available from the second package onwards.
Nevertheless, the number of workflows also plays a role. Because there are also limits per package. It is not clear exactly what these limits are. A note "Workflows priced by volume" and a hint in the FAQ are all.
The breakdown of the price packages shows how much value tray.io places on data security and compliance. The Professional package includes HIPAA compliance (a US decree that regulates that companies working with protected health information must implement physical, network and process security measures), legal audits, SAML 2.0 SSO, security audits or a customized service level agreement.
In general, the pricing again shows the focus on enterprise companies. It starts at $695 per month and is $2,450 in the most popular package. In this iPaaS comparison, tray.io is the most expensive tool, but unlimited users and connectors are a very relevant point for larger companies.
Zapier is something of a trailblazer for many of the previously mentioned tools in this iPaaS comparison. This is because Zapier has a huge outreach and has promoted the topic of cloud automation steadily over the last few years. So Zapier's thoughtful and impressive marketing is paying off. But competitors have long since emerged from the shadows, including Make and n8n. You can find an intensive comparison between Zapier and Make here.
The US company focuses particularly on the sheer number of supported apps. Read more about this under Zapier connectivity. If you want to learn more about Zapier in detail or are looking for support, please contact us.
Zapier focuses on simplicity. So it's really very easy to get familiar with the automation platform. You are guided through the process step by step and always know what to do. Zapier also offers test data. So you can always see which fields or information are being processed. This makes developing new Zaps really easy.
Zapier stands out somewhat in this iPaaS comparison. Zapier is the only tool that uses a linear process structure. Zapier calls these "zaps". Conditions or branches are also possible. But if you want to exchange a step later, you have to delete all the following steps first. Zapier lacks modularity here.
But what Zapier recognized early on as a valuable feature is the extension with code. You can run Python or JavaScript in your automations via a code block. That can be really valuable in places.
For us, Zapier is one of the tools that meets the requirements of no code or low code. It is so beginner-friendly that you can automate digital processes quickly and efficiently without any previous experience or programming knowledge.
We've already hinted at it: Zapier comes through the masses. More than 3,000 apps are now supported. Not so long ago, we remember 1,500 apps. So the growth is rapid. This is another reason why Zapier could be considered one of the best-known tools in this iPaaS comparison.
But of course Zapier also offers further integrations via HTTP requests and webhooks. In this way, apps that have not yet been supported can also be connected.
If you want to add an app, or perhaps your own app, to Zapier's platform, you can also do so via Zapier's developer platform. There you can add triggers and actions that will be launched.
There's not much more to say about Zapier's connectivity, because in this iPaaS comparison Zapier is the clear front-runner.
Zapier offers a free version, as do Make and n8n (if you host yourself). However, this free version is really narrow: you can only create a maximum of 5 zaps, i.e. processes, and on top of that these are only so-called "single-step zaps". These are processes with one trigger and one action. Nothing more.
The Free Version is therefore suitable for almost no one. The Starter version with 19.99 USD per month offers more functions, but we recommend the Professional version for 49 USD to most of our customers. For comparison: At Make, we usually recommend the Standard package for 29$, and at n8n you will probably get further with the Start package for 20€ than with Zapier's Starter package.
Another cost factor: if you reach your monthly limit of zaps, they have to be rebooked for 2 cents per zap. Depending on your needs, this can be really expensive. We find Make rebooking for 9 USD flat more user-friendly.
The tools presented cannot be compared 1:1. Zapier, Make and n8n focus (so far) particularly on individuals and small businesses that value a low price for the greatest possible benefit. Tray.io and Workato push large companies and corporations, which is reflected not only in pricing but also in compliance and data protection.
However, our comparison also shows how fragmented the young market is. No tool can clearly stand out from the others or is the clear market leader. On the contrary, new players, such as n8n, are entering the market and creating even more competition. As a result, numerous tools can be compared with each other, but they are also more or less specialized.
In our daily work as an automation agency, however, we currently prefer to use Make. The price-performance ratio is right, it offers comprehensive functions to map even complex processes and meets most data protection and compliance requirements. Here you can start with Make for free and get an impression yourself.
Zapier is a bit more beginner-friendly, but in our eyes it reaches the limits of complex processes too quickly and quickly becomes expensive. In our view, Workato is a really mature iPaaS solution and probably the go-to tool especially for large and very large companies.
We provide you with independent advice and are happy to offer you our support.
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