Our verdict: count the schedule first, then the steps
Most surprise automation bills come from one of two places: a frequent schedule that checks for data all day, or a workflow with more action steps than you remember. Both are easy to count before you subscribe.
Make and Pabbly Connect count differently. Make charges credits for the scheduled trigger and for each module that processes data [1][3]. Pabbly Connect charges tasks only for action steps and says triggers, internal steps and checks on external apps are not charged [6]. The same workflow can therefore need very different allowances on the two platforms.
The formula
Write down one line per workflow, then add them up.
- Scheduled checks per month = (60 / minutes between checks) x 24 x 30. A 15-minute schedule is 2,880 checks; hourly is 720.
- Main path = runs per month x billable steps per run.
- Branches = runs that take a branch x extra billable steps on that branch.
- Retry buffer = 10% of the main path and branches until you have a week of real data.
- Total = scheduled checks (Make only) + main path + branches + retry buffer.
| Input | Make | Pabbly Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled trigger checks | Count them: 288 trigger credits per day at 5-minute intervals [3] | Not charged: triggers are not in the task count; operations are unlimited [6] |
| Action steps | Each module that processes data typically uses one credit [1] | Each action step is one task [6] |
| Filters, routers, formatters | Not documented on the pages we read; read your scenario history | Free internal steps [6] |
| AI and file modules | Can use more than one credit, based on tokens, file size or run time [2] | Check the module before relying on the estimate |
| Unit of allowance | Credits per month [1] | Tasks per month [6] |
Worked example: a lead form that feeds three apps
A small business receives 600 form submissions a month. Each one goes to a CRM, an email list and a Google Sheet. About 30% are flagged as hot leads and also post a message to a team chat. The trigger checks for new submissions every 15 minutes.
Make: scheduled checks are 96 per day, or 2,880 over 30 days [3]. Main path is 600 runs x 3 action modules = 1,800 credits, assuming one credit per module [1]. The hot-lead branch is 180 runs x 1 module = 180. A 10% retry buffer on 1,980 is about 198. Total: about 5,058 credits per month. That fits the 10,000 credits Make lists for its $9 per month plan on annual billing, and is well beyond the 1,000-credit Free plan [1][4].
Pabbly Connect: the trigger and the filter or router that picks hot leads are free [6]. Main path is 600 x 3 = 1,800 tasks, the branch adds 180, and a 10% buffer adds about 198. Total: about 2,178 tasks. That is beyond the 100-task Free plan and inside the 10,000 tasks of Standard [6].
Notice where the difference comes from. More than half of the Make estimate is the 15-minute schedule. Checking hourly would cut it to 720 trigger credits; an instant trigger, where the app supports one, avoids empty scheduled checks altogether, so confirm its per-run credit in your scenario history.
Turning usage into a monthly bill
Pabbly's US dollar prices come from the plan data on its official pricing page; the visible cards showed rupee prices from our location, so confirm the currency at checkout [6]. Pabbly advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee [6]. Make's plan price came from Make's own comparison article because the plan cards did not load in the page text we could read [1][4].
| Plan (as listed) | Allowance | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make Free | 1,000 credits per month [4] | $0 | No time limit, per Make [1] |
| Make lowest paid plan | 10,000 credits per month [1] | $9 per month on annual billing [1] | Make says annual payment is cheaper than monthly [4] |
| Make extra credits | Bundles of 1,000 or 10,000 [4] | 25% more than plan credits; $11.25 per 10,000 on a $9 plan [5] | Valid to the end of the billing cycle on monthly billing or the billing year on annual billing; on Core with annual billing they expire at each monthly reset [5] |
| Pabbly Connect Free | 100 tasks; 2 workflows of up to 2 steps [6] | $0 | No credit card required [6] |
| Pabbly Connect Standard | 10,000 tasks per month [6] | $19 monthly; $194 yearly; $365 two-yearly; $513 three-yearly [6] | Yearly works out to about $16.17 per month |
| Pabbly Connect Unlimited | Unlimited tasks [6] | $79 monthly; $828 yearly [6] | Adds unlimited team members [6] |
Credits that disappear: the expiry rules
Make says unused plan credits expire at the end of the term, and that on the Core plan with annual billing regular credits reset monthly [4][5]. Extra credits bought on monthly billing are valid only until the end of the current cycle [5]. Buying a large top-up near the end of a month can therefore waste money.
Make also says a downgrade carries unused credits into the new subscription for the next month or year [4]. If your usage falls, downgrading is safer than letting a large allowance expire.
Checklist: estimate before you subscribe
- List every workflow, its trigger type and its schedule.
- Count action steps per run, and which ones only run on a branch.
- Mark AI, file and multi-record modules: they can cost more than one credit on Make [2].
- Multiply out the schedule overhead for Make before anything else.
- Add a 10% buffer for retries and reprocessing, then replace it with a measured figure after a week.
- Pick the plan whose allowance is at least 25% above your estimate so a busy month does not force a top-up.
- Re-run the estimate whenever you shorten a schedule or add a step.
Who fits each platform
Pabbly Connect suits workflows with many filters and routers and frequent polling, because those are free and only actions count [6]. Make suits workflows that need its scenario editor and module library, provided you keep schedules no more frequent than the job needs. If an estimate puts you at a few hundred runs a month, either free plan may be enough to test the workflow before paying.
Questions before you decide
Why does a Make scenario use credits when nothing happens?
Make's scheduling help page calculates trigger credits from run frequency, for example 288 credits per day at 5-minute intervals for the trigger module alone. A scenario that checks every 15 minutes runs 2,880 times in 30 days whether or not new data arrives.
Does Pabbly Connect charge for triggers or filters?
Its pricing page says triggers are not included in the task count and internal steps such as Filter, Router, Formatter, Iterator, Schedule and Email Parser are free. Each action step, such as adding a row to Google Sheets, is one task.
What do extra Make credits cost?
Make says extra credits carry a 25% additional cost. On a $9 plan with 10,000 credits, its own example works out to $1.125 for 1,000 extra credits and $11.25 for 10,000.
How accurate is this estimate?
It is a planning estimate. AI modules, file handling and modules that process many bundles can use more than one credit each on Make. Run the workflow for a week and compare the usage page with your estimate before choosing a plan.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Make blog: Make vs Zapier (pricing section and FAQ) Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Make Help Center: Credits Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Make Help Center: Schedule your scenario Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Make pricing and billing FAQ Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Make Help Center: Extra credits Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Pabbly Connect pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
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