Step 1: inventory every Zap
Start with a spreadsheet, one row per Zap, before you build anything in Make. The columns below are the ones that change the Make design or the bill.
Pay attention to the trigger type. Zapier says polling triggers never use tasks [1], so a Zap that checks a sheet every few minutes costs nothing until it finds a row. In Make, a trigger check is an operation every time it runs. [7] That single difference is behind most surprise Make bills after a migration.
| Column | Why it matters in Make | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger app and type | Polling triggers cost an operation per check in Make [7]; Zapier polling uses no tasks [1] | Google Sheets new row, polling |
| Runs per month | Drives Make credits per month | 600 |
| Action steps that ran | Zapier tasks; each becomes at least one Make module run [1][7] | 2 |
| Paths, Filter, Formatter, Storage, Delay steps | Free in Zapier [1]; some become modules in Make | 1 Paths, 2 Formatter |
| Webhook URL in use | Must be changed in the sending app at cutover | Stripe and form tool |
| Side effects | Emails, charges, CRM writes that must never happen twice | Welcome email |
Step 2: map Zapier concepts to Make
Most Zapier building blocks have a direct Make counterpart. The behavior differences are where migrations break.
Paths to router: Zapier allows up to 10 branches in a path group, runs them one at a time left to right, and lets one record go down several branches if more than one rule matches; a fallback branch runs when none match. [2] Make's router also processes routes sequentially, in an order you can set, and offers a fallback route for data that fits no other route. [4] Rebuild each Zapier path rule as a filter on the matching Make route and keep the same order.
Formatter to functions: Make has general, math, text, date and time, and array functions, plus custom JavaScript functions, that you apply as formulas within your scenarios. [5] A Formatter step that capitalises a name becomes a function inside the next module's mapping, so there is no separate step to run.
Storage to data stores: Storage by Zapier saves values between runs, with keys up to 32 characters, up to 500 keys per Storage account and values up to 1 MB. [3] Make's data stores work like a simple database. Paid plans get 1 MB of storage per 1,000 monthly credits, records can be up to 15 MB, and an organization can have up to 1,000 data stores. [6] Modules include Add/Replace a Record, Get a Record, Search Records and Check the Existence of a Record. [6]
| Zapier | Make | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Zap | Scenario | New scenarios are inactive by default [12] |
| Trigger | Trigger module | Polling checks cost operations in Make [7] |
| Filter | Filter between modules or on a route [4] | Same rules, rebuilt by hand |
| Paths | Router with filtered routes and a fallback [4] | Both run branches in order; make rules exclusive [2][4] |
| Formatter | Functions inside module fields [5] | No separate step |
| Storage | Data store [6] | Storage size comes from your credit allowance [6] |
| Webhooks trigger | Make webhook [9] | Up to 300 requests per 10 seconds; parallel by default [9] |
| Zap history | Scenario History tab | Operations per module visible per run [7] |
Step 3: convert tasks to credits per run
Zapier counts a task for each successful action. Triggers, Filter, Paths, Formatter, Delay, Looping, Digest and Storage steps do not count, and neither do tests or failed actions. [1] Make counts an operation each time a module runs, once per bundle, plus one per trigger check [7], and by default one operation is one credit. [8]
Worked example. A Zap with a webhook trigger, a Formatter step, Paths with one action on each branch, and a Storage step uses 1 task per run in Zapier: only the branch action counts. [1] The Make rebuild has a webhook trigger, a router with one action per route, the formatting done inside that action's fields, and a data store module. Per run that is the trigger, one action and one data store module, about 3 operations. At 1,000 runs a month, Zapier's 1,000 tasks become about 3,000 Make credits.
Polling changes the math more. A Make scenario that checks a sheet every 15 minutes runs 96 checks a day, about 2,880 a month, before any row is found. [7] Where the source app can send a webhook, switch the trigger to a Make webhook during the migration.
| Zap design | Zapier tasks per run [1] | Make operations per run [7] | At 1,000 runs a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webhook trigger, 1 action | 1 | 2 | 1,000 tasks vs about 2,000 credits |
| Webhook, Formatter, Paths, 1 action, Storage | 1 | About 3 | 1,000 tasks vs about 3,000 credits |
| 15-minute polling trigger, 2 actions | 2 | 2 per found row, plus 2,880 checks a month | 2,000 tasks vs about 4,880 credits |
Step 4: run both in parallel without double-sending
Build the Make scenario, leave it inactive, and test with Run once. [12] For a shadow week, point the scenario's last step at a test destination: a test list, a test sheet or your own inbox, never the customer-facing action. If the sending app allows more than one webhook URL, add Make's URL alongside Zapier's so both receive the same live events, and compare outputs daily.
Make runs instant-webhook scenarios in parallel unless Process data in order is on. [9][11] If the Zap relied on events being handled one at a time, turn that setting on. For any step whose side effect must never happen twice, add a data store keyed on the event or order ID and use Check the Existence of a Record before the action. [6]
For polling triggers, choose From now on as the first bundle to process when you activate. Make also offers Since specific date, an ID threshold, All bundles, or picking the first bundle. [10] All bundles would replay records the Zap already handled.
Step 5: cut over in this order
The order below keeps exactly one tool doing the real work at every moment.
- Pick a quiet hour and note the last record the Zap processed.
- Turn the Zap off.
- In Make, switch the last step from the test destination to the live action and save.
- For polling scenarios, set the first bundle to From now on, or a specific date just after the last record the Zap handled. [10]
- Activate the Make scenario with its ON/OFF switch. [12]
- In each sending app, replace Zapier's webhook URL with Make's, or remove Zapier's URL if both were registered.
- Send one real test event and watch the Make run; Make keeps webhook logs for 3 days. [9]
- Check for events that arrived while the Zap was off and before Make was active, and process them by hand.
- Leave the Zap off but not deleted for two weeks as a reference, then delete it.
Common migration mistakes
Recreating a Paths step without exclusive rules. Zapier runs every branch whose rules match unless you make them exclusive [2], and Make's router processes its routes one after another [4], so write route filters that leave only the intended route matching. Read each Zapier rule before rebuilding it.
Leaving polling triggers on short intervals. In Zapier that was free [1]; in Make it is a steady credit drain. [7]
Forgetting Make's webhook queue. When calls cannot be processed instantly, Make stores them in a queue, and if the queue is full it answers 400 Queue is full. [9] If a sending app reports webhook errors after cutover, check Make's webhook log first.
Questions before you decide
Will my Zapier task count equal my Make credit count?
Usually not. Zapier does not count triggers, Filter, Paths, Formatter or Storage steps, while Make counts every module run and every trigger check. A Zap using 1 task per run can need about 3 Make credits.
What replaces Zapier Paths in Make?
A router. Make processes routes sequentially in an order you set and offers a fallback route, much like Zapier's left-to-right branches and fallback branch. Rebuild each path rule as a route filter.
What replaces Storage by Zapier in Make?
A data store, which works like a simple database. Paid plans get 1 MB of storage per 1,000 monthly credits, and records can be up to 15 MB, compared with 1 MB values and 500 keys in Storage by Zapier.
How do I stop Make from reprocessing old records after cutover?
For polling triggers, set the first bundle to process to From now on or a specific date after the last record the Zap handled. Avoid All bundles, which retrieves every available record.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Zapier Help: How is task usage measured in Zapier Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Zapier Help: Add branching logic to Zaps with Paths Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Zapier Help: Save and retrieve data from Zaps Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Router Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Functions Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Data stores Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Operations Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Credits Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Webhooks Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Select the first bundle to process Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Scenario settings Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Active and inactive scenarios Accessed 30 Oct 2026
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