Automation

Should you build your own Make?

Visual automation platform for scenarios across apps and APIs

With trade-offs · the basics, with limitations
Price $12/moEstimated savings $108/yrEstimated time weekendCategory AutomationCatalog votes 0

A handful of workflows can be coded quickly, but Make's paid value is the visual builder, app modules, scheduling, observability, and maintenance.

ENOriginal research content in English. Original prompt preserved in English.

The complete prompt
Build me a code-first workflow runner to replace Make for my handful of scenarios. Requirements:

- A Node project where each scenario is one file in scenarios/ exporting a trigger
  (cron string or webhook route) and an ordered list of steps, each step an async
  function that receives the previous step's output.
- The runner executes steps in order, retries a failed step 3 times with
  exponential backoff, then halts the run recording the step name and error.
- Every run saved to SQLite (better-sqlite3): scenario, start/end, per-step input
  and output JSON, status. That history is the debugging story, make it good.
- A minimal dashboard on localhost:4880 (Express, server-rendered): scenario list
  with last-run status, click into a run to see each step's payload.
- Webhook triggers land on the same Express app with signature verification
  helpers; cron triggers via node-cron. All credentials in .env.
- Ship two example scenarios: a Stripe payment webhook appends to a Google Sheet
  and sends a Telegram message; an RSS post gets an LLM summary drafted as email.
- Binds to localhost only, single user, no accounts, no telemetry.
- Out of scope: a visual drag-and-drop builder and an app-module catalog. Scenarios
  are code, that is the point of this build.
- README: how to add a scenario, .env keys, and a note that self-hosted n8n is the
  off-the-shelf fallback if maintaining this stops being fun.

The prompt opens pre-filled in your agent. Review it before running. · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR

Original prompt preserved in English.

What would building your own look like?

Implement the needed scenarios as scripts or n8n workflows with API calls, retries, and logs.

What you will need

Why paying can still make sense

They pay because workflows evolve and break; a maintained builder reduces the upkeep.

What you lose

xvisual scenario builder

xapp modules

xscheduling

xoperations history

xerror handling

xteam governance

Share on X ↗"I just replaced Make ($12/mo) with one prompt"
Free alternatives

Prefer something ready-made?

Activepieces Community EditionA polished visual workflow builder with hundreds of connectors and one Docker command.24kAug 2026Open source↗AutomatischA cleaner, smaller automation canvas when your scenarios do not need Make's long tail.14kJan 2026Open source↗n8n Community EditionThe closest broad replacement, with more self-hosting and fewer glossy scenario diagrams.$0Free↗

View all 3 alternatives to Make →· Licença, instalação e limitações em cada alternativa.

Plans and pricing

How much does Make cost?

In your currency · US DollarChecked on 07/30/2026
Monthly billing
$12/mo
Per year
$144/yr
Annual billing
$108/yr25% cheaper than paying monthly
Buy on the official site

You complete the purchase on Make’s site. Vibe Radar does not handle payments.

PlanMonthlyAnnual (per month)What is included
free$0/workspace$0/workspace1,000 credits/month; 2 active scenarios; 15-minute minimum schedule; 5-minute execution cap; 5 MB files.
core$12/workspace$9/workspace10,000 credits/month at entry price; unlimited active scenarios; 1-minute scheduling; 40-minute runs; 100 MB files.
pro$21/workspace$16/workspace10,000 credits/month at entry price; unlimited scenarios; priority execution; 250 MB files; 30-day logs.
teams$38/workspace$29/workspace10,000 credits/month at entry price; unlimited users and scenarios; team roles; 500 MB files; 30-day logs.
enterprisecustom-Custom credits; unlimited scenarios; 1,000 MB files; 60-day logs; overage protection.

Free tier1,000 credits/month, 2 active scenarios, 15-minute scheduling, 5-minute execution cap and 5 MB maximum file size

Billing termsmonthly + annual (annual saves at least 15%); annual credits can remain usable for the 12-month term

Additional costsMost module actions use 1 credit, but AI and code features can use more. Extra-credit packs or auto-purchase are available; credits expire at the end of the monthly or annual term, and scenarios pause when credits run out unless protection is enabled.

verified 2026-08-11 · source ↗

Build or buy

Is it cheaper to build or buy Make?

Adjust the numbers: hours to build, your hourly rate, running costs and the subscription price.

Subscribe
Build it yourself
Horizon
Subscribe$216
Build it yourself$2,360

Over 24 months, subscribing is cheaper.

Starting hours estimated from the analysis (weekend). Does not price what you give up (support, integrations, security).

Frequently asked questions
Can I rebuild Make?

Kinda. The core of Make is buildable in a weekend with the prompt on this page, but there are real gaps: visual scenario builder, app modules. Read the honest list above before committing.

How much does Make cost?

Make costs about $12/mo (Core, checked 07/30/2026), which is $108 per year.

What do I lose by replacing Make?

Honestly: visual scenario builder; app modules; scheduling; operations history; error handling; team governance. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Make?

Yes: Activepieces Community Edition (A polished visual workflow builder with hundreds of connectors and one Docker command.) Automatisch (A cleaner, smaller automation canvas when your scenarios do not need Make's long tail.) n8n Community Edition (The closest broad replacement, with more self-hosting and fewer glossy scenario diagrams.) All 3 curated free alternatives are at https://viberadar.si/make/alternatives. The prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.

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