# Zapier — Workflow Management

Zapier by Zapier, Inc. holds a panel rating of 1.5/5 from 6 AI judges (category median 2/5), as of 2026-10-15. Provenance: Rest of world; sovereignty: not determined.

- Vendor: Zapier, Inc. (https://zapier.com)
- Category: [Workflow Management](https://whats-best.ai/software/workflow-management.md)
- Provenance (editorial classification): Rest of world
- Canonical page: https://whats-best.ai/software/workflow-management/zapier
- Alternatives: https://whats-best.ai/software/workflow-management/zapier/alternatives ([markdown](https://whats-best.ai/software/workflow-management/zapier/alternatives.md))
- Data as of: 2026-10-20 · evaluated 2026-10-15 · oldest source captured 2026-10-13

**AI-generated.** Every score, rationale and verdict here is written by a panel of AI judges from public evidence — an analysis, not a hands-on test. Every fact quotes the vendor page it was read from. No score can be bought. How scores are made: https://whats-best.ai/methodology

## At a glance

- Vendor: Zapier, Inc.
- Headquarters: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026
- Data hosting: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026
- Free plan: Yes, per the vendor’s own page [S1]

## The panel's verdict

Zapier is a no-code workflow automation platform from Zapier, Inc. of San Francisco, a Delaware corporation, billed per task. Its strongest area is integrations and connectors at 4 to 6: webhooks reach any API without code, a documented REST API creates fully configured Zaps, and custom integrations live in code under source control. Process design sits at 2 to 4 — the visual editor, paths, loops and conditional-logic forms are documented, but the judges found no public information on approval steps, substitutes, deadlines, escalation or versioning. Governance and audit (4 to 6) and run reliability (4 to 5) rest on a per-product retention schedule, SAML single sign-on, email alerts and automatic retries. Sovereignty scores sit at 0 on a 0-to-0 range: the captured pages give no public information on execution or log-storage location, or on subprocessors, including AI model providers. Hosting and portability hold at 2 to 3 on a cloud-only capture. Pricing transparency spreads 2 to 4 — the task unit is well defined, but no tier prices, allowances or overage rates appear — and the flagged splits flag none material.

**Speaks for it:**
- Webhooks connect to any API without writing code
- A documented REST API can create fully configured Zaps programmatically
- A task is billed only when an action completes successfully, with triggers and polling free
- The retention-and-deletion schedule is published per product, with shorter Zap-content retention configurable on Company and Enterprise plans
- Failed runs appear as errors in Zap history with email alerts, with automatic retries on throttling and stale authentication

**Held against it:**
- The captured pricing pages carry no tier prices, task allowances or overage rates, so a buyer cannot compute a monthly cost
- The judges found no public information on approval steps, approver roles, substitutes, deadlines, escalation or versioning
- Everything captured describes a cloud-only service, and the format of workflow exports is not documented
- The captured pages give no public information on execution or log-storage location, or on subprocessors, including the AI model providers
- The 9,000+ app count is published without per-connector action documentation, and the judges found no public information on an on-premise agent or runner

**Best for:**
- You need broad SaaS-to-SaaS automation and are comfortable reaching systems through webhooks and code rather than named connectors
- Your engineers build custom integrations in code and want them versioned in your own source control
- You want predictable billing mechanics: free triggers and polling, a published list of non-billing steps, and one shared task pool

**Avoid if:**
- You need approval steps with substitutes, deadlines and escalation — the judges found no public information on any of these
- You contract only with an EU-based entity — the vendor of record is Zapier, Inc. of San Francisco, a Delaware corporation
- Your workflows must run on your own infrastructure or in a stated hosting region — everything captured describes a cloud-only service
- You must compute your monthly cost before committing — the captured pricing pages carry no tier prices, task allowances or overage rates

## Scores by judge and criterion

Scores out of 5, each judge scoring independently against the published rubric (v1). "n/r" = not rated: the vendor publishes no price.

| Criterion | The Process Owner | The Integration Engineer | The Operations Analyst | The Head of IT | The Data Protection Officer | The Skeptic |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Process design, forms & approvals | 1/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 1.5/5 | 2/5 | 1.5/5 |
| Connectors, API & on-premise reach | 2/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 2.5/5 |
| Execution, error handling & monitoring | 2/5 | 2.5/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2.5/5 | 2/5 |
| Governance, credentials & audit trail | 2/5 | 2.5/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| Hosting options & portability | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1.5/5 | 1/5 |
| European sovereignty | 0/5 | 0/5 | 0/5 | 0/5 | 0/5 | 0/5 |
| Pricing transparency | 2/5 | 2/5 | 1.5/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 2/5 |
| **Weighted verdict** | **1.5/5** | **2/5** | **2/5** | **1.5/5** | **1.5/5** | **1.5/5** |

### The judges

- **The Process Owner** (v1.0): Runs purchase approvals and invoice release for a 400-person Mittelstand company. Wants approvers set by role rather than by name, a substitute when someone is on holiday, deadlines that escalate, and a process change that does not break the forty requests already in flight.
- **The Integration Engineer** (v1.0): Wires the ERP to the shop, the shop to DATEV and the CRM to everything else. Wants connectors documented by action rather than counted in logos, a generic HTTP step for the rest, an on-premise agent that reaches the SQL server without a hole in the firewall, and a failed run replayable from the step that failed.
- **The Operations Analyst** (v1.0): Is asked every Monday why invoices took eleven days. Wants a searchable execution history, cycle times per step, alerts that reach a channel rather than an unread mailbox, runtime and throughput limits published before the month-end run hits them — and to know what a loop over 5,000 rows costs in tasks.
- **The Head of IT** (v1.0): Answers for every automation a department builds without asking. Wants SSO, separate test and production, an inventory of workflows with their owners — and an exit: definitions exportable as BPMN or documented JSON, a self-hosted edition, and an engine licence that will still apply in five years.
- **The Data Protection Officer** (v1.0): Reads every workflow as a chain of transfers. Asks where the execution log keeps its copy of the payload and for how long, which subprocessors and AI model providers a step sends data to, whether payloads can be masked, and what the approval trail records about employees before the works council asks.
- **The Skeptic** (v1.0): Knows that "7,000 integrations" counts connectors nobody maintains, that "unlimited workflows" says nothing about the tasks each run consumes, and that "no-code" ends at the first API without a connector. Reads for what counts as a task, how long failed runs are kept, which model an "AI agent" step sends data to, and whether the workflows can leave the platform at all.

## European sovereignty — proven facts

Built only from facts on the vendor's own pages; a dimension we could not prove is left open, never scored as zero. Headline: not determined.

| Dimension | Finding | Points | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Not determined | — | — |
| Ownership | Not determined | — | — |
| Data residency | Not determined | — | — |
| Subprocessors | Not determined | — | — |

## Key facts

Each fact is the vendor's own statement, cited to the source page it was read from ([S*n*] → Sources).

**Compliance**
- Dora addendum: yes [S4]
- DPA: yes [S4]
- Dpf certifications: yes · yes · yes [S3]
- Dpf dispute resolution: JAMS · no cost [S3]
- Ftc jurisdiction: yes [S3]
- GDPR role: data importer · data exporter [S4]
- SSO SCIM: yes · yes [S1]

**Data**
- Agents backup deletion: 4 [S12]
- Agents retention: until_agent_deleted [S12]
- Cancellation: cancel anytime, access through end of billing cycle [S2]
- Canvas backup deletion: 30 [S12]
- Canvas export: in_product_per_canvas [S12]
- Canvas retention: until_deleted_by_user [S12]
- Chatbots backup deletion: 4 [S12]
- Chatbots conversation retention: 30 · 60 [S12]
- Chatbots knowledge retention: until_deleted_by_user [S12]
- Deletion options: delete_account · delete_account_data · delete_specific_zap · delete_zap_content_and_history [S12]
- Export EU data act: yes [S4]
- Export options workflows: zap_workflows · account_data · zap_history [S12]
- Forms backup deletion: 4 [S12]
- Forms retention: until_deleted_by_user [S12]
- Functions code secrets: until_function_deleted · indefinite_until_deleted [S12]
- Functions retention: 7 · 9 · 4 [S12]
- Lead router backup deletion: 4 [S12]
- Lead router field deletion: contact_support [S12]
- Lead router retention: until_deleted [S12]
- Mcp export: data_management_download_account_data [S12]
- Mcp retention: until_deleted · 4 [S12]
- Ownership: yes [S4]
- Page updated: 2026-04-17 [S12]
- Retention enterprise: Enterprise · yes [S2]
- Tables backup deletion: 4 [S12]
- Tables export: contact_support [S12]
- Tables retention: until_deleted_by_user [S12]
- Zap content custom retention plans: Company · Enterprise · yes [S12]

**Integrations**
- Actions endpoint: GET /actions?app=<id>&action_type=<type> [S6]
- API no code: yes [S5]
- App count: 9,000+ [S2]
- Authentications endpoint: GET /authentications?app=<id> [S6]
- Choices endpoint: POST /actions/{action_id}/inputs/{field}/choices [S6]
- Create zap endpoint: POST /zaps [S6]
- Inputs endpoint: POST /actions/{action_id}/inputs [S6]
- Outputs endpoint: POST /actions/{action_id}/outputs [S6]
- Private integrations: yes [S2]

**Legal**
- Effective date: 2026-04-09 [S4]
- Entity: Zapier, Inc. · 548 Market St. #62411, San Francisco, CA 94104-5401 [S3]
- Entity: Delaware · Zapier, Inc. [S4]
- Governing law: Wilmington, Delaware · State of Delaware [S4]
- Notice address: 548 Market St. #62411, San Francisco, CA 94104-5401, Attn: Legal [S4]
- Terms modification: yes [S4]

**Pricing**
- AI model opt out: Enterprise · yes [S1]
- Auto renewal: yes [S4]
- Enterprise: Enterprise · contact for pricing · yes [S2]
- Free: Free · 100 · 0 [S2]
- Free plan downgrade: yes · yes [S4]
- Free trial: 14 · Professional · no [S2]
- Invoice payment: Team · Enterprise · yes [S2]
- Multi currency: yes [S2]
- No early access bills: no [S5]
- Nonprofit discount: 15 · non-profits [S2]
- Paid plan refund without cause: yes [S4]
- Pay per task overage: pay-per-task at higher rate than base subscription [S2]
- Plan opt out derived data: Company Plan · Enterprise Plan [S4]
- Post ga task based: task-based · yes [S5]
- Price change notice: yes [S5]
- Professional: Professional · 19.99 [S2]
- Sdk beta free: yes [S2]
- Tax treatment: no · customer [S4]
- Team: Team · 69 [S2]
- Yearly discount: pay yearly saves 33% [S2]

**Product**
- Agent modes: deterministic · deterministic+AI · deterministic+agent · fully agentic [S5]
- AI features: yes [S4]
- AI orchestration: Zap workflows · Tables · Forms · Zapier MCP [S2]
- Alias required multi step: Zaps with more than 2 steps require a snake-case alias per step to reference fields [S6]
- All paid plans include: Zap workflows · Forms · Tables [S2]
- App integrations: 9,000+ · visual no-code [S5]
- Beta user invites: External beta users invited from Sharing [S9]
- Body auto serialize: z.request() automatically serializes the request body; JSON.stringify() not needed [S7]
- Build with AI tools: Claude · ChatGPT · Cursor [S5]
- Cli advantages automated tests: CLI supports automated regression tests on push [S14]
- Cli advantages source control: CLI allows checking integration code into source control [S14]
- Cli middleware: single script across entire integration · Platform CLI · HTTP middleware [S10]
- Cli to UI export: yes [S13]
- Cli version deletable: yes [S14]
- Compress default: gzip/deflate compression supported by default [S7]
- Convert command: zapier convert {integration id} . --version={version} [S14]
- Convert metadata: convertedByCLIVersion added to package.json on convert [S14]
- Create zap response note: The returned Zap is expected not to include step inputs [S6]
- Curlies v17 removal: Since core v17, z.request() no longer replaces {{var}} and throws an error if present in the request object [S7]
- Custom actions definition: Custom Actions and API Requests let Zapier users build raw API requests using the integration's existing authentication [S8]
- Custom actions enable contact: Enabling the feature requires contacting Platform Support via contact form [S8]
- Custom actions existing access: yes [S8]
- Custom error API: z.errors.Error · message · code · http_status_code [S10]
- Custom http client discouraged: Installing a custom HTTP client is possible but discouraged due to losing automatic HTTP logging and middleware [S7]
- Data formatting: Formatter [S5]
- Deploy command: zapier-platform push [S14]
- Enterprise features: unlimited users · advanced admin permissions and app controls · advanced deployment options · annual task limits · observability · Technical Account Manager · priority support with screen sharing [S2]
- Export public app benefits: For Public apps, conversion avoids repeat app review and retains previous versions, bug reports and feature requests [S13]
- Export UI management capabilities: From Platform UI after conversion: manage integration, set up embeds (public integrations), view partner dashboard [S13]
- Filters: Filters [S5]
- First step action type: READ or SEARCH [S6]
- Fluid determinism: adaptive AI/deterministic hybrid execution approach [S5]
- Fluid determinism modes: Deterministic · Deterministic + AI · Deterministic + agent · Fully agentic [S1]
- Follow redirects default: maximum redirect count default is 20 [S7]
- Free features: automation platform · unlimited Zaps, Tables, and Forms · two-step Zaps [S2]
- Free tier: email · Google · yes [S1]
- Governance admin: yes [S1]
- Indemnification ip: yes [S4]
- Insights usage stats: Insights section provides usage statistics by trigger and action [S9]
- Instant trigger flag: Actions expose an is_instant flag; example trigger and action are instant [S6]
- Looping: Looping [S5]
- Manual use cases: Manual requests are for pre-request processing, response processing, and unusual response types such as XML [S7]
- Mcp apps: 9000+ [S1]
- Mcp cost: 2 · yes [S2]
- Mcp security: yes [S2]
- Mcp triggers actions: yes · 66000+ [S1]
- Middleware helpers: Helper constructs: requestTemplate, beforeRequest and afterResponse middleware [S7]
- Middleware lifecycle: Request lifecycle: defaults, beforeRequest middleware, auth headers, params merging, execution, auto-parse to response.data, logging to Zapier's logging server, then afterResponse middleware and throwForStatus [S7]
- Middleware no z request: Middleware's z object does not include z.request() to avoid infinite loops [S7]
- Minimum age: 16 [S3]
- Monitoring filters: error messages and logs per data point · timeframe · log type · user email [S9]
- Monitoring page: monitor error spikes · Monitoring page in the Platform UI [S10]
- Monitoring page requests: Monitoring page shows every request made to your API by the integration [S9]
- Next gen zaps early access: early access · yes [S1]
- Ngz advanced logic: yes · yes · yes [S5]
- Ngz agentic management: yes [S5]
- Ngz code build: yes [S5]
- Ngz import: yes [S5]
- Ngz observability: Workflow Manager · yes [S5]
- No success on error: never return success/200 for errors; won't show in Zap history as error [S10]
- Non task steps: these steps do not count as a task [S2]
- Observability: yes [S1]
- Output mapping syntax: Output fields mapped to inputs via {{field_id}} curly braces [S6]
- Overage pause: Zaps pause at task limit if pay-per-task off [S2]
- Partner programs: developer platform · experts · reseller · referral [S3]
- Paths: Paths [S5]
- Payment processing: no · yes [S3]
- Plan change: immediate, prorated · end of billing cycle [S2]
- Platform controls: Action Restrictions · Managed Connections · AI Guardrails · Asset History · Bring Your Own Model · Log Streaming [S1]
- Polling free: no [S2]
- Professional features: multi-step Zaps · unlimited Premium apps · webhooks · email and live chat support · AI fields · conditional form logic [S2]
- Raw response stream: raw option streams the response instead of consuming it immediately; default false [S7]
- Refresh auth error: On 401 with refresh-able auth (oauth2 or session) and autoRefresh enabled, a RefreshAuthError is thrown and the auth refresh and retry is attempted [S7]
- Request options: Request options include url, method (default GET), headers, params, body, allowGetBody, json, form, raw, redirect, follow, compress, agent, timeout, signal, size, skipThrowForStatus, throwForThrottlingEarly [S7]
- Response object: Response object provides status, content, data (auto-parsed JSON/form), headers, getHeader(), skipThrowForStatus, throwForStatus(), request; raw responses add json(), body stream [S7]
- Scheduling: Scheduling [S5]
- Sdk components: yes [S4]
- Sdk permissions auto mode: auto-picks poll when stdin/stdout are interactive TTYs, throw otherwise [S11]

**Support**
- Developer support contact: Developer Support contact available for help; contact Developer Support to create empty version for export [S13]
- Free professional: Professional · email · live chat [S2]
- Privacy contact: privacy@zapier.com · (877) 381-8743 [S3]
- Sales team: yes [S2]
- Tam: TAMs included at set threshold or optional add-on [S2]
- Team enterprise: priority support · 24/7 email support · weekday live chat · screen-share support 6am-6pm EST M-F [S2]

41 more facts on the canonical page: https://whats-best.ai/software/workflow-management/zapier

## Questions

### Is Zapier European?

No. whats-best.ai classifies Zapier as Rest of world.

### Where does Zapier store data?

Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026.

### Does Zapier have a free plan?

Yes. Zapier has a free plan, per [the vendor’s page captured 13 Oct 2026](https://whats-best.ai/evidence/5852).

### What are the best alternatives to Zapier?

As of 15 Oct 2026, the panel rates [Tray.ai (3/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/workflow-management/tray-ai), [n8n (3/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/workflow-management/n8n) and [Camunda (2.5/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/workflow-management/camunda) highest among the other 16 Workflow Management products evaluated. Ratings that look equal are rounded to half stars; the order uses the unrounded rating, then the name. The highest-rated European alternative is [n8n](https://whats-best.ai/software/workflow-management/n8n) (EU-Made). Ratings are the AI panel’s opinion, formed from public evidence: [how scores are made](https://whats-best.ai/methodology#ordering). The full list, with European products first: [Zapier alternatives](https://whats-best.ai/software/workflow-management/zapier/alternatives).

## What this page leaves out

- 29 product facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 7 pricing facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 6 data facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 3 compliance facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 3 legal facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 1 hosting fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 1 integrations fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 1 subprocessors fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 1 support fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 2 sovereignty dimensions could not be confirmed on the vendor’s own pages and are shown as unknown.
- 6 of the readings below were written against an earlier fact sheet — a fact has been corrected, added or pulled since. Until the panel next runs on this product you are reading the older judgement.

## Sources

- [S1] Vendor homepage: https://zapier.com/ (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S2] Pricing page: https://zapier.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S3] Privacy policy: https://zapier.com/privacy (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S4] Terms of service: https://zapier.com/legal/terms-of-service (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S5] Process design, forms & approvals — found from sitemap: https://zapier.com/workflows (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S6] Process design, forms & approvals — found from sitemap: https://docs.zapier.com/powered-by-zapier/zap-creation/how-to-build-a-workflow (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S7] Connectors, API & on-premise reach — found from sitemap: https://docs.zapier.com/integrations/build-cli/making-http-requests (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S8] Connectors, API & on-premise reach — found from sitemap: https://docs.zapier.com/integrations/reference/custom-actions-api-requests (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S9] Execution, error handling & monitoring — found from sitemap: https://docs.zapier.com/integrations/build/test-monitoring (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S10] Execution, error handling & monitoring — found from sitemap: https://docs.zapier.com/integrations/manage/error-handling (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S11] Governance, credentials & audit trail — found from sitemap: https://docs.zapier.com/sdk/permissions (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S12] Governance, credentials & audit trail — found from sitemap: https://zapier.com/legal/data-retention-deletion (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S13] Hosting options & portability — found from sitemap: https://docs.zapier.com/integrations/manage/export-ui (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S14] Hosting options & portability — found from sitemap: https://docs.zapier.com/integrations/manage/export-cli (checked 2026-10-13)

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Cite as: whats-best.ai, "Zapier — Workflow Management", AI panel analysis, as of 2026-10-20. https://whats-best.ai/software/workflow-management/zapier

Corrections: https://whats-best.ai/correct/557?target=page