TL;DR
- Zapier:
- $30-3,000+/mo. Monthly with task limits.
- FairFlow:
- $0.005-0.02/run. No subscription. Full features from day one.
- The markup:
- Zapier's pricing is a 300x markup over infrastructure cost ($0.003/run).
A Zapier alternative that charges what it costs.
Zapier charges $30-3,000+/mo. The infrastructure to run workflow automation — servers, APIs, storage, delivery — costs roughly $0.003/run. FairFlow charges $0.005-0.02/run. No subscription. No seat limits. No annual contract.
Why people leave Zapier
Task-based pricing scales terrifyingly fast
Free plan was slashed to 100 tasks
Multi-step zaps require premium ($30+/mo)
Overage charges are automatic
FairFlow vs Zapier
| FairFlow | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay per use | Monthly with task limits |
| Price | $0.005-0.02/run | $30-3,000+/mo |
| Free tier | Free actions included | 100 tasks/month (5 zaps) |
| Contract | None | Annual billing typical |
| Zero-usage month | $0 | Still charged |
| Feature gating | All features included | Features locked by tier |
| Infrastructure cost | $0.003/run | 300x markup |
What it actually costs to run
The infrastructure cost for workflow automation — servers, APIs, storage, delivery — is roughly $0.003/run. Zapier charges $30-3,000+/mo. That's a 300x markup.
Fair charges $0.005-0.02/run — cost plus a small margin.
When to choose which
Choose Zapier if
Teams needing the largest app integration library (7,000+ apps)
Choose FairFlow if
You want workflow automation without a subscription. FairFlow charges $0.005-0.02/run. Use a lot? Pay a little more. Use nothing? Pay nothing. All features included from the first use.
Where Zapier gets expensive
- Task pricing means high-volume automations become extremely expensive
- Free tier is nearly useless at 100 tasks
Switch from Zapier. Keep the features. Lose the subscription.
FairFlow — $0.005-0.02/run. No subscription. No seat pricing. No annual contract. Your first actions are free.
Related comparisons
Fair is the anti-subscription. 13 tools, one account, pay for what you use.