The Case for Agency Automation
Every agency has repetitive workflows: creating project folders when a deal closes, sending onboarding emails, updating status trackers, notifying teams about deadlines.
These tasks take 5 minutes each — but multiply by 20 clients and 50 projects, and you're losing hours every week.
Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat) solve this with no-code automation.
Zapier: Simple and Reliable
Zapier connects over 6,000 apps with a simple trigger-action model. If this happens, do that.
Strengths
- Easiest learning curve — non-technical team members can build automations
- Largest app library (6,000+)
- Excellent reliability and uptime
- Great customer support
Weaknesses
- Gets expensive at scale ($19.99/month for 750 tasks)
- Limited logic for complex workflows
- Linear only — no branching or parallel paths on basic plans
Best Agency Use Cases
- New client → create Slack channel + project folder + PM project
- Invoice overdue → send reminder email + notify account manager
- Form submission → create CRM contact + send welcome email
Make: Powerful and Visual
Make uses a visual canvas where you build workflows by connecting modules. It supports branching, loops, and complex data transformations.
Strengths
- Visual workflow builder — easy to understand complex automations
- Advanced logic (routers, iterators, error handlers)
- Much cheaper at scale ($9/month for 10,000 operations)
- Better for data transformation and API work
Weaknesses
- Steeper learning curve
- Smaller app library than Zapier
- Can be overwhelming for simple automations
Best Agency Use Cases
- Complex client onboarding with conditional steps
- Data sync between multiple tools (CRM → PM → Invoicing)
- Custom API integrations with client systems
- Scheduled reports and data aggregation
Which Should Your Agency Choose?
Choose Zapier if:
- Your team is non-technical
- You need simple, reliable automations
- App coverage matters more than price
Choose Make if:
- You have technically-minded team members
- You need complex, multi-step workflows
- You want to keep costs down at scale
- You need data transformation capabilities
Getting Started
The best approach: start with your three most painful repetitive tasks. Build automations for those first, measure the time saved, then expand.
Most agencies save 5-10 hours per week with just 10-15 automations. At agency billing rates, that's a significant ROI from a $20-50/month tool.