Zapier
Direct answer
Zapier connects one app to another. The free plan has been a two-step Zap with a small task cap, which fits a form writing one row to a sheet. A draft email after the row is a third step and needs a paid plan. Professional was listed from $19.99 a month. Read the n8n comparison before you pay.
A form that adds a row to a sheet, when you want the familiar option and you can live with two steps.
Watch out. Multi-step Zaps need a paid plan. The Professional plan was listed from $19.99 a month. Tasks run out faster than people expect.
Zapier's free plan, as published on its pricing page, is limited to two-step Zaps and a small monthly task allowance. A trigger plus one action fits. A trigger, a sheet, and a draft email does not.
Use Zapier when the apps you need are there and the workflow is short. If you are about to build a five-step agent with loops, look at Make or n8n before the task bill surprises you.
Playbooks using Zapier
- Lead capture to a CRMZapier45–75 minutesabout £0, or about £15 if you need multi-step Zaps/mo
Capture leads in a sheet with a two-step Zap
Send a short enquiry form into a Google Sheet with a two-step Zapier automation, which fits the free plan. Reply yourself the same day. Add people to a marketing list only if they ticked a box that was not pre-selected. This has not been live-tested.
Questions
Is the free plan enough?
For form to sheet, yes, if you stay inside two steps and the task cap. The lead-capture playbook is written to that shape on purpose.
Why do people hit the paywall?
Because a useful agent workflow is often three steps: trigger, change, then a draft. Count the steps before you build.
Zapier or n8n?
The beginner comparison is the short version. Zapier is the familiar directory. n8n is the canvas you can host, with a steeper first hour.