Documentation-based comparison
Workato versus Zapier
Compare documented scope and conditions. Unknowns remain unknown; different billing units do not establish a cost winner.
| Requirement | Workato | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Quote only | From $29.99/mo |
| Who it is for | Enterprise integration and process automation platform sold by edition, with workflows called recipes. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Workato pricing page rendered: platform editions and FAQ | No-code automations that move data between 9,000+ apps to automate repetitive work. A Zap consists of a trigger and one or more actions. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Zapier pricing page: plan comparison, FAQ and Agents plans |
| Coverage limits | Concurrency: 1 job at a time on Standard and Business MCP, 15 on Enterprise MCP, 30 on Workato ONE Concurrency is the number of recipe jobs processed at the same time; quantities are totals per edition. The passage starts at the end of the Standard block. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Workato pricing page rendered: platform editions and FAQ | Every successful action uses its own task, so the monthly need is actions per run multiplied by runs per month. Failed actions do not count. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Zapier pricing page: plan comparison, FAQ and Agents plans |
| Usage definition | Triggers do not count as Tasks, whatever the connector; Each action step counts as 1 Task, in any connector; Control-flow steps (IF, loops, Stop job, error handlers) do not count; steps inside them count each time they run, once per loop iteration; Successful steps count even if the job later fails; Document-processing pages and Event streams events are measured separately, not as Tasks; A bulk or batch action counts as 1 Task however many records it processes; AI by Workato action steps count as more than one Task each, at a rate set in your contract Workato example: one action plus two actions in a loop over 5 rows uses 11 Tasks. Some contracts measure Business actions or Workato credits instead of Tasks. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Workato docs: Tasks usage for workflow recipes | Trigger steps, Filter and Paths steps, failed or halted actions and skipped steps use no tasks; Tables, Forms, Formatter, Delay, Looping, Sub-Zap, Digest, Zapier Manager and Storage steps use no tasks; Zapier Agents use a separate activity quota, not tasks; Example: a Zap with two actions that runs ten times uses 20 tasks A task is any successful action. Some steps cost more: each lead routed by Lead Router uses 5 tasks and each Zapier MCP tool call uses 2. Zaps, AI steps, code, MCP and the SDK share one task allowance per account. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Zapier help: how task usage is measured |
| Included volume | Usage draws on one purchased balance of Workato credits shared by workflows, document processing and agents. No credit or Task allowance is published; some plans measure usage differently. Add-ons such as extra concurrency and on-premises agents are billed separately from credit usage. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Workato docs: billing and usage overview
| Task tiers from 100 to 2M tasks a month, plus a custom task limit. The page does not print which tier each plan's starting price buys. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Zapier pricing page: plan comparison, FAQ and Agents plans
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| Trigger polling | Not verified | Polling checks never use tasks; only successful actions do. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Zapier help: how task usage is measured
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| Premium integrations | 1,200+ pre-built connectors included for every user; Unlimited workspaces and users Extra concurrency and on-premises agents are add-ons billed separately from usage; other listed add-ons include RPA, EDI, Private Link, Workflow Apps and Virtual Private Workato. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Workato pricing page rendered: platform editions and FAQ
| Premium apps are available only on paid plans. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Zapier pricing page: plan comparison, FAQ and Agents plans
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| Hosting responsibility | Connecting on-premises apps and databases requires an on-premises gateway (agent). Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Workato pricing page rendered: platform editions and FAQ
| Not verified |
| AI charges | Genies (agents) are measured per prompt sent, by users or by systems; Skills are included when a Genie invokes them and billed as Tasks when invoked over MCP AI by Workato action steps count as more than one Task each, at a contract rate. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Workato docs: understand usage and usage metrics | AI by Zapier steps and their tool calls use 1 task on standard models or with your own model provider (you also pay the provider), 3 tasks on advanced models and 5 on premium models. Tool calls are not available on the standard tier. Zapier MCP tool calls use 2 tasks each. Zapier says rates may change with notice. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Zapier task usage rates for steps, AI, code and MCP
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| Overage charges | No overage rate is published; Workato offers to help forecast usage and prevent overconsumption. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Workato pricing page rendered: platform editions and FAQ | Tasks beyond the plan limit are charged separately through pay-per-task billing; Pay-per-task stops at three times the plan task limit; further runs are held until the billing cycle ends; Without pay-per-task, new Zap runs are held at the task limit until the billing cycle resets Pay-per-task tasks cost more than plan tasks; the rate depends on plan and billing cycle and is shown only in account billing settings. It is on by default for accounts created after January 2024. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Zapier help: how task usage is measured |
| Coverage note | Concurrency is the number of recipe jobs processed at the same time. Concurrency is the number of recipe jobs processed at the same time. Quantities are totals per edition, not additions. | Agent activities are a separate quota from Zap tasks. |
