Documentation-based comparison
Tray.ai versus Zapier
Compare documented scope and conditions. Unknowns remain unknown; different billing units do not establish a cost winner.
| Requirement | Tray.ai | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Quote only | From $29.99/mo |
| Who it is for | One governed platform (Tray iPaaS) for integration, automation, MCP services and AI agents, sold by quote. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Tray.ai iPaaS pricing page: plans, add-ons 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 | Pro allows 3 workspaces, Team 20 and Enterprise unlimited; regional hosting, log streaming and on-premise connectivity are Enterprise features. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Tray.ai iPaaS pricing page: plans, add-ons 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 | Every step that runs is a task, including the webhook trigger; Loop and boolean steps count each time they run, once per list item, plus the loop's final check; Example: a webhook delivering 2 records through Clearbit, a loop, a boolean and Slack used 9 tasks in one run Tray describes a task as roughly one workflow step each time it runs; a connector that makes several API calls in one step counts once. Retries are not charged. Each Connectivity API Call Connector request is 1 task. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Tray.ai docs: usage and billing, what a task is | 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 | Task volume is a contracted entitlement, shown as an allowance line in the usage dashboard. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Tray.ai docs: usage and billing, what a task is
| 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 | 700+ connectors and connector development are included in all plans. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Tray.ai iPaaS pricing page: plans, add-ons 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 |
| Not verified |
| AI charges | AI connectors convert input and output tokens into tasks at a token-to-task ratio set in your contract, available from support. Merlin Text Generation, Merlin Text Analysis and AI-Agent-Utils generate token usage; document processing (Merlin IDP) counts pages. Agent Development (Agent Gateway for MCP and Merlin Agent Builder) is an add-on. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Tray.ai docs: usage and billing, what a task is | 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 | Admins can cap monthly tasks per workspace, for example for sandbox or development workspaces; Retries are not charged Usage alerts go out at 80% and 100% of the task entitlement, which includes AI token tasks. No overage rate is published. Verified Oct 11, 2026 · Tray.ai docs: usage and billing, what a task is | 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 | Agent activities are a separate quota from Zap tasks. |
