When deciding between Make vs Pabbly to automate your ecommerce and performance marketing workflows, it’s important to evaluate their features, pricing, and scalability. Make is a well-known automation tool favored for its no-code interface and ability to handle complex workflows, while Pabbly is an emerging platform focused on simplicity and affordability. In this detailed comparison, we’ll break down how Make and Pabbly stack up and why Shopstory is the better option for online shops, marketing agencies, and performance marketers.

TL;DR

Make is well-suited for users seeking complex, no-code automation with a wide range of integrations but may become expensive as workflows scale. Pabbly offers a more affordable solution for basic automations but lacks the depth required for more advanced workflows. Shopstory shines as the better choice for ecommerce businesses and performance marketers, with advanced, no-code automation capabilities tailored to scaling workflows across multiple marketing channels and ecommerce platforms.

1. Make vs Pabbly: A Summary

1.1 Pricing

Make
Make operates on a pricing model that charges based on the number of operations (actions) performed in workflows. While it’s flexible for complex automations, costs can quickly rise as more workflows and operations are executed.

• Free Plan: 1,000 operations, 5 active scenarios.
• Paid Plans: Start at $9/month for 10,000 operations.

Pabbly
Pabbly offers a simpler pricing model that makes it more cost-effective for smaller businesses with basic automation needs. Unlike Make, Pabbly doesn’t charge per operation and offers flat-rate pricing, which can be appealing to users with lighter automation needs.

• No Free Plan.
• Paid Plans: Start at $19/month with unlimited workflows and actions.

Key takeaway
Make's pricing is more flexible for users needing complex workflows, but the costs rise with usage. Pabbly, with its flat-rate pricing, is more cost-effective for smaller businesses. However, both tools may struggle with scalability in complex operations.

1.2 Ease of Use

Make
Make provides a no-code, drag-and-drop interface that allows users to build complex workflows with ease. However, managing intricate automations can become cumbersome, especially for users with limited technical knowledge.

Pabbly
Pabbly focuses on simplicity and ease of use, making it highly accessible for non-technical users. With straightforward templates and fewer options for customization, Pabbly is ideal for users who need quick and simple workflows without diving into too much complexity.

Key takeaway
While Make is more flexible, it requires more management when scaling workflows. Pabbly is better suited for users seeking fast, simple automations.

1.3 Integrations

Make
Make supports over 1,000 app integrations, including popular platforms like Google Sheets, Slack, and Shopify. Its large library of integrations makes it highly versatile for a wide range of industries.

Pabbly
Pabbly supports fewer integrations than Make but covers most of the core business applications, including Google Workspace, WooCommerce, and PayPal. However, for businesses requiring more specific ecommerce integrations, Pabbly might be limiting.

Key takeaway
Make offers a wider range of integrations, while Pabbly covers essential business apps. Neither platform, however, offers the deep, native integrations required for specialized ecommerce operations.

1.4 Workflow Complexity and Error Handling

Make
Make is built for handling complex workflows, allowing for multiple conditions, loops, and branches. However, troubleshooting errors in more intricate automations can become challenging.

Pabbly
Pabbly is optimized for simple workflows and does not offer the depth required for more complex automations with multiple conditions or advanced error-handling capabilities.

Key takeaway
Make offers better flexibility for building complex workflows, but both platforms have limitations in managing intricate, large-scale ecommerce automations without specialized tools or integrations.

1.5 Scalability and Performance

Make
Make can scale well for medium-sized businesses, but the pricing model can become expensive as operations increase. Performance might also suffer when automations become too complex and involve large datasets.

Pabbly
Pabbly offers more affordable scalability but is not ideal for handling large, multi-step workflows. Its flat-rate pricing helps manage costs, but its performance may falter with large-scale operations.

Key takeaway
Both platforms have scalability limitations: Make due to rising costs and complexity, and Pabbly due to its limited capability in managing high-volume automations.

2. The Alternative to Make vs Pabbly: Shopstory

While Make and Pabbly offer general automation solutions, neither platform is built to address the specific needs of ecommerce and performance marketing professionals. This is where Shopstory excels, offering no-code automation with native integrations and features tailored for online shops, marketing agencies, and performance marketers.

2.1 Native Integrations with Ecommerce and Marketing Tools

Shopstory’s deep, native integrations with platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Shopware make it a better fit for ecommerce businesses. Additionally, Shopstory integrates seamlessly with marketing channels like Google Ads and Meta Ads, offering more granular control over campaigns and sales operations. This level of integration means smoother automation for ecommerce-specific workflows – something neither Make nor Pabbly can match.

2.2 Transparent and Scalable Pricing

Unlike Make, where costs increase with every operation, and Pabbly’s flat-rate pricing that may limit advanced functionality, Shopstory’s pricing is based on activated workflows. This means that businesses only pay for the workflows they actively use, regardless of the number of actions involved. Whether you’re managing inventory, updating product descriptions, or automating marketing campaigns, Shopstory’s pricing model – starting at €199 – ensures scalability without unpredictable costs.

2.3 Advanced Workflow Capabilities

Shopstory provides advanced, pre-built workflows that are tailored specifically for ecommerce businesses and performance marketers. Whether you need to optimize product titles in Google Merchant Center or manage ROAS thresholds in Google Ads, Shopstory offers robust automation for even the most complex workflows – all without any coding required. While Make and Pabbly handle general automations, Shopstory’s no-code platform is built to streamline complex, cross-channel ecommerce operations.

2.4 Performance Marketing Optimization

Shopstory’s automation capabilities extend far beyond connecting apps. It provides specialized workflows designed to optimize performance marketing efforts in ecommerce – from managing bids and budgets to generating comprehensive, cross-channel reports. This gives ecommerce businesses the ability to automate complex marketing tasks effortlessly and scale without the limitations seen in general-purpose platforms like Make and Pabbly.

Here are some of Shopstory's ready-to-use workflows:

• Increase or Decrease Campaign Budget Based on Weather and ROAS (Google Ads, Google Sheets): Dynamically adjust campaign budgets using weather data and ROAS metrics, optimizing ad spend by aligning with weather-driven consumer behaviors across targeted regions.
• Reactivate Late Converting Keywords: Automatically revive previously paused keywords with delayed conversions, capturing valuable traffic and optimizing long-term keyword strategy for enhanced Google Ads performance.
• Create Supplemental Feed with Performance-Based Labels (Google Merchant Center, Google Sheets): Automate the categorization and labelling of products based on performance, enhancing ad targeting and increasing visibility.
• Get a Weekly Report of Your Top 20 Search Terms and Pages (Google Search Console, Google Sheets): Automate the compilation of your site's top 20 search terms and pages weekly, enabling informed decisions to refine SEO strategies and content focus.
• Receive a Monthly Google Ads Report with ChatGPT Interpretation (Google Ads, ChatGPT): Combine performance data with AI-driven insights for a comprehensive monthly report that suggests actionable steps to enhance ad strategies.
• Detect Burned Google Ads PMax Campaign Budget (Budget Tracker) (Google Sheets, Google Ads): Track how much of your budget is spent ineffectively in PMax campaigns versus keywords that result in conversions, offering crucial insights into campaign efficiency.
• Check Your Core Web Vitals for Mobile Visitors (Google Sheets, Google Search Console, Notification): Continuously monitor your site's mobile performance metrics to ensure a smooth user experience, optimizing for speed, responsiveness, and user satisfaction.

Get Started for Free

Shopstory offers a freemium model that allows businesses to start with a free workflow forever. This gives users a chance to explore the platform’s features, build automations, and experience the benefits of Shopstory before committing to a paid plan.

Make vs Pabbly - Our Conclusion

To conclude in our Make vs Pabbly comparison, Make is a solid choice for users who need flexible, no-code automation for complex workflows, while Pabbly is more fitting for those seeking simple, affordable automation solutions. However, both platforms lack the deep, native integrations and specialized ecommerce features that growing online businesses require.

Shopstory stands out as the better alternative, offering native ecommerce and marketing integrations, advanced workflow capabilities, and a pricing model based on active workflows. For ecommerce businesses and performance marketers looking to scale, Shopstory provides a more tailored and cost-efficient solution.

Get started for FREE with Shopstory today and see how it can supercharge your repetitive workflows.