Back in the 80’s, the word “Cloud” wouldn’t have meant something and the Internet of Things would have been ultimately pointless. But here we are now in a digitally transformed world where everything is connected and everything is possible. We live in an era completely driven by automation. People have literally figured out how to connect any conceivable object to the internet – whether it’s your light bulb, door lock, thermostat, camera, speaker, and thousands of other devices. Technology has evolved dramatically over the years and now we have every tool available at our disposal to automate as much of the work as possible. Funny enough, we have task automation tools now to automate the everyday work to be more productive.
Well, every business or organization has certain type of tasks that’s just everybody is qualified enough to handle but which requires time and effort. These are frequent tasks such as sorting and responding to emails, scheduling appointments, handling customer support, and more. No one actually likes doing this kind of stuff, especially qualified or skilled employees hate doing menial work. For this grunt work, we use task automation tools. And the two most common and popular task automation tools for automating cloud services are Zapier and IFTTT. Although both are cloud services used basically for the same purpose, they differ somewhat in features. Let’s take a look.
What is Zapier?
Zapier is one of the most common and widely used task automation tools out there. It is a third-party, cloud-based automation program that helps you connect different pieces of software together. You can automate all sorts of tasks with Zapier. It is a California based non-profit corporation and a cloud service designed primarily for business. It integrates with a host of cloud apps and services, including those that are strictly for enterprise use and it refers to the automation tasks as Zaps. The process of connecting applications or tasks is relatively simple – you just have to choose the trigger in the source software, activate a zap for it, and set up what you want the zap to do and you’re good to go.
What is IFTTT?
If This Then That, simply referred to as IFTTT, is yet another popular task automation tool which is both a website and a mobile app. It is a free, cloud-based service which runs on a cause and effect model – an effective problem-solving approach which analyzes why things happen as they do. Unlike Zapier, it’s geared primarily towards consumers rather than business. It spans several hundred services, including major cloud services and apps, social media and blogging platforms, home automation devices, and more. IFTTT calls its automations applets which you can set up and create either on the Web or in the app. An applet basically involves filling in just two blanks: “If ___, then ___.” These applets are triggered by changes that occur within other web services.
Difference Between Zapier and IFTTT
Basics of Zapier Vs. IFTTT
Both Zapier and IFTTT are the two most common and popular task automation tools designed for individuals and businesses that use conditional statements and logic triggers. However, Zapier offers more advanced automation tools that are targeted primarily for businesses or organizations, whereas IFTTT’s simple automation tools are geared primarily towards consumers, mainly non-technical users. Zapier refers to its automation tasks as “Zaps”, whereas IFTTT calls them “Recipes”. Zapier is similar to IFTTT but delve a little deeper than IFTTT and it allows you to use a new note to create the trigger, whereas IFTTT does not.
Accessibility
Zapier is only available on a web browser which means it can only be accessed on the web. It’s a web automation tool that can create zaps to automate parts of your business or life. With zaps, you don’t need to do any coding and only have to tell the system what initiates the transfer of data from one system to another. Unlike Zapier, IFTTT is available on a web browser as well as on mobile devices meaning it can be accessed through both a web app and the mobile app (available on both Android and iOS). It helps you connect all your devices and apps to work together.
Pricing of Zapier and IFTTT
IFTTT is a free, cloud-based service which is absolutely free of cost without any restrictions or subscription plans of any kind. However, the company mainly relies on its investors to keep running and stay in business. Zapier, on the other hand, also offers a free base service, which is limited to a few users and to five active zaps with a monthly cap of 100 tasks. Zapier offers a range of subscription plans which aren’t cheap and starts at $20 per month and goes up to $125 per month.
Integration
While both share a lot of similarities and support many of the same applications, they have their fair share of differences, one of which is integration with third party apps. All task automation software needs to be able to integrate with the applications the users interact with. IFTTT mainly works with consumer-centric software and integrations such as home automation apps and social media platforms. IFTTT, though, supports almost half the number of apps Zapier does, which in fact, stands at more than 500. Zapier targets businesses which is why the count is so much higher.
Zapier vs. IFTTT: Comparison Chart
Summary of Zapier Vs. IFTTT
Although both Zapier and IFTTT are the two most common cloud-based task automation services used basically for the same purpose, they differ somewhat in features. Both offer great solutions for business and individual workflow automation, but there’s a clear distinction in what they do it and how they do it. For those looking primarily for home automation products, IFTTT is just the thing. Well, for businesses or workplaces looking for productivity and efficiency, Zapier is the winner. In many areas, Zapier is the clear winner, but that doesn’t mean it’s the better automation program for you.