Key differences at a glance

AI capabilities

Both Relay.app and Make have invested heavily in AI, but the experience is very different. Relay.app makes working with AI effortless:

• All the best AI models (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and more) are built in and run on Relay.app's AI credits, no API keys needed

• You can chat with the Relay.app Agent to create, edit, improve, and analyze workflows using plain language

• Human-in-the-loop checkpoints let you review AI outputs before anything reaches customers or databases

• Every workflow has a simple visual representation so you can see exactly what will happen each time it runs
  Make has powerful AI features, but they're aimed at a more technical audience:

• Next-gen Make AI Agents are integrated into the Scenario Builder with a reasoning panel, multimodal inputs, and dynamic routing

• 400+ pre-built AI app integrations including OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Perplexity, but you manage your own API keys per model

• MCP server support for connecting agents to external tools

• Human-in-the-loop features exist, but they're limited to Enterprise customers and still in closed beta
  Bottom line: If you want AI that works seamlessly out of the box with built-in safety rails, Relay.app wins. If you're technical and want a visual canvas to inspect how an AI agent reasons and routes decisions, Make is worth a look.

Ease of use

This is where the gap is widest. Relay.app is built for non-technical users who've struggled with tools like Zapier and Make. You can chat with the Relay.app Agent in natural language to build workflows, and the visual builder shows you exactly what will happen when they run. Most people can go from an idea to a working, reliable workflow in minutes.

Make is powerful but has a steep learning curve. Concepts like Routers, Iterators, and Aggregators take real investment to learn. Most new users need 10 to 20 hours before they're comfortable. The canvas-based editor is great for debugging complex logic, but it can overwhelm people who just want to get something running quickly.

Pricing

Relay.app has a generous free plan to get you started. All plans include free test runs so you can validate workflows before they go live.

• Free: 200 automation steps + 500 AI credits/month

• Professional: $19/month (billed annually) for 1 user

• Team: $59/month (billed annually) for up to 10 users

• Enterprise: Custom pricing
  Make also offers a free plan:

• Free: 1,000 credits/month

• Core: $9/month for 10,000 credits

• Pro: $16/month for 10,000 credits + priority execution

• Teams: $29/month for 10,000 credits + collaboration

• Enterprise: Custom pricing
  Make's credit-based model gives you more operations per dollar, which is attractive for high-volume automations. But Relay.app includes AI models out of the box with no separate API costs, and human-in-the-loop features aren't locked behind an enterprise paywall.

Integrations

Make has the clear advantage here with 3,000+ app integrations. It's one of the most connected platforms on the market. If you rely on niche or legacy tools, Make probably supports them.

Relay.app offers 200+ deep native integrations with popular tools, plus custom HTTP requests and webhooks to connect anything it doesn't cover natively. The integration library is smaller, but it covers the apps most teams actually use day to day. Relay.app's integrations are also designed to be as user-friendly as possible, so they're easier to set up and maintain.

Advanced capabilities

Make shines for power users:

• Complex branching, filtering, and parallel processing

• Custom API calls and data transformations

• Reusable AI agents shared across multiple scenarios

• Granular error handling and retry logic
  Relay.app supports advanced use cases too. But its focus is on making them accessible, not just possible:

• Custom JavaScript, complex branching, and looping logic

• MCP server support for connecting AI to external tools

• Webhooks and custom HTTP calls for apps that aren't yet available natively

• Stateful data with Tables, so you can store and update structured data directly in Relay.app

Security and compliance

Both platforms take security seriously. Relay.app is SOC 2 compliant and offers enterprise-grade security features. Make provides SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3, and GDPR compliance, along with SSO and encryption. For teams with strict compliance requirements, both platforms have you covered, though Make's enterprise tier includes more advanced security controls out of the gate.

So which one should you pick?

Choose Relay.app if:

• You value simplicity and reliability over maximum configurability

• You want to build AI workflows without needing a technical background

• You have a small team and you want everyone onboard quickly

• Human-in-the-loop approvals are important to your processes

• You want easy access to the top AI models without managing API keys
  Choose Make if:

• You're a power user or automation consultant who thinks in flowcharts

• You use niche or legacy apps, so a library of 3,000+ integrations speaks to you

• You want granular control over every step, route, and error path

• You're comfortable managing your own AI API keys

• You're running high-volume automations where cost per operation matters most

The verdict

In 2026, the automation landscape has shifted toward AI-native platforms that make it easy for anyone to build intelligent workflows. Relay.app leads that charge. Relay.app is the fastest path from idea to working AI workflow, with human-in-the-loop approvals that give you confidence in what the AI is doing.

Make remains one of the most powerful visual automation platforms available. If you need advanced logic, massive integration coverage, and full control over every detail, Make is hard to beat.

But if ease of use, built-in AI, and human oversight are your priorities, Relay.app is the better choice for most teams.