1 Pipefy
Best for operations teams that want to build and run pipelines alone
An operations team that builds its own workflows needs a tool it can learn quickly and change without filing a ticket. Pipefy is first because that is its design. Requests enter a pipeline, move through stages and approvals, and business users run the whole thing without IT. There is a free Starter plan for a pilot, and paid contracts can be monthly or yearly.
Watch for. Starter allows 15 automation jobs a month, Business 300 and Enterprise 2,000. A busy operations team should check its volume against those caps first.
- How it charges
- Per user on Business, quoted by sales, with a free Starter plan
- Main limit
- Business allows 300 automation jobs a month, Enterprise 2,000
2 Kissflow
Best for operations teams with many processes to build
Kissflow ranks second. It asks a little more of the builder than a pipeline tool, and in return an operations team can create full process apps with their own forms and logic. Because the page lists unlimited applications, the team can keep building without each new process becoming a purchasing question. It is second because the pricing page shows no plans or prices, so the team cannot start without a sales conversation.
Watch for. Agreements are fixed and annual. Make sure the operations budget holder, as well as IT, has signed off on a yearly commitment.
- How it charges
- Quoted, on fixed annual agreements
- Main limit
- Quote only, fixed annual agreements
3 Custom build by Black Badger
Best for operations teams that have outgrown tools they can configure
Black Badger publishes this guide and builds custom workflow systems, so we are an option on this list and say so. Custom ranks third because it changes who builds. The operations team stops configuring and starts specifying, and we write the system. That suits a team that knows its process in detail and keeps reaching the limits of self-serve tools. You own the code, and nobody pays per user.
Watch for. Changes after launch go through a developer, and there is no drag and drop editor. Teams that change a process constantly should stay on a tool they configure.
- How it charges
- One-time build scoped in writing, then running costs such as hosting
- Main limit
- Needs a scoping call first, and suits companies of 50 or more employees
What a custom build involves, and how to ask about one
4 Zapier
Best for operations staff automating the steps between their apps
Zapier is fourth. Operations staff use it to remove the manual steps in between, such as creating a task when a form arrives. It is made for quick app to app automations built by business staff. The Team plan starts at 2,000 tasks billed yearly and allows up to 25 users. It ranks fourth because it handles the step between two apps and does not handle the whole request.
Watch for. Every plan is sized by monthly tasks. An automation that fires on every request can use an allowance faster than expected.
- How it charges
- Per task, by plan, billed yearly or monthly
- Main limit
- Task caps raise the price with volume, SSO and audit log need Team or above
5 Make
Best for operations people who think in flowcharts
Make ranks fifth. An operations lead who likes to draw a process will find its visual, multi-branch scenarios familiar. The starting price is low, with a free plan of 1,000 credits a month and Core at 10,000 credits on annual billing. It ranks below Zapier for this reader because scenarios with many branches take more care to build and to hand over to a colleague.
Watch for. Incoming webhooks queue only up to a limit, which is 667 per 10,000 licensed credits. A burst of requests beyond that needs a bigger plan.
- How it charges
- By credits, billed annually or monthly, Enterprise quoted
- Main limit
- Credit based billing, SSO and audit logs only on Enterprise
6 Microsoft Power Automate
Best for operations teams inside a Microsoft 365 company
Microsoft Power Automate is sixth for a team working without IT, and the phrase without IT is the reason. The product ties to Microsoft data and identity, which IT administers, so an operations team usually builds with IT involved. Where that relationship is good, the tool is strong and the Premium per-user price is published. Where it is not, pick a tool the team controls.
Watch for. The free trial includes standard connectors only. Premium connectors come with the paid plans, so test with the license you will use.
- How it charges
- Per user or per bot, paid yearly
- Main limit
- Daily request limits per license, unattended bots cost extra per bot