For data-driven businesses who use a large number of SaaS products .. or any software with an API really...which is... I would hope all of them... ;) , Zapier is an absolute no-brainer. Never again (when selecting new software to purchase) do we have to worry "Oh, well it doesn't integrate with {{insertOtherSoftwareHere}}, so we can't use it until their dev teams builds it for us". You have full control over what data goes where, how it should be formatted, and all the tools you need to test & optimize that "data transport" over time. Further, the automation possibilities are nearly endless. Want to kick-off an email whenever someone completes a training-video on your site? (without having to rely on client-side javascript tagging): easy with zapier. Want to test out a new e-commerce solution, but don't want to deal with having two sources of product-fulfillment? easy, just send the order data to your existing ecom platform with zapier, and centralize all the fulfillment there. the possibilities are infinite, it just comes down to having at least one person who is savvy with either Javascript (Node.js) or Python if you want to do more "custom" things beyond the built-in apps (which ... is still a lot). Can't recommend enough.
Pros
1. highly flexible & customizable: if they don't have a pre-built integration with a tool you use, you can easily build your own using their built-in webhook, webhook listeners, and "code" blocks. does require a bit of coding experience, but once you or your team build a few things / experiment & figure it out.. it's an absolute game-changer.
2. you'll think "what would i do without this?" ... that's the hallmark of a great software, and Zapier is without a doubt one of the top 3 most important tools for our business. if you want to be data-driven, the first step is getting the right data to the right places. Zapier enables you to do that EASILY.
3. reliable. i've only had about 2 - 3 "outages" in my zaps since i started using the tool, and they were all due to edge-cases that my custom-code steps didn't handle properly. Zapier gives you a nice debugging / testing interface and allows you to search back through every single "zap" that your account has sent over time... and step through them to sort out what the issue might be.
Cons
1. pulling in "test data" when building zaps - this is one thing that really annoys me... when you're creating a new Zap, and Zapier is "testing the step" that you just set up, it only pulls the most recent "event" that matches what you're doing. Now, this is OK in most cases, but if you have a zap that needs to handle a few different situations "conditionally" ... then it stinks. for example, say you want to build a zap that sends your sales team an email every-time a Stripe charge of over is processed. Well, if the most recent charge in Stripe (or the most recent 3 or 4, etc.) are all lower than, then your test will fail. That's a very contrived example, but ideally, Zapier would allow you to search through past events for the app that you're trying to "zap from", and CHOOSE the appropriate test event.
Minor gripe mainly will only impact those who want to build more complex/complicated zaps.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 10/10
Decrease in errors from inside and outside of the company on paperwork Increased productivity due to faster dissemination of vital information. Lower cost to operate. Fewer humans needed to handle the office.
Pros
There are almost too may pros to mention. Office automation in my number one requirement and Zapier makes it easy and fast. All of my software can now "talk" to each other to handle tedious and time consuming tasks.
Contractors, clients and employees can enter data into front-end forms and everyone gets the right PDF for their needs on the other end. I am still finding new uses as my company grows.
The mail parser offered by Zapier is magical! You choose the information you want pulled from email list and the data is added to your database or any app you have connected. The daily and weekly update emails are scraped for the important parts, all the data is extracted to the apps that are most valuable for the company. As this data is time sensitive, not having to wait for a human to do it keeps us ahead of the curve.
The multi-step addition was right on time. Now I can move data to a number of apps in seconds.
Overall, Zapier has made it easier for my agents to follow the rules. Paperwork is submitted digitally, leads are disseminated automatically saving time between the client calling and getting a return call.
Zapier just saves time and keeps errors to a minimum. If you are control freak like myself, you NEED Zapier.
Cons
Some of the multi step process are not intuitive to create. Support is very helpful but I feel there might need a small interface update that could make it easier to understand.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 10/10
We use several SAAS solutions in our day-to-day operations. Zapier is the glue that holds it all together. The automation that we've been able to implement through Zapier is what gives the impression of a slick, unified system. It has allowed us to continue improving by using the best features from a wide array of software to build a customized system that works the way we want it to without having to enlist our own team of developers. I used to run into roadblocks with software and think, "Gee, I wish I could just..." With Zapier, I actually can.
Pros
Zapier is exceptionally easy to use. I started by playing around with a few of the hundreds of suggested Zaps, but it didn't take long to get the gist and start building from scratch.
I use Zapier to send automated emails triggered by software that either doesn't offer that option natively or doesn't give me as much customization as I want. The result has been increased communication coming out of my office with far less time commitment to make it happen. With budgets what they are these days, I'm constantly being asked to do more with less. Zapier has made that possible.
Another unexpected plus is that I've discovered other great software through Zapier.
I've got a favorite relational database. I've got a favorite web form. I've got a favorite workflow system when I need input from others. Zapier has allowed me to tie all of those together without having to compromise so I can take advantage of the best features of all of them. Because I don't have to intervene manually, there's no duplicate data entry so errors are minimized as well.
Zapier saves me time every day.
Cons
Multi-step Zaps are great, but conditional Zaps would help me stay more organized. Right now, Zapier doesn't offer that so I end up with three separate Zaps that each have a unique filter, rather than one conditional Zap that can route to different steps based on variable input.
So far, I've always been able to find a work around. It's like having a 2000-piece Lego set, but not having the exact piece you want. You can still build your house, and it will be amazing, but it would have saved you a few steps if you just had that one more piece.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 10/10
Overall, Zapier is just a life and time saver! Software companies are popping up every day, often with no regard to how a customer may specifically need it to work with another software. Without Zapier, some functions may need manual attention that very small businesses simply cannot afford to spend the time to give. Zapier is a must have for any business, big or small.
Pros
With so much technology being created to make our lives easier, speedbumps can occur when these applications can't seamlessly communicate with each other. Here's where Zapier comes in. This might be the single most important element of my business flow. Zapier is the liaison for all of apps and software, enabling them to talk and connect with each other in ways that, perhaps, they didn't intend.
For example, in my business, we offer a booklet that customers can purchase with add-ons. We do not print the books ourselves; we use a print-on-demand service, so we need the orders sent to that company when they come in. The print company can't connect to our order form, and who has the time to send orders that may come in round the clock, one by one to a fulfillment plant?
Zapier enables us to connect our order form to Gmail so that when the orders come in, an email of the order specifications are automatically sent to the fulfillment company where they can print the book and ship it to our customer.
See? Zapier make life so much easier!
Cons
Although it's fairly user-friendly, setting up a "Zap" (a connection from one software to another, or many others) takes lots of tests with lots of trial and error. This is not necessarily a "con", as most things require tests and are not just "plug-and-play." But I'd advise anyone, especially newcomers to this great software, to count on spending some time to get it right, because it will require quite some time to perfect.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 10/10
Overall, we've had a great experience with Zapier. As a small company, any time saved by automating manual tasks is incredibly valuable, and Zapier has saved us hours upon hours of time by automatically moving new files from one location to another, automatically updating spreadsheets upon form submissions, automatically tweeting something following a new blog post, and lots more. I've personally used Zapier for almost 6 years now and I've found it to be incredibly valuable.
Pros
Zapier's two most powerful attributes are the platform's ease of use, combined with the number of products & services they've integrated. Zapier's workflow for creating "zaps" (automations) is incredibly intuitive; you start with the "trigger" step, then end with the "action" step. Given the number of services that they've integrated with, the possible combinations are almost endless. We've used Zapier to automate a number of tasks & workflows at our organization, and it's saved us a tremendous amount of time.
Cons
Zapier's mission to integrate as many different services as possible has added a tremendous amount of value to their offering, however a side effect of this strategy is that occasionally, some of their integrations can be rather shallow. In other words, for products and services that aren't used by a significantly large number of users, Zapier might only offer 3 "trigger" options out of a possible 5, which can be very problematic if you need one of those missing two triggers in order to start your workflow.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 10/10
Free: $0 for 5 zaps
Starter: $20/month paid annually or $25/month paid monthly for 20 zaps
Professional: $50/month paid annually or $62.50/month paid monthly for 50 zaps
Professional Plus: $125/month paid annually or $156.25/month paid monthly for 125 zaps
Teams: $250/month paid annually or $312.50/month paid monthly for unlimited zaps
