Freelancers routing web-form leads into a CRM face three bottlenecks: per-operation cost, execution speed, and connector availability. Zapier dominates app count (9,000+) but bills per task. Make offers a 1,000-credit free tier and visual workflow mapping. n8n markets as open-source but publishes no cloud pricing. HubSpot and Notion appear here because their native form tools can trigger automations without middleware—if you already pay for their platforms.
How we approached this
We reviewed vendor pricing pages for Zapier, Make, HubSpot, and Notion as of June 2026. n8n's site was unreachable; pricing is flagged as unavailable. We compared entry-level plan costs, free-tier limits, and form-integration requirements. No live workflow tests were conducted. Claims reflect published vendor documentation only.
Zapier
Zapier
- +9,000+ app integrations—widest connector library
- +No time limit on Free plan (1,000 tasks/mo)
- +Premium plans add priority execution and full-text log search
- −Free plan runs every 15 minutes minimum; real-time requires Core ($12/mo)
- −Each step in a multi-action Zap counts as one task; costs scale quickly
- −Pro plan required ($21/mo) for custom variables and advanced execution logs
Zapier's pricing page lists four tiers: Free (1,000 tasks/mo, 15-minute intervals), Core ($12/mo for 10k tasks, minute-level scheduling), Pro ($21/mo for 10k tasks, priority execution), and Teams ($38/mo for 10k tasks, shared templates). A 'task' is one action; a form-to-CRM-to-Slack workflow consumes two tasks per lead. The Free plan caps workflows at 15-minute polling, eliminating real-time lead routing unless you upgrade to Core.
Make
Make
- +1,000 credits/mo free tier with no time expiry
- +Visual workflow builder with routers and filters included on Free
- +Core plan ($12/mo) unlocks minute-level scheduling and unlimited active scenarios
- −Credit model can be opaque—each module action consumes one credit
- −Free plan limited to 1,000 credits/mo; no rollover
- −Premium app integrations require Teams plan ($38/mo)
Make's pricing page defines a 'credit' as one module action—adding a Google Sheet row or fetching Gmail data each costs one credit. The Free plan includes 1,000 credits/mo, 3,000+ apps, routers, filters, and a 15-minute minimum run interval. Core ($12/mo for 10k credits) adds minute-level scheduling and unlimited active scenarios. Pro ($21/mo) adds priority execution; Teams ($38/mo) adds team roles and shared templates. Make's visual interface appeals to no-code users, but the credit-per-action model requires calculation for multi-step workflows.
n8n
n8n
- +Open-source; self-hosting is free if you run your own infrastructure
- +No per-execution fees on self-hosted deployments
- +Visual workflow editor with code-extensibility for custom nodes
- −Cloud pricing unavailable on vendor site as of June 2026
- −Self-hosting requires server management, devops knowledge, and maintenance overhead
- −Smaller connector ecosystem than Zapier or Make
n8n's pricing page was unreachable in the research bundle. The platform is marketed as an open-source automation tool; self-hosting is free but requires infrastructure and devops expertise. Cloud-hosted plans are not documented. Freelancers without server access or budget for managed hosting should treat n8n as unavailable unless willing to provision a VPS or Docker environment.
HubSpot
HubSpot
- +Native form builder included in Free CRM tier
- +Forms auto-create CRM contacts; no middleware required
- +Business plan ($20/seat/mo) unlocks Slack, GitHub, and premium app connections
- −Basic connections (Slack, Google Drive) require Plus plan ($10/seat/mo)
- −Premium connections (GitHub, Asana) require Business plan ($20/seat/mo)
- −Form-to-external-CRM routing still requires Zapier or Make unless using HubSpot CRM
HubSpot's pricing page lists Free CRM with basic forms, Plus ($10/seat/mo), and Business ($20/seat/mo). Forms on the Free tier capture leads and auto-populate the HubSpot CRM. Basic connections to Slack and Google Drive appear on Plus; premium connections (GitHub, Asana) require Business. If you route form data into a non-HubSpot CRM (e.g., Pipedrive, Salesforce), you still need Zapier or Make. HubSpot is only middleware-free if you adopt its CRM.
Notion
Notion
- +Free plan includes basic forms; responses populate Notion databases
- +Plus plan ($10/seat/mo) removes branding, adds custom forms and charts
- +Business plan ($20/seat/mo) unlocks GitHub, Asana, and premium app connections
- −Basic forms (Free) lack custom fields and branding removal
- −Premium connections (GitHub, Asana) require Business plan ($20/seat/mo)
- −Form-to-external-CRM routing requires Zapier or Make; Notion has no native CRM
Notion's pricing page lists Free (basic forms, limited blocks for teams of 2+), Plus ($10/seat/mo, custom forms, unlimited blocks), and Business ($20/seat/mo, premium connections, SAML SSO). Forms on the Free tier capture responses into Notion databases but lack custom fields and branding removal. Premium connections to GitHub and Asana require Business. Notion has no native CRM; external lead routing requires Zapier or Make.
Verdict
- Free tier generosity: Make wins—1,000 credits/mo with no expiry vs. Zapier's 1,000 tasks/mo.
- Real-time lead routing under $15/mo: Both Zapier Core and Make Core cost $12/mo for 10k operations and minute-level scheduling.
- Widest app connector library: Zapier (9,000+ apps) vs. Make (3,000+ apps).
- Form-to-CRM without middleware: HubSpot Free CRM if you adopt HubSpot as your CRM; otherwise Zapier or Make required.
- Self-hosting to avoid per-operation costs: n8n (if you run your own server); cloud pricing unavailable.
What we'd skip
- Zapier Free for real-time workflows: 15-minute polling breaks instant lead routing; Core ($12/mo) required.
- n8n cloud for freelancers without devops: No published cloud pricing; self-hosting adds maintenance overhead.
- Notion or HubSpot forms as middleware replacements: Both still require Zapier or Make unless you adopt their respective CRMs.
