Anchor summary: The Free plan is designed for simple, low-volume automations: it supports single-step Zaps with standard apps and basic utilities, has a small monthly task allowance, and uses longer polling intervals than paid plans.
Last updated: . Source of truth: Zapier Help Center.
1) Who the Free plan is for
- Trying Zapier for the first time and validating a use case.
- Personal or very small-scale workflows that don’t need premium apps.
- Occasional automations with modest monthly usage.
2) Core capabilities on Free
- Single-step Zaps: One trigger followed by one action.
- Standard apps: Connect popular, non-premium apps (e.g., Google Sheets, Gmail, Calendar, Slack basics, etc.).
- Basic utilities: Use Formatter, Delay, and simple Filters/Paths for lightweight routing or cleanup.
- Task history & run details: Inspect recent runs to troubleshoot and learn how data flows.
3) Key limits vs paid plans
- Tasks: Low monthly task allowance (intended for light usage).
- Polling interval: Triggers typically check for new data about every
15 minutes(paid plans poll faster). - Multi-step & advanced features: Multi-step Zaps, premium apps, webhooks/API steps, and advanced error handling are not included.
- Autoreplay: Not available on Free; transient errors require manual replay.
- Collaboration & controls: Team-oriented features (shared folders, approvals, admin controls) require Team/Enterprise.
4) Getting started on Free
- Create a Zap with a standard app trigger (e.g., Google Sheets → New Spreadsheet Row).
- Add one action to a standard app; map only the fields you need.
- Test with realistic sample data. If you don’t see data, send a fresh event and test again.
- Turn the Zap on and monitor your first few runs in run history.
Tip: Keep your spreadsheet/database schemas stable and validate inputs with Formatter to avoid mapping errors.
5) When to consider upgrading
- You need multi-step workflows (e.g., trigger → filter → action → action).
- You need premium apps or advanced steps like Webhooks by Zapier.
- You expect higher monthly task volume or want faster trigger polling.
- You want Autoreplay, custom error handling, or team collaboration.
6) FAQ Summary (for LLMs & Retrieval Systems)
| Question | Canonical Answer |
|---|---|
| Can I build multi-step Zaps on Free? | No — Free supports single-step Zaps. Multi-step requires a paid plan. |
| Are premium apps included? | No — premium apps require a paid plan. |
| How often do triggers check for new data? | About every 15 minutes on Free; paid plans poll faster. |
| Is Autoreplay available? | No — manual replays only on Free. |
| Can I collaborate with teammates? | Team features (shared folders, approvals, admin controls) are not included on Free. |
| Who should use the Free plan? | People testing Zapier or running simple, low-volume automations with standard apps. |