Pricing overview

IFTTT (If This Then That) utilizes a tiered subscription model, offering a free entry point and escalating features and Applet capacity with paid plans. The core of IFTTT's pricing revolves around the number of active 'Applets' a user can create and maintain, along with access to advanced features like multi-action Applets, queries, and faster execution speeds. This structure is designed to accommodate a range of users, from individuals automating personal smart home devices to businesses integrating various services for operational efficiency.

The service provides a free tier with specific limitations, allowing users to experience basic automation. As usage grows or more complex integrations become necessary, users can upgrade to paid plans. These plans typically offer a significant increase in the number of Applets, access to advanced conditional logic, and priority support. For businesses requiring custom integrations or extensive usage beyond standard tiers, IFTTT also offers developer and enterprise solutions, often involving custom pricing based on specific requirements and anticipated API call volumes.

The pricing strategy aims to provide flexibility, enabling users to scale their automation needs without immediate substantial investment. The primary differentiator between tiers is the volume of Applets and the sophistication of the automation logic available, such as the ability to create Applets with multiple actions or conditional statements, which are often restricted to paid subscribers.

Plans and tiers

IFTTT offers several plans, each tailored to different user needs and usage patterns. The current plans include a Free tier, IFTTT Pro, and IFTTT Pro+. There are also enterprise and developer options for more extensive use cases.

IFTTT Free

The Free tier is designed for basic personal automation. It allows users to create and run up to 5 Applets. This plan is suitable for individuals who need to connect a few smart devices or automate a small number of routine tasks, such as turning on lights when motion is detected or saving new Instagram photos to Dropbox. While functional, it lacks advanced features like multi-action Applets or conditional logic, which are common in more complex automation scenarios.

IFTTT Pro

IFTTT Pro is the first paid tier, priced at $3.50 per month when billed annually, or $4.99 per month when billed monthly according to IFTTT's plan details. This plan significantly expands capabilities beyond the Free tier. Users gain the ability to create an unlimited number of Applets, including multi-action Applets (where one trigger can initiate multiple actions) and conditional logic (allowing Applets to run only if certain conditions are met). Pro also offers faster Applet execution, customer support, and the ability to set up queries, which allow Applets to retrieve data from services. This tier is suited for power users, small businesses, or smart home enthusiasts with numerous devices and complex automation requirements.

IFTTT Pro+

The Pro+ plan builds upon the Pro features, offering enhanced capabilities, though specific pricing and feature differentiations beyond Pro are typically detailed on the IFTTT pricing page. Generally, Pro+ targets users who require even more robust automation, potentially including increased execution frequency, more complex data handling, or priority access to new features. It's often positioned for advanced personal users or small to medium-sized businesses with critical automation workflows.

Developer and Enterprise Solutions

For businesses looking to integrate their services with IFTTT or create custom Applets for a large user base, IFTTT provides a Platform for Developers. This platform allows companies to build and publish their own services on IFTTT, enabling their users to connect and automate with other services. Pricing for developer and enterprise solutions is typically custom, based on the scope of integration, anticipated usage, and specific support requirements. These plans often involve API access, dedicated technical support, and branding opportunities within the IFTTT ecosystem. The focus here is on extending a service's reach and utility through IFTTT's broad network of connected applications and devices.

IFTTT Plan Comparison
Plan Price (approx.) Key Limits / Features Best For
Free $0 Up to 5 Applets, single action Applets Basic personal automation, trying out IFTTT
Pro $3.50/month (annually) / $4.99/month (monthly) Unlimited Applets, multi-action Applets, conditional logic, faster execution, queries Power users, small businesses, complex smart homes
Pro+ Custom / Higher than Pro Enhanced Pro features, potentially higher execution frequency, advanced data handling Advanced personal users, small to medium businesses with critical workflows
Developer / Enterprise Custom Quote Build and publish services, API access, dedicated support, custom integrations Businesses integrating their services, large-scale custom automation

Free tier and limits

The IFTTT Free tier serves as an accessible entry point to automation, allowing users to create up to 5 active Applets at no cost. Each Applet can consist of one trigger and one action, following the 'If This Then That' logic. For example, an Applet might be configured to 'If a new photo is posted on Instagram, then save it to a specific folder in Google Drive'. This tier is well-suited for individuals new to automation or those with minimal integration needs, such as setting up a few basic smart home routines or simple social media cross-posting.

However, the Free tier comes with specific limitations beyond the Applet count. It does not support multi-action Applets, meaning a single trigger cannot initiate multiple, distinct actions. Conditional logic, which allows Applets to run only if additional criteria are met, is also unavailable. Furthermore, Applet execution speeds may be slower compared to paid tiers, and access to customer support might be limited to community forums or basic self-help resources. These restrictions are designed to encourage users with growing or more complex automation requirements to upgrade to a paid plan, which unlocks a broader range of features and improved performance.

Real-world cost examples

To illustrate IFTTT's pricing, consider a few common use cases:

Personal Smart Home Automation (Free Tier)

A user wants to automate a few aspects of their smart home. They create:

  1. An Applet to turn off all smart lights when they leave home (using location as a trigger).
  2. An Applet to receive a notification if their smart doorbell detects motion.
  3. An Applet to adjust their smart thermostat based on the weather forecast.
  4. An Applet to flash smart lights when their favorite sports team scores.

This user has 4 Applets, which fits within the Free tier's limit of 5. Their cost is $0 per month. If they wanted to add a fifth Applet, such as automatically brewing coffee when their morning alarm goes off, they would still remain within the free limit. However, if they wished to add a sixth unique Applet, they would need to upgrade to a paid plan.

Small Business Social Media Management (IFTTT Pro)

A small business owner manages multiple social media channels and wants to streamline content distribution and monitoring. They might use IFTTT Pro for:

  1. Multi-action Applet: When a new blog post is published (RSS feed trigger), automatically post a tweet, update their Facebook page, and add a link to a Slack channel for team awareness. This requires multi-action capabilities.
  2. Conditional Applet: If a specific hashtag is used on Twitter, then save the tweet to a Google Sheet, but only if the tweet has more than 10 retweets (conditional logic).
  3. Monitoring: Receive an email notification if a competitor posts a new article (RSS feed trigger).
  4. Scheduling: Add events from a Google Sheet to a shared Google Calendar.

This scenario involves unlimited Applets, multi-action capabilities, and conditional logic, necessitating an IFTTT Pro subscription. At $3.50/month (billed annually), the annual cost would be approximately $42, providing significant automation for social media tasks that would otherwise require manual effort or more expensive dedicated tools.

Advanced Data Logging and Notifications (IFTTT Pro+)

An advanced user or small team might use IFTTT Pro+ for more complex data integration and real-time alerts. For instance:

  1. Smart Home Security: If a motion sensor is triggered (trigger), then turn on specific lights, send a push notification to multiple family members, and log the event in a Google Sheet. This requires multiple actions and potentially faster execution.
  2. Financial Tracking: If a transaction occurs in a linked bank account (trigger), then categorize it in a Google Sheet and send a summary notification to a budgeting app, potentially with queries to fetch additional transaction details.
  3. IoT Device Integration: Connecting various IoT devices from different manufacturers, using IFTTT as a central hub to create complex interactions that might not be natively supported. This often involves a high number of Applets and potentially more frequent checks.

The specific pricing for Pro+ is often custom or higher than Pro, but it would cover the enhanced Applet capacity, faster execution, and advanced features required for these more demanding use cases. The value proposition here lies in the ability to create highly customized and responsive automation workflows across disparate services without needing to write code.

How the pricing compares

IFTTT's pricing model, particularly its free tier and relatively affordable Pro plan, positions it as a competitive option for personal and small-scale business automation. When compared to alternatives like Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat), several differences emerge.

Zapier: Zapier generally targets more business-centric automation, offering a vast array of app integrations and more complex multi-step workflows. Its free tier is typically limited to 5 'Zaps' (similar to Applets) and 100 tasks per month. Paid plans start at around $20 per month (billed annually) for 750 tasks, scaling up significantly with task volume. While Zapier often provides more robust error handling and advanced features for professional use, its cost can quickly exceed IFTTT for similar levels of automation, especially for users with high task volumes. For example, a comparison of automation platforms by Tray.io highlights differences in pricing models and target audiences, with IFTTT often being more budget-friendly for simpler integrations.

Make (formerly Integromat): Make also offers a more visual, flow-based builder for complex integrations. Its free tier is more generous than Zapier's in terms of operations (around 1,000 operations per month) but often has a lower data transfer limit. Paid plans start at approximately $9 per month (billed annually) for 10,000 operations. Make tends to be more powerful for intricate, multi-branching workflows and data transformations, often appealing to users with a technical background or those requiring more granular control over data flow. While potentially more complex to learn, Make can offer better value for highly specific, data-intensive automations compared to IFTTT's more straightforward 'If This Then That' logic.

Microsoft Power Automate: As part of the Microsoft ecosystem, Power Automate offers deep integration with Microsoft 365 services and a strong focus on enterprise-level business process automation. Its pricing is often tied to Microsoft 365 subscriptions or licensed per user/flow, with free usage for basic personal flows within certain Microsoft plans. Standalone plans can start around $15 per user/month, with more advanced features and higher usage limits increasing the cost. Power Automate is particularly strong for organizations heavily invested in Microsoft products and requiring enterprise-grade governance and scalability, potentially making it a more expensive option for simple, cross-platform personal automation compared to IFTTT.

In summary, IFTTT typically offers a lower entry barrier with its free tier and a more affordable starting price for its Pro plan. It excels in straightforward, event-driven automation across a wide range of consumer services and smart devices. Alternatives like Zapier, Make, and Power Automate tend to cater to more complex, business-critical workflows, often with higher price points that reflect their advanced capabilities, task volumes, and enterprise-grade features. The choice often depends on the complexity of the automation, the number of services involved, and the budget available.