Zapier is a no-code tool that connects your apps and runs automated tasks between them. You build a ‘Zap’: a trigger in one app sets off one or more actions in others, with no programming required. When the trigger fires, Zapier handles the rest on its own.
Think of it as a universal translator between software that was never designed to talk. A new lead lands in a Typeform, and Zapier passes it along: it adds the person to your CRM, drops a line in Slack, and sends a welcome email, all in a few seconds. This is everyday workflow automation, set up by clicking through menus rather than writing code, which is why thousands of small teams rely on it. You can have a useful Zap running in about ten minutes, with no developer involved.
Zapier connects to more than 7,000 apps, and many of those connections fire instantly using webhooks. The trade-off is cost and control. Pricing is based on how many tasks you run, so a busy flow that triggers a thousand times a day adds up fast, and your data passes through Zapier’s servers in the United States. For heavier volumes or stricter data rules, a self-hosted tool like n8n is often a better fit, since it keeps everything on infrastructure you own and bills a flat hosting cost rather than a price per task.
At TopDevs we use Zapier to get a client’s tools talking quickly, then move to a more controlled setup if the volume or data sensitivity grows.
