Make
Semaphore
| Feature | Make | Semaphore |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10.59/mo | Free / from $10/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | power-users, agencies, developers, small-businesses | development-teams, open-source-projects, startups, monorepo-users |
| Founded | 2012 | 2012 |
| Scenarios | ✓ | ✗ |
| Modules | ✓ | ✗ |
| Routers | ✓ | ✗ |
| Webhooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Data Stores | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Parallel Pipelines | ✗ | ✓ |
| Test Reports | ✗ | ✓ |
| Secrets Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Docker Support | ✗ | ✓ |
| Caching | ✗ | ✓ |
| Notifications | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Make Pros
- Visual workflow builder
- Affordable pricing
- 1,000+ app integrations
- Complex branching logic
✗ Make Cons
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier
- Smaller app library
- Can be slow with large scenarios
✓ Semaphore Pros
- Extremely fast build times
- Generous free tier for open source
- Easy YAML-based configuration
- Built-in secrets management
✗ Semaphore Cons
- Smaller community than GitHub Actions
- Limited marketplace for pre-built steps
- Debugging failed builds can be tricky
The Verdict
Make is built for power users and agencies, with a focus on scenarios and modules. Semaphore targets development teams and open source projects and leads with parallel-pipelines and test-reports.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($10.59/mo for Make, $10/mo for Semaphore), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.
