The Best API Integration Service You've Never Heard Of

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API integration is a great way to automate API-based processes at a far lower cost than using RPA. Although RPA processes can send API requests, if UI automation isn't required, then using an API integration service can prove very beneficial.

Below are a few API integration services I've worked with in the past, ranked from worst to best. This list excludes companies that are strictly focused on enterprises (no free tier, no pricing listed on the website, e.g. Mulesoft and Workato). This list also excludes companies with RPA capabilities (Apify, UiPath Studio Web, etc)

  • Zapier - Although this platform is quite popular, and has the most integrations, in my opinion it's overpriced, lacks key features, and has a very stingy free tier
  • Make (formerly Integromat) - I consider this platform to be superior to Zapier in every way. It's cheaper, its free tier is much more generous, and it has more features. On top of all these benefits, processes are displayed as flowcharts, making complex scenarios easy to visualize
  • Power Automate - Ignoring desktop flows (which in my opinion is not a good RPA solution), cloud flows are the best choice for enterprises. Power Automate offers several unique features, including approval flows, AI Builder, and most importantly the ability to integrate with Power Apps and Power BI
  • Pipedream - read on to see why this is the best

If you want the TL;DR version of the rest of this article, the reason Pipedream is the best is that they offer, to quote their site, "code-level control when you need it, and no code when you don't." They have the same prebuilt components as other integration services, but Pipedream has the advantage of these components being open source. But this isn't the only thing that makes Pipedream stand out.

Out of the box they offer support for Node.js, Python, Go, and Bash. All options (except Bash for now) allow you to import packages. This adds functionality not found in any other API integration service. For example, if you wanted to convert markdown to HTML, Zapier can't currently do that, but in Pipedream all you need to do is import the marked package and use marked.parse(). If you have complex data rules, it's very cumbersome to add these rules in Make or in Power Automate, but all you need to do in Pipedream is add those rules in your language of choice.

I know I bashed Zapier earlier, but to their credit, they offer JavaScript & Python code steps, which can help with complex data rules like the ones mentioned above. But Zapier's code steps have a major limitation - they do not support npm or pip packages, meaning you can't use Node.js or Python to their full potential.

From my personal experience, there's also a hidden benefit of using a code-focused API integration service: you learn more as you do it. For example, instead of using a prebuilt email integration to send an SMTP email, I researched and realized that I could just use nodemailer. And now that I know that this package exists, I can use it in any Node.js scenario, even outside of Pipedream.

Ultimately, deciding which API integration service to use comes down to personal preference and research. You may decide you want a more user-friendly, no-code option, and Make certainly fits those requirements. Maybe 80% of your processes use Office 365, so Power Automate would be the obvious choice. I've made my case for why I think Pipedream is the best, but whichever platform you choose, be sure it's one you have complete confidence in, and are ready to use for the long haul.