Overview
Before a scheduled calendar event begins, post a reminder to Slack. Automatically create an archive of your Spotify Discover Weekly playlists. Tell Google Assistant to change the color of your Hue lights. These automations are simple examples of what you can build with IFTTT, which rhymes with "gift" and stands for "if this, then that." IFTTT is a service that lets you connect internet-aware apps, services, and devices, without any coding. The IFTTT website and mobile app help you build commands (which IFTTT used to call recipes and now calls applets) using bright, visual cards and powerful fields. IFTTT and its more business-oriented competitor Zapier are both Editors' Choice services for productivity.
IFTT Review: The Competition
IFTTT isn’t alone in the automated rule space. It has some competition. The most popular competitor is Zapier, a tool will also let you automate routine tasks. IFTTT has one huge advantage over Zapier, though: it’s free. Zapier, on the other hand, charges for its best services. You can make limited use of the platform without paying a monthly fee, though.
Keep in mind: there might come a day when IFTTT also charges for the use of its platform. There are rumors that it will someday switch to a pricing model, but it hasn’t done so yet. IFTTT offers other advantages over Zapier. For example, you can create applets that include digital voice assistants with IFTTT. You can’t do that with Zapier. IFTTT also supports the Internet of Things (IoT). In other words, you can use it to create an applet that will turn the lights on in your home based on a rule. Zapier doesn’t support IoT at this time. Additionally, IFTTT offers mobile apps on the iOS and Android platforms. Zapier only has a web app. There are some advantages to choosing Zapier over IFTTT, though. First and foremost, Zapier supports multi-step integrations. IFTTT supports only a single trigger and a single action. For example, let’s say you want to set up a rule that creates a new task in Todoist and post it to Basecamp when you receive an email attachment in Gmail. IFTTT only supports a single one of those actions in an applet. You could either create the new task or post it to Basecamp, but you can’t do both within a single applet. Also, Zapier supports integrations with services that you won’t find in IFTTT, including Amazon S3 and SQL Server. So if you’re a hardcore engineer who’s looking for a robust enterprise solution, you should probably spend some cash on Zapier.
Getting started with IFTTT
IFTTT is simple to use. You download the mobile app create a free account and you're up and running with automations in minutes.
There are a bewildering array of applets available, so IFTTT helpfully provides automation recommendations for new users to try. Its Collections groups together applets for different platforms – such as iOS, Android and voice assistants – and showcases everything from applets for news and weather services to home automation.
It is also possible to search for individual applets, or browse under categories such as business tools, connected car or health and fitness.
The My Applets screen lets users manage which applets are currently turned on, and provides a history of those that have been used previously.
Users can create their own applets by combining various app "services” and setting trigger parameters.
How Much Does IFTTT Cost?
IFTTT recently announced a new paid plan called IFTTT Pro that allows subscribers to create an unlimited number of applets, set up multistep applets with multiple actions, and enables applets to execute more quickly. Until October 7, you can set your own price for IFTTT Pro (minimum of $1.99 per month) and IFTTT will honor it indefinitely. After that date, the price of IFTTT Pro will be $9.99 per month.
There's still a free account, but those users are only allowed to create three applets of their own. The free tier does allow you to enable an unlimited number of applets created by the community, however. IFTTT also offers two enterprise-focused plans, but you need to contact its sales department for pricing. An IFTTT developer account costs $199 per year.
Zapier offers a free version that also has some limitations. Free account users can run up to 100 tasks per month, can have up to five Zaps active at any given time (they run every 15 minutes), and cannot use Premium apps. Zapier's Premium apps are simply those that it restricts to higher account tiers, such as MySQL, PayPal, QuickBase, QuickBooks, Salesforce, Zendesk, and many others. These do not otherwise work any differently than the regular apps. Furthermore, free users cannot enable Autoreplay, a fail-safe measure that reruns Zaps on a staggered schedule if they don't work on the first try. Zapier's paid plans, which unlock premium apps, enable the Autoreplay feature, allow multistep Zaps, and increase the frequency with which Zaps run, start at $20 per month.
You can use IFTTT's web interface or its Android and iOS apps to build applets. Although Zapier does not offer mobile apps for any platform, it does support some mobile-based functionality, such as SMS messaging. On the other hand, IFTTT can access system-level information like battery status, ringer volume, and notification data on Android and can access App Store data, reminders, and the built-in calendar on iOS.
How could IFTTT be better?
Enhancements and improvements that some IFTTT users would like to see include the following:
An improved search function
It can be difficult to find the app you want, said Bearman. “It’s not because it doesn't exist. It’s because there are many applets that sound the same. So, there's a little trial and error to find the right app.”
Fewer broken apps
“With so many people creating applets, there’s one big issue, and that’s the fact that some apps are broken,” said Pingaro. “There doesn’t seem to be a filtering system that proactively checks the applets that are uploaded, because I’ve found that some applets work and then stop working, and the app stays up on the site forever.”
Pre-bundled applet suites
“The biggest area for improvement would be to have suites of applets pre-bundled, with a much easier option for integrating multiple recipes at once,” said Dary Merckens, CTO of Gunner Technology, a custom software developer. “There could be a home automation bundle that lets you control all kinds of stuff at once like lights, thermostat and grocery orders. You could have one suite and configure it all in one place.”
Better functionality
“There’s a blurry line between where IFTTT could improve and where the services it connects to need some work,” said Jay Goldman, co-founder and managing director of Sensei Labs, which offers digital workplace services. “It can be frustrating to try to set up an applet and discover that the service provider doesn’t offer the functionality you need, which makes IFTTT itself less useful.”
