Honest Comparison

Three ways to automate your business.
Only one makes sense for most SMBs.

We'll be honest about when each option wins — including when it's not us.

The options

Side by side.

Feature DIY (Zapier / Make) Hire Someone Aplos AI
Upfront cost $0–$50/mo subscription $0 upfront $3,000–$9,000 one-time
Ongoing cost $50–$500/mo per automation $3,000–$6,000/mo salary or VA $0/month
Time to set up Weeks to months (learning curve) 2–4 weeks to hire + train 1–2 weeks
Technical skill needed High (you build it) Low (they build it) None (we build it)
Quality of result Depends on your skill Depends on who you hire Professional build, tested
You own it after? Yes Maybe (lives in their head) Yes — full handoff docs
What happens if it breaks? You fix it Call them, wait Loom walkthrough so you can fix it
Best for Tech-savvy founders with time Growing companies with budget SMBs who want it done right once

When each option makes sense.

DIY with Zapier or Make

Good for this when…

  • You're technical and enjoy building systems
  • Your budget is under $500 and you have 20+ hours to invest
  • You only need 1–2 simple automations (email to spreadsheet, form to CRM)
  • You're comfortable debugging when things break
Not ideal when: you're running a business and don't have 20+ spare hours, or you need something reliable from day one.

Hire a VA or Admin

Good for this when…

  • You need a human making judgment calls, not just executing rules
  • You have ongoing, variable tasks that change week to week
  • Your budget supports $3,000–$6,000/month ongoing
Not ideal when: the task is genuinely repetitive and follows the same pattern every time — that's automation's job, not a person's.

Aplos AI

Good for this when…

  • You want it built right, once, with no monthly fees
  • You don't have time to learn Zapier or Make
  • You need something reliable that runs while you're doing other things
  • You want to own it outright after delivery
Not ideal when: you need a human making real-time judgment calls, or you want to build it yourself.

The real cost of each option.

Most people underestimate the ongoing cost of the alternatives.

DIY (Zapier / Make)

$0 upfront.

But 40–60 hours to build and maintain. At $50/hr equivalent, that's $2,000–$3,000 in time — every time something breaks.

Hire Someone

$4,000/mo

VA or part-time admin to manage 15 hours of weekly admin tasks. $48,000/year ongoing — and growing.

Aplos AI

$5,000 once.

One-time build. $0/month. Most clients break even in 60–90 days. After that, it's pure margin.

Common questions.

Can't I just use Zapier myself?

Yes, and many people do. Zapier is great for simple, 2-step automations. Where it gets complicated: multi-step workflows, error handling, integrations with non-standard software, and maintenance when APIs change. If you have the time and technical skills, DIY is a valid option. If you'd rather have it built correctly and move on, that's what we do.

Why not just hire a freelancer on Upwork?

You can. The risk is quality variance and the work living in someone else's head. When something breaks at 2am, you're waiting for them. We build everything with full documentation and a Loom walkthrough so you or anyone on your team can maintain it.

What if I already have Zapier set up?

We can migrate it, rebuild it more robustly, or leave it alone. A free audit will tell you what's worth keeping and what's worth rebuilding.

Do you charge monthly fees?

Never. Fixed-hour build, you own it, $0/month to keep it running. That's the whole model.

What makes Aplos AI different from other automation agencies?

Most agencies charge monthly retainers and keep the automation in their accounts. We build it in your accounts, give you full documentation, and walk away. You're not dependent on us after delivery.

Ready to stop doing it manually?

Free 30-minute audit. We'll tell you what's worth automating and what it costs. No obligation.

Get Your Free Audit →