What is iPaaS?
Quick answer
iPaaS stands for integration platform as a service: a cloud tool that connects your apps and moves data between them on rules you set, without you running servers. Zapier, Make and n8n Cloud are examples for small teams; Workato, Boomi and MuleSoft are examples aimed at larger companies.
Last updated
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Updated · By Robert Breen
Why it matters for a small business
Most businesses run on a dozen apps that do not talk to each other, so people copy data by hand. An iPaaS is the category of tool that fixes that. Knowing the word helps when you read vendor pages, compare tools or talk to IT, because many enterprise tools describe themselves this way rather than as automation apps.
The tools differ in who they are built for. Small-team tools focus on quick setup and a huge list of app connections; enterprise tools add governance, audit logs and complex data mapping. Some, like n8n, can also be self-hosted, which strictly makes them more than a service.
Where you'll use it: when you choose an automation tool. The n8n vs Zapier, Zapier vs Make and n8n vs Make comparisons set the small-team options side by side, and the first lessons below build the same kind of form-to-sheet workflow in each.
In a real lesson: Never Miss a New Client Inquiry using Zapier
Three free lessons build nearly the same automation in three iPaaS tools. In Your First Zap, Northgate Accounting sends Google Forms inquiries to a sheet with Zapier. In Your First Make Scenario, Brookside Dental does the same with Make, and in n8n: Send Form Answers Straight to Google Sheets, Clearview Bookkeeping does it with n8n.
The steps match: a trigger, a mapped action, a test. What changes is how each tool draws the workflow and counts usage.
Try this lesson free or read the step-by-step guide.
Common confusions
iPaaS vs API
An API is how one app lets others talk to it. An iPaaS is the tool that uses many APIs to connect apps for you.
iPaaS vs RPA
RPA tools click through screens like a person. An iPaaS connects apps through their APIs, which is usually faster and steadier.
Tips
- List the apps you need first, then check each tool's integrations.
- Estimate monthly usage with each tool's own counting method.
- Check where your data is stored and who can see it.
Related terms
More n8n and automation terms
Where you use it: free lessons
- Never Miss a New Client Inquiry using Zapier (Zapier, 10 min)
- Your First Make.com Scenario: Google Forms to Google Sheets (Make, 12 min)
- n8n: Send Form Answers Straight to Google Sheets (n8n, 10 min)
Frequently asked questions
- Is Zapier an iPaaS?
- Yes. Zapier is a hosted integration platform, and so are Make and n8n Cloud.
- Is self-hosted n8n an iPaaS?
- Not strictly, since you run it yourself, but it does the same job as one.
- Which iPaaS is best for a small business?
- It depends on your apps, how many steps your workflows have and who will build them. Start with the comparisons above, then try the same small workflow in two tools.