A lot of times users think Pathfix is like Zapier. Users have reached out to us asking if Pathfix is an alternative to Zapier.
So, to put rest to the whole ‘Pathfix Vs. Zapier’ discussion, we thought it best to write out a blog that details why we are nothing like Zapier.
Short answer? No, Pathfix is not like Zapier.
SaaS growth
With so many SaaS solutions being released daily, it is no surprise that integration and workflow automation tools are becoming the need of the hour. The more connected your SaaS gets, the more data and growth your SaaS sees.
To put this in numbers:
There are thousands of SaaS platforms that already exist. Of these, there are over 7,000 in marketing alone!
With these many existing platforms (with thousands of users), it would make sense to have an integration first approach so that your data speaks to their data and vice versa. This is where Integrations come in.
Let's break this down...
There are 2 types of integrations:
- Backend integrations
- User facing integrations
Backend integrations refers to server to server connections that perform actions and process data in the background. These could be pulling data from another platform, performing actions on them (e.g. analysis, etc.) and moving the processed data into another server/platform.
Backend integrations can be either internal data or user data. Internal data is data that belongs to the internal team and user data is data that belongs to the user.
Zapier is great for moving bits of data that belong to internal team members - not for when you want to move data that belongs to your user.
User facing integrations allow a SaaS platform’s user to connect their 3rd party tools to the platform. This requires an End-User Authorization process (OAuth, API Key based) that lets the user give permission to the requesting SaaS to access data from the provider.
Pathfix is built for user-facing SaaS integrations.
The Pathfix OAuth platform handles the entire OAuth process between the 3rd party app and your SaaS, allowing you to offer native, user facing integrations to multiple providers without managing the OAuth-based authorization flows.
Pathfix Automation handles Backend integrations (server to server) for your connected users through its workflow based interface to call any providers APIS as well as handles complex data transformation needs along with webhook functionalities - all while maintaining the user's context.
Zapier is the workflow automation tool that allows individuals to connect to apps and action a flow based on a trigger. These workflows however, are only for apps that you have an account for - i.e. you log into Software A and Software B and create a workflow between the two apps. It is not built for user-facing SaaS integrations.
Here’s a quick comparison of Pathfix Vs. Zapier:
Conclusion:
If you are looking for a solution to build integrations in your SaaS platform - you need Pathfix (not Zapier).
Pathfix has been built to enable integrations in SaaS platforms. We help SaaS creators build user-facing integrations on their platform.
Start with the OAuth Platform or build out your API automation workflow with the Automation platform.
Need further clarifications? Reach out to our team.
