Compare/Head to head

Town vs Zapier

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

Town

$15/mo Free tier 7 day free trial

Personal AI assistant that learns your clients, deadlines and writing style from your email, then drafts replies, books meetings and runs routines. Free plan; Starter $15/mo, Pro $49/user/mo billed annually.

Where Town fits

  • Recruiters and talent leads buried in email and scheduling
  • Ashby users who want an assistant that can read pipeline data
  • Busy individuals who want daily briefings and inbox triage done for them
  • Small teams that want shared routines and pooled credits

Zapier

$19.99/mo Free tier 14 day free trial

Task-based automation across 9,000 apps, with an MCP server on every account. Free plan available; Professional starts at $19.99/mo billed monthly.

Where Zapier fits

  • Ops teams connecting SaaS apps without code
  • People who want Claude or ChatGPT to act in Gmail and Slack
  • Solo users who fit on one Professional seat
  • Orgs that may grow into Team or Enterprise

At a glance

DetailTownZapier
Starting price$15/mo$19.99/mo
Free tier✓Yes✓Yes
Free trial7 day free trial14 day free trial
MCP server–No✓Yes
Public API–No✓Yes
Listed underWorkflow automationWorkflow automation

Where they pull apart

Town

Stands out: Town learns from the work you have already done in Gmail, so it drafts in your voice with no prompt writing. Each person gets their own Townie, and assistants can coordinate with each other, for example to reschedule a meeting.

Watch out: Town is a general work assistant, not a recruiting system: Ashby is the only ATS among its listed integrations. Everything runs on credits, the Free plan stops at 30 chats a month, and the vendor offers no refunds.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams looking for an ATS, sourcing database or outreach sequencer
  • Buyers who want flat pricing with no usage credits

Zapier

Stands out: Zapier MCP is on every plan, including Free, and connects AI assistants to the same 9,000-app catalog.

Watch out: Each MCP tool call uses two tasks. Free Zaps are limited to two steps, and Professional is a single-user plan.

Not the right fit for

  • Builders who need self-hosting and per-execution billing
  • Heavy AI use where every MCP call costs two tasks

Pros and cons

Town

  • Free plan plus a 7-day Pro trial, no card needed
  • Drafts in your own voice by learning from past email
  • Never sends email or invites without your approval
  • Ashby is the only ATS integration listed
  • Credit-based usage makes monthly cost vary
  • No refunds on cancelled plans

Zapier

  • Free plan with 100 tasks a month
  • 14-day Professional trial, no card
  • MCP on every plan, including Free
  • Free Zaps stop at two steps
  • Professional is a single-user plan
  • Each MCP call uses two tasks

What each one costs

Town

$15/mo

The Free plan costs nothing, needs no card and includes 30 chat messages a month, a weekly briefing and every integration; new signups get a 7-day Pro trial first. Starter is $15/mo billed monthly, and Pro ($49/user/mo), Power ($99/user/mo) and Power Plus ($199/user/mo) are quoted billed annually. Paid plans run on monthly credits, Pro and above can buy overage at a flat per-credit rate, and Team plans add pooled credits per seat. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 6 Oct 2026

Zapier

$19.99/mo

Free covers 100 tasks a month. Professional starts at $19.99/mo and Team at $69/mo on monthly billing, with about 33% off when paid yearly; Enterprise is quoted. Agents and Chatbots are priced separately. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Is Town cheaper than Zapier?
Town starts lower, at $15/mo against $19.99/mo for Zapier. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try Town or Zapier for free?
Town and Zapier carry a free tier on our listing. Town offers a 7 day free trial. Zapier offers a 14 day free trial.
Does Town or Zapier have an MCP server?
Zapier ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 6 Oct 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?