Arc0 vs Zapier MCP.
Considering Arc0 as a Zapier MCP alternative? A like-for-like read on pricing, catalog size, branding and token control, including where Zapier's decade of integrations and existing SSO and SCIM still make it the better choice.
Arc0 and Zapier MCP, line by line.
| Item | ARC0 | ZAPIER MCP |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing unit | Per active connected end user, plus a pooled monthly call allowance | Per task: each successful MCP tool call spends two tasks from your Zapier plan's shared task pool |
| Entry pricing | Free for up to 100 active users in production (Build plan) | Free plan is $0/mo with 100 tasks (about 50 MCP calls); paid plans start at $19.99/mo billed annually for 750 tasks |
| Failed and test calls | Free, and development mode is unlimited | Free: failed tool calls consume no tasks |
| Your users' consent screen | Carries the customer's logo on every plan; on paid plans it can run on the customer's own domain | Shows Zapier's own brand; Zapier's blog states this branding cannot be hidden from the auth experience |
| Catalog | 1,500+ apps; vendors' official MCP servers can sit behind Arc0 auth | 9,000+ connected apps |
| Token export | Tokens can be exported at any time, by API | No export path is documented; Zapier holds the app credentials and the MCP client never sees the third-party API key |
| Deployment / self-host | Scale plan offers EU-hosted and dedicated hosting | Hosted on AWS in the United States only; no EU hosting option is documented |
| Focus / ownership | Independent, focused only on agent connectivity | Automation platform where MCP shares one task pool with Zaps, AI steps, Code by Zapier and the Zapier SDK |
Where Zapier MCP is the better choice.
9,000+ pre-built app integrations built up over more than ten years, well past Arc0's 1,500+.
Zapier already offers SSO, SCIM and domain capture for centralized access management; these are still roadmap items for Arc0.
A team already paying for Zapier gets MCP tool calls inside its existing task allowance, with no separate per-user or per-call charge to set up.
What Arc0 does differently.
Zapier meters MCP by task, two per successful call, shared with every other Zapier product on the account. Arc0 meters by active connected end user, with a pooled call allowance on top.
Zapier's own blog says its branding cannot be hidden from the auth experience. Arc0 Connect carries the customer's logo on every plan, and on paid plans can run on the customer's own domain.
Zapier MCP is designed around a user connecting their own Zapier account. Embedding Zapier for a partner's own end users requires a separate Partner API and a limited-access white-label program, and even then the experience stays Zapier-branded.
Zapier documents no way to export the underlying third-party app credentials it holds. Arc0 exposes vault tokens for export by API at any time.
Zapier runs on AWS in the United States with no documented EU hosting option. Arc0's Scale plan offers EU-hosted and dedicated hosting.
Free migration from Zapier MCP.
An engineer moves you over at no charge, on any plan. You keep shipping while we do the work, and nothing changes for your users until you say so.
- 01We map itEvery app, action and auth config your agent uses in Zapier MCP, matched to Arc0.
- 02We set it upYour OAuth apps registered, Arc0 Connect in your brand, and your first policies written with you.
- 03We move your usersTokens imported wherever Zapier MCP lets you export them, and reconnects staged in-product where it doesn’t.
What moving from Zapier MCP looks like.
Most teams evaluating this move are already running agents against Zapier's hosted MCP server and want to know what changes if end users, tokens and branding move to Arc0.
Connections
Zapier does not document a way to export the app tokens it holds on a user's behalf, so there is no bulk migration path. Users would reconnect once, through your own Arc0 Connect flow, under your brand.
Your agent
An agent already calling Zapier's MCP endpoint can be pointed at Arc0's MCP endpoint, SDK or REST proxy instead; each end user grants only the access you allow, and every call is logged from the first one.
Questions, answered.
Is Arc0 a good Zapier MCP alternative?
Yes if you are building an agent product other people log into and you need per-user pricing, an export path for tokens, and your own brand on the consent screen. Zapier remains the better choice if your team already runs no-code Zaps and wants AI actions layered onto app connections you manage in Zapier, or if you need Zapier's much larger app catalog.
Does Zapier MCP cost extra on top of a Zapier plan?
No. Each successful MCP tool call spends two tasks from the same pool used by Zaps, AI steps and Code by Zapier; there is no separate MCP price, though a heavy agent can burn through your task allowance faster than a human running Zaps.
Can I put my own brand on Zapier's connection screen for my end users?
Partially. Zapier's Connect UI can be restyled to match your design system, but the underlying third-party OAuth consent screens still name Zapier, and Zapier's own blog says its branding cannot be hidden from the auth experience. Full custom-branded embedding is a limited-access program you have to apply for.
Which has the bigger app catalog?
Zapier, by a wide margin: 9,000+ connected apps versus Arc0's 1,500+. If your agent needs a long-tail app that only Zapier has built, that is a real reason to stay on Zapier.
Moving from Zapier MCP? We’ll move you.
Tell us where your connections live today and what your agent does. An engineer plans and runs the move with you, free, including how to keep reconnects to a minimum.