MCP vs Zapier in 2026 — why I switched

Been using Zapier for 3 years. Switched to MCP-based orchestration last month. The difference: - Zapier: $49/mo for 2,000 tasks. Each integration is a separate zap - 0nMCP: Free. 819 tools. One npm install. Self-hosted. The real win is not just cost. It is that every AI model I use (Claude, GPT, Gemini) can now access ALL my tools through one protocol. I describe what I want in natural language, and MCP figures out which APIs to call. Anyone else made this switch? What was your experience?