It's no secret that I like the Power Platform a lot, especially Power Automate. Over the years, Power Automate grew to become a must-have in everyone's "tool belt," but IFTTT was one of the original tools in automation and connecting services. I'm not going to compare both because it's an unfair comparison since both serve different purposes, but I want to highlight IFTTT, a tool that has saved me a lot of time over the years (and still does).
I wrote this a while ago, and a lot has changed. I created a new section to start exploring IFTTT again. I stopped using it for a while, but I'm now looking at it again to understand how it evolved over the years. I have an article explaining its evolution and what happened in case you're interested.
Idea
In case you don't know, IFTTT stands for "If This Then That," meaning that an "Applet" (the name given to each automation) runs when something happens. It's quite simple but mighty when it comes to having many services connected when you need something to happen automatically.
The App
The App is both on mobile and web, and that's one of its strong suits. The mobile app enables you to have automation that interacts with your calendar, reminders, and more, enabling you to have automations "on device" that trigger actions in the cloud. With the iOS and Android apps, IFTTT can provide direct integrations with things that aren't possible online, like iOS reminders, making them a good choice if you need automations that you can't get, even with Power Automate or iOS Shortcuts. There's a lot to explore, so I recommend creating an account and exploring it.
It's worth mentioning that in 2020, IFTTT went through a restructuring of its service and started charging for it. Companies need to make money, and this was more or less expected, but the rollout upset a lot of long-time users. You can find the full story in What is IFTTT and how it evolved over time?.
The problem it solves
Power Automate has its roots deep in Microsoft territory and other "professional" apps. Also, it allows complex Flows of data with conditions, parsing of data, etc. IFTTT is not like that, and that's not a bad thing. IFTTT has a much more straightforward UI that connects all kinds of services.
It connects to hundreds of services, some of them quite niche, such as government organizations (like the CDC or the Chicago Transit Authority), smart devices, businesses (like Domino's), charities (RedCloud), and more. The list goes on and on, but it proves my point. Both are focused on different parts of the market, and that's an amazing thing.
Why I use it?
I used IFTTT all the time to do things that I couldn't do in Power Automate, or that would take some time there, while in IFTTT, it was a bunch of clicks, and it was done. IFTTT and Power Automate complement each other, and by using both, you're sure that you'll get most of your automation needs covered.
I will update this section over time, since my usage has changed now that the free plan is limited to 2 "Applets".
To oversimplify, here's my rule. Power Automate is for stuff related to my business and job. IFTTT is for stuff related to my life. Again, oversimplification, but I hope this gives you an idea of how the two complement each other.
Where you can find it
Want more? Check my other tool suggestions.
I have no affiliation with this brand or person (people), and the views here are my own. I didn't have any bad experiences, but if you do, please know that this is a recommendation, and you're always free to make decisions by yourself before buying something.
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