GitHub vs Make

Pick GitHub if your product is code. Every change becomes a reviewable pull request with checks that run automatically, and merging is a deliberate step. That matters even more when AI agents write part of the code. Actions handles most CI/CD needs without a second tool, and the ecosystem means integrations usually already exist. There is a free plan with private repositories, a public REST API and an official MCP server. Do not treat Issues as your whole planning tool, and expect Actions workflows to become YAML you keep maintaining. For a solo project it still gives you a trail of reviewable changes.

Pick Make if you are hitting the limits of simpler tools and want to build multi-step automations across many apps. Routers, iterators, aggregators and error handlers let one scenario branch, loop and clean up its own data. Pricing is based on credits, not seats, so you do not pay for each user. The MCP server is included on every plan, including the free one. Expect a steeper learning curve than a simple step list, and run your most complex scenario a few times on the free plan to see how many credits it uses. Start with one small scenario if your builders are not technical.