Activepieces vs Relay.app: Workflow Automation Comparison
Compare Activepieces and Relay.app side by side. Both are tools in the Workflow Automation category.
The short answer
Choose Activepieces if truly open-source with permissive MIT license allowing full commercial use and modification.
Choose Relay.app if unique Human-In-The-Loop functionality for critical approval workflows and compliance needs.
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Quick Comparison
| Category | Workflow Automation | Workflow Automation |
| Pricing | Open Source | — |
| Best For | Teams who want a free, self-hosted alternative to Zapier and Make | — |
| Website | activepieces.com | relay.app |
| Key Features |
| — |
| Use Cases |
| — |
Pros & Cons: Activepieces vs Relay.app
- +Truly open-source with permissive MIT license allowing full commercial use and modification
- +Unlimited task execution in paid plans, eliminating usage anxiety and unpredictable costs
- +Strong community contribution with 60% of integrations built by users
- +Hybrid approach supporting both no-code and code customization for technical flexibility
- +Active development and rapid feature additions backed by Y Combinator
- −Fewer integrations (500+) compared to Zapier (7,000+) or Make (3,000+)
- −Smaller community and less extensive documentation than established competitors
- −Self-hosting requires DevOps expertise and infrastructure management
- −Relatively newer platform with potential stability concerns for mission-critical workflows
- +Unique Human-In-The-Loop functionality for critical approval workflows and compliance needs
- +Generous AI credits included in all plans (GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini 1.5 Pro)
- +100% uptime record demonstrating exceptional reliability
- +Award-winning platform specifically recognized for operations and compliance teams
- +User-friendly interface balancing automation with necessary human oversight
- −Limited integrations (100+ apps) compared to larger competitors like Zapier or Make
- −Free tier is quite restrictive (200 steps) for serious usage
- −Smaller team (27 employees) may limit support and feature development speed
- −Less proven at enterprise scale compared to more established platforms
When to Choose Activepieces vs Relay.app
- Self-hosted business automation
- Internal workflow management
- Open-source alternative to Zapier
How to Choose a Workflow Automation Tool
Key criteria to evaluate when comparing Workflow Automation solutions:
About Activepieces
Activepieces is an open-source, AI-first, no-code automation platform designed to streamline workflows by connecting various applications and services without requiring programming skills. Launched as a free alternative to Zapier with source code released under the permissive MIT license, Activepieces empowers users to automate repetitive tasks through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface while maintaining the flexibility for developers to drop in JavaScript code steps, use custom npm packages, and build custom integration pieces in TypeScript. The platform currently offers over 500 native integrations covering popular business applications, productivity tools, and communication platforms, with 60% of pieces contributed by the community. Activepieces is unique in the market for offering unlimited task execution in standard paid plans, making it the only platform with truly uncapped automation. Available both as a managed cloud service and self-hosted open-source option, Activepieces provides the freedom to use, modify, and even commercialize the platform without licensing restrictions.
About Relay.app
Relay.app is an AI-powered workflow automation platform that helps teams connect their everyday tools and automate repetitive work without code, while maintaining human oversight through unique Human-In-The-Loop capabilities. Founded in 2021 by Jacob Bank and headquartered in San Francisco, Relay.app distinguishes itself in the market by allowing companies to add intermediate manual approval steps that incorporate human judgment, context, and perspective into automated workflows. The platform pauses workflow execution until designated assignees provide approval, reject, or give feedback, ensuring critical decisions remain under human control. Relay.app connects with 100+ tools including Gmail, Slack, Notion, HubSpot, Airtable, and Google Workspace to build seamless cross-platform automations. All plans include monthly free AI credits for performing AI actions with popular models like GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Google Gemini 1.5 Pro. The platform was awarded Best for Operations & Compliance Teams Award for AI Workflow Automation in Winter 2026 and maintains a 100% uptime record.
What is Workflow Automation?
Platforms for building multi-step AI-powered automations that connect apps, APIs, and agents into repeatable business workflows.
Browse all Workflow Automationtools →Frequently Asked Questions
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