What is 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.

Strengths and tradeoffs

What this tool does well, and the limitations to keep in mind.

Pros

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

Cons

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

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