Relay
Human-in-the-loop automation with AI steps.
why this verdict
Keep paying — Anthropic has not replaced it
Anthropic's version overlaps, but does not finish the automation job, so this one still earns its $9/mo.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- Agentic tool use. Anthropic, November 25, 2024 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers not the job editorial call
- Parts of it. The job still needs the tool to get finished.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 3 of 3 listed replacements have a usable free tier: Zapier, Make and n8n.
- What the call is worth $108/yr
- $9/mo at the entry paid tier — $108 a year per seat.
- Threatened by
- Anthropic
- Since
- November 25, 2024
- List price
- $9/mo
- Per year
- $108
The backstory
Relay.app is a workflow automation tool that puts humans in the loop, adding AI steps and approval checkpoints inside automated processes. As agentic tool use pushes toward full autonomy, Relay staked out the opposite ground: AI as a reviewed step in workflows people still oversee. That human-in-the-loop framing sidesteps the fully-autonomous-agent race and appeals to teams who want automation with control, which is why it survived rather than being flattened.
Escape hatches
Market-leading automation with AI steps
zapier.com open_in_newVisual automation builder, free to start
make.com open_in_newOpen-source, self-hostable workflow automation
n8n.io open_in_new3 of 3 replacements have a usable free tier.