What happened to Relay.app?
Relay.app — the human-in-the-loop automation platform known for approval steps and AI-assisted workflows — shut down in September 2026. If you built automations on it, they’re on borrowed time: export your workflow documentation now while you still have dashboard access, because the shutdown clock doesn’t wait for your migration plan.
The good news: every major alternative is more capable than Relay.app was, and two of them are cheaper. Here’s where to go.
The alternatives at a glance
| n8n | Make | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per workflow execution | Per operation | Per task (action step) |
| Free option | Self-hosted: free, unlimited | 1,000 ops/month | 100 tasks/month |
| Entry paid | €24/mo (2,500 executions) | $9/mo (10,000 ops) | $19.99/mo annual (750 tasks) |
| Self-hosting | Yes | No | No |
| Human-in-the-loop approvals | Yes (Wait/Form nodes) | Partial (workarounds) | Partial (add-ons) |
| AI agents | Native LangChain, best in class | Included in paid plans | AI actions, less flexible |
| Learning curve | Moderate–steep | Moderate | Easiest |
Pricing verified October 2026.
If you loved Relay.app’s approval steps → n8n
Relay.app’s signature feature was human-in-the-loop: “run this, wait for my approval, then continue.” n8n replicates this natively with Wait nodes and Form nodes — a workflow can pause mid-run, ping you on Telegram or email, collect your decision, and resume. No add-ons, no workarounds.
n8n is also the strongest AI-agent platform of the three, which matters because Relay.app’s other signature was AI-assisted workflows. And if cost was a reason you picked Relay.app, self-hosted n8n is free.
Migration path: document each Relay workflow’s trigger → steps → approval points, then rebuild in n8n. The logic maps almost 1:1; budget a day per complex workflow.
If you want the easiest landing → Make
Make’s visual scenario canvas is the closest in spirit to Relay.app’s builder, and at $9/month for 10,000 operations it’s the cheapest soft landing. Approval-style flows need workarounds (webhook → wait → resume patterns), but for straightforward automations you’ll be rebuilt in hours, not days.
You can try Make free here — 1,000 operations a month, no credit card.
If your team is non-technical → Zapier
Zapier remains the fastest path from zero to automated for non-technical teams, with 8,000+ integrations. You’ll pay more at scale (per-task billing adds up), but if your Relay.app usage was light, the Professional plan at $19.99/mo annual covers it.
Migration checklist
- Export now: screenshot or document every workflow while Relay.app access lasts — triggers, steps, filters, approval points.
- Inventory integrations: list every app each workflow touches; confirm the alternative has connectors (or an API you can hit).
- Rebuild approvals first: they’re the hardest part — prototype one approval flow in your chosen platform before migrating everything.
- Run in parallel: keep Relay.app workflows live while you test replacements; cut over one workflow at a time.
- Audit credentials: rotate API keys as you move — don’t reuse Relay.app-era tokens blindly.
FAQ
Did Relay.app really shut down? Yes — Relay.app shut down in September 2026. Migrate as soon as possible.
What’s the closest free alternative to Relay.app? Self-hosted n8n: free forever, unlimited executions, native approval/wait steps. You need a small VPS ($5–7/month) and basic technical comfort.
Can I import Relay.app workflows into n8n or Make? No direct importer exists — you’ll rebuild them. The logic maps cleanly; the work is mostly re-creating steps, not re-thinking them.
Which alternative is cheapest? Self-hosted n8n (software free), then Make at $9/mo, then n8n Cloud at €24/mo, then Zapier at $19.99/mo for much lower included volume.