If you use Notion for task management and handling complex projects, you’ve probably had the chance to try out its automation features.
While they can surely make some Notion processes - such as managing databases - easier, they leave a lot to be desired, especially for more advanced users.
And that’s exactly what brought you here in the first place: you’re looking for the best Notion Automations alternative for your specific needs.
In this comprehensive article, we’ll review pricing, features, limitations, and use cases of as many as 10 Notion automation alternatives, ensuring that everyone finds their perfect match.
But first, let’s look a little deeper into why you’d want to switch from Notion Automations to another workflow automation tool.
Why Should You Explore Alternatives to Notion Automations?
There are several limitations with Notion Automations that users have listed as being the key reason for looking for viable alternatives, such as its rather basic features and limited integrations.
Let’s analyze each drawback further.
1. Limited functionality
Notion Automations has basic automation functionality based on the “if this, then that” model.
This means you can choose from a limited range of triggers and corresponding actions to create your workflows.
Notion automation lacks advanced features that would allow for:
- Creating complex branching paths that require conditional logic.
- Personalizing and customizing workflows.
- Building a wide variety of scenarios, as you’re limited to automating Notion databases alone, and there’s only so much you can do with those.
- Including actual humans in certain workflow steps, etc.
2. Lack of integrations
Notion Automations is made to automate Notion and its project databases.
As such, it doesn’t really integrate with third-party apps due to its focus on Notion and its project collaboration features.
The app doesn’t enable automating processes outside of Notion, which can be quite an issue for advanced users.
You can only set up Slack notifications that will be sent automatically to the channel you want when they’re contextually relevant to the workflow automated within Notion.
Other than that, don’t expect much from Notion Automations.
3. No AI-powered capabilities
AI has already become an integral part of many workflow automation tools.
Although Notion did include an AI assistant in its standard offering, Notion Automations was left out of the Notion AI innovation trend.
Consequently, unlike other popular platforms on our list, such as Relay.app (try AI assistance below ⤵️), Zapier, etc., Notion Automations doesn't offer AI-powered capabilities for smooth workflow automation.
10 Best Notion Automations Alternatives
Here’s our curated pick of the top 10 Notion Automations alternatives:
- Relay.app - Keep humans in the workflow automation loop
- Pipedream - A developer-oriented low-code automation platform
- Zapier - Integration-rich automation tool for business users of all types and sizes
- Power Automate - Automation solution geared at Microsoft 3665 users
- IFTTT - Simple home and business automation
- Pabbly Connect - Affordable solution for users with basic needs
- Integrately - Wide range of pre-built automations for various use cases
- Bardeen - AI-powered Chrome extension for web-based automation
- Kissflow - Enterprise-level automation for collaborative workflow management
- Activepieces - Open-source no-code automation platform for businesses
1. Relay.app
Relay.app is a modern automation solution that offers everything you’d expect from a best-in-class automation tool and options for keeping humans involved in workflows whenever needed.
Relay.app doesn’t integrate with as many apps as say, Zapier, but focused on deep and seamless integrations with the most popular ones, helping you reduce technical debt once workflows are live.
Relay.app has several unique features that make it an excellent alternative to Notion Automations for teams needing more intricate automation.
We’ll break down each in the next section. ⤵️
Feature 1: Human-in-the-Loop
As its name implies, the Human-in-the-Loop functionality allows humans to step into automated workflows without disrupting the automated flow.
This feature is super useful when you want to add a dash of human creativity, emotional intelligence, or reasoning to your workflows, as technology can never really simulate those traits.
There are 4 Human-in-the-Loop functionalities that you can insert in specific workflow steps to enrich your automations:
- Data Inputs — Get a human to manually add important information, such as meeting or interview notes, to provide more context or personalize various content, such as email templates, to add more originality.
- Tasks — Assign people actions they must complete in the real world before automation can continue. For instance, you could assign an Account Manager to create a custom client form or draft a contract.
- Decisions—This is handy when you want a human to decide which path the automation should follow, relying on their contextual awareness and experience instead of leaving the decision to Relay.app’s conditional logic.
- Approvals—Some tasks are too delicate for automation tools alone. This function allows you to assign an adequate person to look into a task to ensure everything is correct before the automation continues. You can use it to review contract drafts, check invoices, and more.
Despite providing many advanced options, the Human-in-the-Loop feature has a surprisingly easy operating model.
When you need to engage humans in the automation loop, the person you want to handle the task in question will be notified via Slack or email, and the automation will pause until the task is completed as intended.
Once it’s done, the automation will continue running its course as smoothly as ever.
Why Do You Need a Human in the Loop in the First Place?
Automating processes from top to bottom inevitably provides generic results, making each workflow similar to thousands of others.
With the Human-in-the-Loop feature, you can create unique workflows, which are crucial when dealing with real people — such as handling email outreach, responding to customer support requests or complaints, providing personalized thank you notes, etc.
Moreover, this functionality lets you ensure that a competent person controls all the most sensitive operations, giving you peace of mind that no glitches or mistakes will go undetected.
This means that Relay.app’s Human-in-the-Loop capability:
- Lets you enjoy all the benefits of automation, including increased speed, productivity, and efficiency, and
- Allows you to keep the best of human-based work, such as creativity, insight, oversight, human judgment, etc.
Check out this simple real-life example to get a clearer idea of how this feature could improve your workflows:
Feature 2: 1-Click AI Assistance
Although AI has extraordinary potential to boost all the benefits of automation, some automation tools have pretty clunky and complex AI interfaces that require certain tech proficiency.
Relay.app lets both novice and advanced users make the most of AI thanks to its built-in AI-powered capabilities, which can be used whenever contextually appropriate.
They help handle tasks faster and more smoothly, such as:
- Summarizing notes.
- Auto-generating in-context sentences and paragraphs.
- Detecting workflow errors and helping you fix them.
- And much more.
Feature 3: Collaborative Workflows
A workflow automation solution with team collaboration features is vital, as many project types and tasks require teamwork.
Relay.app provides sophisticated collaboration tools, such as options for creating dynamic role assignments.
As a result, you’ll be able to ensure that each task is delegated to the most appropriate team member based on the data pulled from the apps you’ve connected with Relay.app.
That way, you’ll enable frictionless, real-time collaboration on workflows of any complexity.
To get a better idea of how this feature works, try creating a role here ⤵️
Relay.app Integrations
Relay.app hasn’t been on the market as long as some other solutions on our list, which is why it doesn’t have as many integrations as some of the more seasoned platforms.
However, it integrates with all the most requested and popular apps, such as Slack, Jira, Airtable, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Apollo, and many more.
Most importantly, all integrations are seamlessly deployed and supported across workflows, and new apps are added on a regular basis.
Pricing
Relay.app’s free plan gives you 200 free automations, 2 seats, and access to all its features, allowing you to try out everything it can do firsthand.
If you need more users and runs, there are three paid plans to choose from:
- Starter: $9 per month (2 users included and 10k automations per month)
- Team: Starting at $59 per month (Unlimited seats, 25k automations per month)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing based on your specific needs, size, etc.
👀 Psst: Unlike other automation tools, you get unlimited automations with all of Relay.app’s plans!
As you can see, Relay.app’s pricing structure is clean and straightforward - since it’s entirely user-based - meaning you don’t have to worry about unpredictable costs after subscribing.
Just plug in your apps and run as many automations as you need without fearing you’ll break the bank—ever!
How Does Relay.app Compare to Notion Automations?
In contrast to Notion Automations, Relay.app is a comprehensive solution built to integrate and automate a wide variety of apps.
As such, it has significantly more features than Notion Automations, providing advanced automation options, such as:
- Keeping humans in the automation loop
- Sophisticated conditional logic
- Path merging
- Iterators, and much more.
Also, while Notion Automations is capable of automating only Notion, Relay.app works with hundreds of apps - Notion included. Here's an example:
Of course, since Notion Automations is native to Notion, it’s better integrated with Notion, possibly enabling smoother automation of Notion-based processes.
So, suppose you’re looking for an automation platform designed for Notion alone. In that case, Notion Automations is a better and more affordable option, given that the automation features are included in its paid plans.
On the other hand, if a more versatile and powerful automation tool fits into your vision better, then Relay.app is the ideal pick.
Pros and Cons
✅ Rich and versatile automation functionality combined with AI-powered capabilities, packed into a clutter-free, user-friendly interface.
✅ Allows for more personalization and customization of workflows.
✅ Enables effective collaboration on all kinds of workflows.
❌ Doesn’t have as many integrations as other tools on the list (although it has significantly more than Notion Automations).
❌ It doesn’t integrate as deeply with Notion as Notion Automations but still allows for seamless automation of various Notion operations.
2. Pipedream
Pipedream is one of the most popular platforms for dev teams, as it’s made to help them streamline various processes via a low-code interface.
Features
- Access to a wide range of npm and PyPI packages, which is a valuable feature for dev teams and individuals using JavaScript or Python.
- AI-powered capabilities, such as a smooth workflow builder that uses natural language processing to create workflows.
- Enables 1-click configuration of basic workflow settings, such as error handling, execution timeout limit, etc.
Pricing
Pipedream’s pricing structure is significantly different from the common pricing policies in the world of workflow automation tools, as it introduces the concept of “credits.”
Pipedream’s website states, “One credit is charged per 30 seconds of compute time with 256MB of memory, with a minimum of 1 credit per workflow execution.”
This is important because each of Pipedream’s plans includes a certain number of credits. You'll pay extra if you exceed the limits, making its costs a little unpredictable.
There are four plans to choose from:
- Basic: $45 per month
- Advanced: $149 per month
- Business: $299 per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Pros and cons
✅ Lots of customization options for dev teams and users proficient in coding.
✅ Has a vast library of workflow templates.
✅ Integrates with over 2,000 apps, including those geared toward coders and dev teams.
❌ Steep learning curve that makes it practically useless for non-technical users.
❌ Unpredictable pricing.
3. Zapier
Zapier is a pioneer of workflow automation popular for its vast integration library and user-friendly interface.
Features
- A visual drag-and-drop workflow builder providing an intuitive user experience.
- Tables and Interfaces tools for creating a comprehensive automation solution.
- Conversational AI-powered workflow builder, allowing you to create workflows by explaining your needs in plain English.
Pricing
Zapier has a free-forever plan that allows you to create only two-step workflows and includes access to a limited number of apps.
If you need more integrations, multi-step workflows, and additional features, you can choose between 3 pricing plans:
- Professional: Starting from $29.99
- Team: Starting from $103.50
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Unlike Relay.app, Zapier suffers from a fairly common pricing downside: each plan includes a limited number of tasks. Once that limit is exceeded, you’ll pay extra.
Essentially, this means that Zapier’s final price can catch you by surprise if you’re a larger-scale user.
Pros and cons
✅ Has what’s probably the most extensive library of app integrations, with over 7,000 apps.
✅ User-friendly interface.
✅ Includes a rich library of handy templates for easy automation.
❌ Can get very expensive very fast.
❌ Its integrations can vary in quality.
4. Power Automate
Power Automate is an end-to-end automation solution primarily geared toward Microsoft 365 users with certain technical expertise and dev teams looking to tap into its AI-powered capabilities.
Features
- Task and process mining that helps uncover automation opportunities and allows for creating more sophisticated workflows.
- A range of AI-powered capabilities that provide recommendations, pull insights, and help create workflows through a built-in GPT interface.
- Enables building both desktop and cloud flows.
Pricing
Power Automate has a 30-day free trial that includes advanced features, allowing you to try everything out free of charge.
After the trial period expires, you can pick one of two plans:
- Power Automate Premium at $15 per user per month
- Power Automate Process at $150 per bot per month
Power Automate Premium is a user-based plan that enables you to create cloud and attended desktop flows.
Power Automate Process, on the other hand, allows for building unattended flows with unlimited users, but it comes with a catch.
You need to have Microsoft 365 global admin or billing admin rights to use it.
That is, you need to be subscribed to Microsoft 365 (and pay the appropriate fees) to use Power Automate’s most advanced plan, which can significantly increase the costs.
Pros and cons
✅ A range of advanced features for dev teams and tech-savvy users.
✅ Analytics and reporting options to help you make data-driven decisions.
❌ Too complex for non-developers, despite having a comprehensive knowledge base.
❌ Primarily built for automating Microsoft 365 apps.
5. IFTTT
IFTTT is a no-code platform made to automate simpler home and business processes.
It is often used for automating smart home actions, social media platforms, productivity tools, etc.
Features
- Has a mobile app for both iPhone and Android for users who prefer handling automations on their phones.
- Offers lots of pre-built automation templates for various apps and operations.
- Has a lot of options for automating various social media platforms, making it a nifty option for content creators and social media marketers.
Pricing
IFTTT has a free-forever plan that provides just 2 Applets (connectors for connecting two or more apps, social media platforms, or devices).
When it comes to its paid plans, there are two to choose from:
- Pro at 2.92 per month
- Pro+ at 12.50 per month
Pros and cons
✅ Affordable.
✅ Has an intuitive, user-friendly interface.
❌ Isn’t suitable for creating more advanced automations.
6. Pabbly Connect
Pabbly Connect is one of the most popular platforms among users with a limited budget. It offers a decent range of features for its price.
Features
- Visual workflow builder with an intuitive interface.
- Allows for scheduling and delaying workflows.
- Email parser that automatically extracts data from incoming emails (e.g., subject, email body, attachments, etc.) which can be processed further.
Pricing
Pabbly Connect offers a generous free forever plan that includes 100 tasks and access to all of its app integrations.
If you need more tasks, you can opt for one of 3 pricing plans:
- Standard: $49/month (12,000 tasks)
- Pro: $99/month (24,000 tasks)
- Ultimate: Starting from $199/month, based on task execution (starts at 50,000 tasks)
Pros and cons
✅ Budget-friendly.
✅ Provides API integration, allowing users to connect with apps not included in its integration base.
❌ Clunky interface coupled with a limited knowledge base.
❌ No AI-powered capabilities.
7. Integrately
Integrately offers a vast library of pre-built automations, allowing for 1-click activation and deployment.
Features
- Includes over 20 million ready-made automations for more than 1,000 apps.
- Has AI-powered capabilities, such as an automation builder that lets you explain what you want to be automated in natural language.
Pricing
Integrately has a free plan that lets you run 100 tasks and provides access only to the most basic features.
If you need more, you can pick one of 4 paid plans:
- Starter: $29.99 per month
- Professional: $49 per month
- Growth: $124 per month
- Business: $299 per month
Pros and cons
✅ Ideal for users who need a wide range of pre-made automations.
✅ Solid knowledge base.
❌ Doesn’t offer options for creating more complex workflows and lacks customization options.
❌ The premium features are included only in the most expensive tiers.
8. Bardeen
Bardeen is a Chrome extension with AI-powered capabilities that allows easy automation of apps and websites.
In addition to automation, it offers in-built data scraping, providing users with advanced search capabilities for gathering relevant data from any web-based source.
Features
- A wide range of ready-made automation templates can be tweaked to fit your needs.
- Proactive Automation Assistant learns from the automations you most commonly use and proactively creates automations that match your work processes.
- Conversational AI-powered Magic Box lets you create automations by describing what you need in regular English.
Pricing
In addition to a free plan that provides unlimited access to Bardeen’s non-premium features (plus a 2-week access to the Professional plan to try it out), Bardeen has three pricing tiers:
- Professional: $15 per month
- Business: $20 per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for larger teams
👀 Note: These are starting prices, as each plan includes a limited number of tasks. If your automation needs exceed the limit, you’ll pay extra.
Pros and cons
✅ User-friendly interface.
✅ Built-in data scrapers.
✅ Seamless integration with Notion that allows smooth automation of various Notion processes.
❌ Lack of quality customer support.
❌ Too basic for larger-scale use.
9. Klamp
Klamp is one of the newer automation platforms in the market and has yet to establish a name for itself.
It comes with a set of features that could be appealing to beginners in the world of automation.
Features
- Has an “Integration Buddy,” a dedicated support specialist who provides real-time guidance on creating workflows.
- Offers analytics and reporting capabilities.
- Promises to add any integration within 3 days of receiving a request.
Pricing
Klamp.io has a 14-day free trial with unlimited access to all its features.
Its paid plans include:
- Rhythm: $4 per month, includes 2000 tasks and up to 10 users
- Melody: $24 per month, includes 12000 tasks and up to 30 users
- Harmony: $100 per month, includes 50000 tasks and up to 100 users
Pros and cons
✅ Easy to use.
✅ Excellent customer support.
❌ Limited number of app integrations.
10. Activepieces
Activepieces is an open-source automation platform suitable for dev-teams, SMBs and individuals needing a simple, flexible, and low-cost solution.
Features
- Allows for self-hosting.
- Has a strong community of users who regularly add new automations to its handy templates library.
- Provides versioning that allows you to restore an older flow version if you accidentally break it.
Pricing
Activepieces has a free forever plan that comes with several limitations: you can have only one user, one project, and 1000 monthly tasks.
Each additional task costs $1, and if you want to add more users, it will cost you $10 per user.
Activepieces has two paid plans:
- Enterprise: $99 per user per month, including 1000 tasks
- Embed: $1,200 per month, including 25 users and 1000 tasks
👀 Note: The Embed plan is geared toward business users running a SaaS product that want to integrate automations into their product offering.
Pros and cons
✅ Cost-efficient solution for SMBs and individuals.
✅ Intuitive visual workflow builder.
✅ Has a tight-knit community of users who frequently add new workflow templates and examples to its library.
❌ Doesn’t have that many integrations.
Create Powerful Workflow Automations with Relay.app
Finding the workflow automation tool that’s just right for you and your unique needs is not easy, but we hope this detailed review has helped guide you in the right direction.
All the platforms listed above are great alternatives to Notion Automations, but how do you decide which solution is your perfect fit?
The best approach is to try each. Create workflows, play around a bit, and see which resonates with you.
However, if you want a platform with the most comprehensive functionality and unlimited automations, look no further than Relay.app. Sign up for its free trial and start running workflows (like this one) in minutes.
