Relay.app Review (2026): Pricing, Features & Honest Verdict
TLDR
Relay.app is an AI workflow automation platform that connects 200+ apps and adds something rivals lack: native human-in-the-loop steps for approvals and reviews. Best for: small teams automating AI workflows that need a human checkpoint. Price: From $19/mo, free plan yes. Rating: 7.6/10.
What is Relay.app?
Relay.app is a workflow automation tool that lets you describe what you want to automate in plain English and builds it as an editable visual workflow across 200+ integrated apps like Slack, Gmail, HubSpot, and Salesforce. Where it stands apart is the human-in-the-loop step: at any point you can pause a workflow to require a teammate’s approval, a decision between branches, or manual data entry before it continues.
The company, Relay.app Inc., was founded by Jacob Bank, who previously ran product for Gmail and Google Calendar at Google. That pedigree shows in the product’s focus on practical, collaborative automation rather than chasing the biggest integration count. It supports multiple AI models (GPT, Claude, Gemini) and custom MCP servers, positioning itself as an AI-native Zapier alternative built for teams that do not want to fully remove humans from the loop.
What Are Relay.app’s Key Features?
Human-in-the-loop steps
This is the headline feature. You can drop an approval, decision, or task step anywhere in a workflow, and the automation waits until a real person responds. It is the cleanest implementation of this pattern in the automation space and makes Relay.app viable for sensitive processes like outbound messaging or financial approvals.
Chat-first AI workflow builder
Instead of dragging nodes from scratch, you describe the automation you want and Relay.app generates a visual workflow you can then edit. It lowers the barrier for non-technical users while still giving builders full control over logic, filters, and branching.
200+ app integrations with multi-model AI
Relay.app connects to over 200 popular apps and lets you call multiple AI models within a single workflow. You can mix GPT, Claude, and Gemini steps, and even enable human review on any AI output before it is used downstream.
Tables and custom code
Built-in Tables give workflows structured data they can read and update over time, and a JavaScript sandbox handles complex transformations. Together they let Relay.app handle stateful, multi-step processes that simpler tools struggle with.
How Much Does Relay.app Cost?
Relay.app starts with a genuinely usable free plan (200 steps and 500 AI credits per month), then jumps to $19/mo for the Professional plan when billed annually, which unlocks unlimited workflows, 750 steps, and 2,000 AI credits. The Team plan is $59/mo billed annually and includes 10 users with shared workflows and connections, while Enterprise is custom-priced. Compared to Zapier (from $19.99/mo) and Make (from $9/mo), Relay.app’s per-seat value on the Team plan is excellent, since 10 users for $59/mo undercuts most competitors that charge per user.
| Plan | Price | Plan Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 user, 200 steps/mo, 500 AI credits/mo, 200+ connectors | Trying it out and light personal automations |
| Professional | $19/mo billed annually | 1 user, 750 steps/mo, 2,000 AI credits/mo, unlimited workflows, custom MCP servers | Solo builders and power users |
| Team | $59/mo billed annually | 10 users, 1,500 steps/mo, 2,000 AI credits/mo, shared workflows and connections | Small teams collaborating on automations |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom usage limits, custom integrations, priority support, SOC2 and GDPR | Larger orgs with compliance and scale needs |
Who Is Relay.app Best For?
Use Relay.app if your automations mix AI with human judgment: content that needs approval before publishing, outreach that needs a sign-off, or AI outputs you want reviewed before they trigger an action. Small teams that want shared automations without paying steep per-seat fees will get strong value from the Team plan.
Skip Relay.app if you need a long tail of niche integrations: with 200+ apps it covers the popular tools but cannot match Zapier’s 7,000+ or Make’s 2,000+. Heavy-volume users should also watch the step and AI-credit limits, which can push you toward add-ons.
What Are the Best Relay.app Alternatives?
Zapier
The market leader with 7,000+ integrations and pricing from $19.99/mo. Choose Zapier if integration breadth matters most; choose Relay.app if you need AI-native workflows and proper human approval steps.
Make
A powerful visual automation builder starting at $9/mo with 2,000+ apps. Make is cheaper at entry and more flexible visually, but its human-in-the-loop and AI capabilities are less polished than Relay.app’s.
n8n
An open-source, self-hostable automation platform that is free to run yourself or starts around $20/mo cloud. Best for technical teams who want full control and data ownership, where Relay.app trades that for a far easier AI-first experience.
Final Verdict: Is Relay.app Worth It?
Relay.app is one of the few automation tools that treats humans as a first-class part of the workflow rather than an afterthought, and its chat-first AI builder makes complex automations approachable. The free plan is real, the Team plan is a bargain for 10 users, and the multi-model AI support keeps it current.
The catch is integration count: if your stack relies on obscure apps, Relay.app may not connect to all of them, and power users will bump into step and credit limits. But for small teams automating AI workflows that need a human checkpoint, it is one of the smartest choices available right now and well worth the $19/mo entry price.
Relay.app Pros & Cons
What We Like
- Native human-in-the-loop steps (approval, decision, data entry) that no other automation tool does this cleanly
- Chat-first AI workflow builder turns plain English into editable visual workflows
- Generous free plan with 200 steps and 500 AI credits per month
- Multi-model AI support (GPT, Claude, Gemini) plus custom MCP servers
- Team plan includes 10 users for $59/mo, far cheaper per-seat than most competitors
What Could Be Better
- 200+ integrations is solid but well behind Zapier (7,000+) and Make (2,000+)
- Step and AI-credit limits can get consumed quickly on heavier workflows, pushing you to add-ons
Relay.app FAQ
What is Relay.app?
Relay.app is an AI-powered workflow automation platform that connects 200+ apps and lets you describe automations in plain English. Its standout feature is native human-in-the-loop steps, so a person can approve, decide, or enter data before a workflow continues. It was founded by Jacob Bank, a former Google Gmail and Calendar product lead.
How much does Relay.app cost?
Relay.app has a free plan with 200 steps and 500 AI credits per month. Paid plans start at $19/mo for Professional (billed annually) with 750 steps and 2,000 AI credits, and $59/mo for Team (billed annually) with 10 users. Enterprise pricing is custom.
Is Relay.app worth it?
Yes, if your automations need a human checkpoint. Relay.app handles approvals and review steps more elegantly than Zapier or Make, and the Team plan is great value at $59/mo for 10 users. If you only need pure app-to-app automation, a platform with more integrations may serve you better.
What are the best Relay.app alternatives?
The main alternatives are Zapier (7,000+ integrations, from $19.99/mo), Make (visual builder, from $9/mo), and n8n (open-source, self-hostable, free or from $20/mo). Relay.app differentiates on AI and human-in-the-loop steps rather than integration count.
Does Relay.app offer a free plan?
Yes. The free plan includes 1 user, 200 steps per month, 500 AI credits per month, and access to all 200+ connectors and core features, making it genuinely usable for light automations.
Who is Relay.app best for?
Relay.app is best for small teams and solo builders automating AI-driven workflows that require human judgment, such as approvals, content review, or data entry, before an action runs.
