Relay.app
FreemiumWorkflow automation with human-in-the-loop approvals baked into every step and AI credits included
What is Relay.app?
Relay.app is a modern workflow automation platform with one big differentiator: human-in-the-loop (HITL) approvals are a first-class primitive built into every workflow. Where Zapier and Make assume your automations should run fully autonomously, Relay assumes there are moments when a human needs to review, approve, or add context before the next step runs. You can drop approval checkpoints anywhere in a workflow — approve this email before sending, review this CRM update, confirm this invoice before payment — and Relay pauses execution until the assigned human responds. This makes Relay uniquely good for finance, HR, legal, and sales workflows where full automation isn't safe or compliant. Beyond HITL, Relay is a fully featured modern automation tool with triggers, a visual builder, hundreds of app integrations, and bundled AI credits for GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Gemini 1.5 Pro. The pricing is refreshingly transparent: Free tier includes 250 runs per month, Pro is $29/month for 1,000 runs, Team is $69/month, and Business is $138/month. All plans include HITL features at no extra cost — this is not an upsell. Teams needing more AI horsepower can buy AI credit bundles ranging from 5,000 credits/month for $11 up to 200,000 credits/month for $450. Compared to Zapier or Lindy, Relay is the default pick for any workflow that needs a human checkpoint before committing an action.
⚡ Quick Verdict
Finance, HR, legal, and sales teams needing approval checkpoints before automated actions
Teams that want 100% hands-off autonomous workflows
Free (250 runs) · Pro $29/mo · Team $69/mo · Business $138/mo
Yes — 250 runs/month, includes HITL features
Human-in-the-loop approvals as a core primitive, not an afterthought
Smaller integration library than Zapier; run limits can be tight for busy teams
Bottom line: Relay.app scores 4.3/5 — The best pick for any workflow where a human needs to approve an action before it executes. Pro ($29/mo) is the right tier for most teams.
Pricing
Free: 250 runs/month, unlimited workflows, unlimited HITL approval steps, basic AI credits, community support.
Pro — $29/month (or $19/month billed annually): 1,000 runs/month, advanced triggers, team sharing, priority support, more AI credits.
Team — $69/month: Higher run limits, collaboration features, role management, audit logs.
Business — $138/month: Even higher run limits, advanced governance, SSO, dedicated support.
AI credit bundles: 5,000 credits/month for $11 (annual) up to 200,000 credits/month for $450. Credits power GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini 1.5 Pro steps. All plans include some free AI credits each month.
Key Features
- Human-in-the-loop approval steps — pause workflows for human review
- Visual drag-and-drop workflow builder with branching and loops
- Bundled AI steps powered by GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini 1.5 Pro
- Hundreds of app integrations including Google Workspace, Slack, HubSpot, Airtable
- Trigger workflows from webhooks, schedules, forms, and app events
- Mobile app for approving steps from your phone
- Slack approvals — approve or reject workflow steps directly from Slack
- Credit bundles for teams needing more AI horsepower
Pros & Cons
Pros
- HITL approvals baked into every plan — no upsell, no workarounds
- Mobile and Slack approvals make human review painless
- Generous free tier with full HITL features included
- Transparent, simple pricing without hidden task-vs-run confusion
Cons
- Smaller integration library than Zapier or Make
- Run limits can feel tight once workflows are humming
- Not the right choice for fully autonomous agents
FAQ
What is human-in-the-loop automation and why does it matter?
Human-in-the-loop (HITL) automation pauses a workflow at designated checkpoints so a human can review, approve, or provide context before the next step runs. This matters because many real business processes involve judgment calls that AI shouldn't make alone — sending a large invoice, approving an expense, publishing a press release, deleting customer data. Relay.app bakes HITL into the workflow engine so adding an approval step is as easy as dragging a 'wait for human' block into your workflow.
How much does Relay.app cost?
Relay's Free tier includes 250 runs per month with full HITL features. Pro is $29/month (or $19/month on annual billing) for 1,000 runs. Team is $69/month with higher limits and collaboration. Business is $138/month with enterprise features like SSO and audit logs. AI credit bundles are separate and start at $11/month for 5,000 credits. Unlike Zapier or Lindy, HITL is not an upsell — it's included on every tier.
How does Relay.app compare to Zapier?
Zapier assumes you want fully autonomous workflows — faster, cheaper per run, more integrations (7,000+ vs hundreds). Relay assumes you want optional human checkpoints, better AI integration, and simpler pricing. For finance, HR, legal, and sales workflows that require approvals before action, Relay is the obvious pick. For pure data-moving automation without human judgment, Zapier is usually cheaper and has more integrations.
Does Relay.app support AI and LLMs?
Yes. Every plan includes bundled AI credits for GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Gemini 1.5 Pro steps. You can add AI reasoning at any point in a workflow — summarize, classify, draft, extract — and feed the result into downstream steps including HITL approvals. Teams needing more AI horsepower buy credit bundles starting at 5,000 credits for $11/month up to 200,000 credits for $450/month.
Can I approve Relay workflows from Slack or mobile?
Yes. Relay offers native Slack approval messages (approve/reject buttons directly in a Slack DM or channel), email-based approvals, and a mobile app for iOS and Android. This makes HITL workflows practical for real teams — nobody wants to log into a web dashboard every time a workflow needs sign-off. Mobile and Slack approvals are included on all plans including Free.
Is Relay.app good for fully autonomous agents?
Not really — that's not its focus. Relay is deliberately positioned for workflows where human judgment is part of the process. If you want fully autonomous AI agents that reason, decide, and act without human input, platforms like Lindy, Zapier Central, or Gumloop are better fits. Relay shines when you want AI to draft but humans to approve.
📋 Good to know
Sign up at relay.app (no credit card for free tier), pick a template or start blank, and drop an approval block anywhere in your workflow.
SOC 2 Type II compliant, GDPR, data encrypted at rest and in transit. Business plan adds SSO and audit logs.
Pro ($29/mo, or $19/mo annual) the moment you exceed 250 free runs. Team ($69/mo) when you need shared workspaces.
Low. The visual builder is intuitive and HITL is as easy as dragging a block. Most users ship their first workflow in under an hour.