Relay.app
by Relay
Shutting down: service ends 14 September 2026 (free tier ends 15 August). Was a workflow automation platform with human-in-the-loop approvals. This workflow automation service announced its shutdown in July 2026 and closes permanently on 14 September 2026. Free-tier access ends 15 August 2026, and paid subscriptions were already cancelled on 16 July 2026, with workspace data deleted after each deadline.
Performance Scores
3 rankings evaluated
Score range: 7.0 – 8.0
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#3Best AI Agent Builders for Non-Developers in 2026
Score: 8.0 · Best for: Teams that need approval-gated AI workflows for outbound communication and content drafts
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#6Best Workflow Automation Tools 2026
Score: 7.0 · Best for: Teams wanting AI-native flows with human approval steps
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#6Best Automation Tools for Startups in 2026
Score: 7.2 · Best for: Startups needing approval workflows and team collaboration in automation
Key Facts
General
| Attribute | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Shutting down: paid subscriptions were cancelled 16 July 2026, free-tier access ends 15 August 2026, and the service ends 14 September 2026, with workspace data deleted after each deadline. Kept as a historical record; see the shutdown guide for export steps. | Jul 2026 | Relay.app shutdown notice |
| Native Integrations | 80+* | Jul 2026 | Stork.AI |
| Team Plan Price | Discontinued — subscriptions cancelled July 2026; service ends September 14, 2026 | Jul 2026 | Relay.app shutdown notice |
| Free Tier | Discontinued — Relay.app is shutting down; free-tier access ends August 15, 2026 | Jul 2026 | Relay.app shutdown notice |
| Human-in-the-Loop | Native approval steps (service shutting down September 14, 2026) | Jul 2026 | Relay.app shutdown notice |
| Multiplayer Editing | Yes (service shutting down September 14, 2026) | Jul 2026 | Relay.app shutdown notice |
| Founded | 2021 | Apr 2026 | Relay |
| Human-in-the-Loop | Human-in-the-loop steps paused workflows for manual review, approval, or data input; as of July 2026 Relay.app announced shutdown (service ends September 14, 2026) | Jul 2026 | Relay.app shutdown notice |
| Founding Year | Founded in 2021; the platform launched publicly in 2022 with a focus on collaborative team automation* | Jul 2026 | PitchBook |
| Team Collaboration | Team features included shared workflow ownership, collaborative editing, and activity logs; as of July 2026 Relay.app announced shutdown (service ends September 14, 2026) | Jul 2026 | Relay.app shutdown notice |
| Slack Integration | Slack integration supported approval requests, form responses, and workflow triggers from Slack; as of July 2026 Relay.app announced shutdown (service ends September 14, 2026) | Jul 2026 | Relay.app shutdown notice |
pricing
| Attribute | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro Plan | Discontinued as of July 2026 (subscriptions cancelled effective July 16, 2026); Relay.app shuts down September 14, 2026 for paying customers. Last first-party Professional price was $19/month billed annually (annual billing saved 50%; the monthly-billed rate was higher). | Jul 2026 | Relay.app pricing page (Wayback snapshot, May 27, 2026) + Relay.app shutdown notice |
| Free Tier | Free tier discontinued; as of July 2026 Relay.app announced shutdown, with free-user access ending August 15, 2026 | Jul 2026 | Relay.app shutdown notice |
capability
| Attribute | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform Type | AI-native workflow automation with human-in-the-loop steps; shutting down September 14, 2026 | Jul 2026 | Relay.app shutdown notice |
Integrations
| Attribute | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrations | Native integrations with Slack, Notion, Google Workspace, and HTTP webhooks; service shutting down September 14, 2026 | Jul 2026 | Relay.app shutdown notice |
* Estimated values are based on publicly available information and may not be exact.
Strengths
- ●Human-in-the-loop approval steps built into the canvas as a first-class primitive
- ●AI steps for draft, classify, summarise are usable without prompt-engineering background
- ●Predictable per-task pricing that resembles classic iPaaS more than credit-based agent tools
- ●Familiar Zapier-like layout reduces learning curve for teams already on iPaaS
- ●Human-in-the-loop approval steps built into workflows
- ●Clean visual interface with clear execution status
- ●Growing integration library (100+ apps)
- ●250 free runs/month
- ●Human-in-the-loop approvals
- ●Team collaboration built-in
- ●Clean modern interface
Limitations
- ●Shutting down: service ends 14 September 2026 (announced 16 July 2026)
- ●Less suited to fully autonomous always-on agents than Lindy
- ●Smaller integration catalogue than Zapier or Make on long-tail SaaS apps
- ●Observability of LLM token usage is less detailed than Gumloop or Relevance AI
- ●Smaller integration library than Zapier or Make
- ●Younger platform with less community support
- ●Limited advanced features compared to mature platforms
- ●Smaller integration library
- ●Newer platform with less documentation
- ●Limited advanced features
Based on evaluations in 3 rankings: Best AI Agent Builders for Non-Developers in 2026, Best Workflow Automation Tools 2026, Best Automation Tools for Startups in 2026
About Relay.app
This workflow automation service announced its shutdown in July 2026 and closes permanently on 14 September 2026. Free-tier access ends 15 August 2026, and paid subscriptions were already cancelled on 16 July 2026, with workspace data deleted after each deadline. This entry is retained as a historical record; see the shutdown guide for export steps and migration options.
Relay.app was a workflow automation platform that combined automated steps with human-in-the-loop approval gates and team collaboration features. Unlike traditional automation tools where workflows ran entirely unattended, Relay.app let teams insert manual decision points, approval steps, and collaborative review stages into otherwise automated workflows. As of March 2026 it offered over 80 native integrations (Slack, Google Workspace, HubSpot, Salesforce, Notion, Linear), multiplayer workflow editing, and an AI assist feature for configuring steps from natural-language descriptions.
The company was founded in 2021 and was at the seed funding stage when the shutdown was announced. For the approval-gated workflows Relay.app was typically bought for, Zapier and n8n both support reviewer-gated steps without custom development.
Integrations (6)
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Best No-Code Automation Platforms in 2026
A ranked list of no-code automation platforms in 2026. The ranking covers visual workflow builders that allow non-engineering teams to connect SaaS apps, route data, and add conditional logic without writing code. Entries cover proprietary cloud platforms (Zapier, Make, Pipedream, IFTTT) and open-source visual builders (n8n, Activepieces). Scoring reflects integration breadth, pricing accessibility, visual editor ease, reliability and error handling, and self-hosting availability.
Questions About Relay.app
What should teams do now that Relay.app is shutting down?
Relay.app announced on 16 July 2026 that it is shutting down. Free accounts and all their data are permanently deleted after 15 August 2026 at 23:59 PT, and paid accounts after 14 September 2026 at 23:59 PT, with paying customers keeping full access at no charge until that date. Export the workspace archive well before the deadline, because generation can take up to 24 hours and the emailed download link expires after 48; for the human-in-the-loop workflows Relay.app was usually bought for, Zapier and n8n are the only platforms evaluated here where a reviewer can edit an AI draft mid-run without custom development.
What are the best automation tools for solo founders in 2026?
Solo founders in 2026 get the most value from Zapier or Make (broad SaaS glue), n8n self-hosted (free, unlimited runs), Pipedream (generous free tier with code steps), Notion automations, and Lindy (AI agents for inbox and meetings; the alternative Relay.app shuts down September 2026). Free tiers cover most pre-revenue workflows.
What are the best AI-native automation tools in 2026?
The leading AI-native automation tools in 2026 are Lindy and Relevance AI (agent builders), Gumloop (visual agent workflows), Relay.app (human-in-the-loop AI workflows; shutting down September 2026), Bardeen (browser AI agents), and CrewAI (multi-agent code framework). "AI-native" here means the LLM is the orchestrator, not a step inside a traditional workflow.
What is the best AI agent platform in 2026?
As of April 2026, the leading AI agent platforms are Relevance AI (low-code AI workforce), Lindy (personal AI assistants), Dust (workspace-grade assistants), Gumloop (visual AI workflows), and Relay.app (human-in-the-loop automations; shutting down September 2026). Choice depends on whether teams want autonomous agents, personal assistants, or audit-trail workflows.