# 7 Best Open Source Alternatives for Relay.app

Canonical: https://caniforkit.com/relay-app
Last updated: 2026-11-07

Looking for the best open source alternative for Relay.app? Compare 7 verified free and open source alternatives to Relay.app (n8n, Flowise AI, Kestra) with license details, self-hosting requirements, and practical trade-offs.

## Relay.app Overview & Subscription Cost
- **Product**: Relay.app
- **Category**: [automation](https://caniforkit.com/category/automation)
- **Paid Subscription Price**: $15/month per seat
- **1-Seat Annualized Cost**: $180/year
- **5-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $900/year
- **10-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $1,800/year
- **Can I Vibe-Code / Rebuild It Myself?**: NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens)
- **Rebuild Verdict**: Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for Relay.app or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 7 battle-tested open-source alternatives like n8n.

## Verified Free & Open Source Alternatives

| Alternative | Type | License | Runs On | GitHub Stars | Head-to-Head |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [n8n](https://caniforkit.com/fork/n8n) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 209.7k | [Compare vs Relay.app](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-n8n) |
| [Flowise AI](https://caniforkit.com/fork/flowise-ai) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 55.6k | [Compare vs Relay.app](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-flowise-ai) |
| [Kestra](https://caniforkit.com/fork/kestra) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 30.2k | [Compare vs Relay.app](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-kestra) |
| [ActivePieces](https://caniforkit.com/fork/activepieces) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 25.4k | [Compare vs Relay.app](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-activepieces) |
| [Automa](https://caniforkit.com/fork/automa) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 21.7k | [Compare vs Relay.app](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-automa) |
| [Automatisch](https://caniforkit.com/fork/automatisch) | Open Source | AGPL-3.0 | Self-host | ★ 14k | [Compare vs Relay.app](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-automatisch) |
| [ByteChef](https://caniforkit.com/fork/bytechef) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 1.1k | [Compare vs Relay.app](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-bytechef) |

## In-Depth Alternative Profiles

### n8n
- **Fork Page**: [n8n Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/n8n)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Relay.app vs n8n](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-n8n)
- **Official Website**: https://n8n.io/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 209.7k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Visual workflow automation platform for building AI agents and business processes, with 500+ integrations, human approval steps, code when needed, and self-hosting.
- **The Catch vs Relay.app**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Relay.app.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

### Flowise AI
- **Fork Page**: [Flowise AI Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/flowise-ai)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Relay.app vs Flowise AI](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-flowise-ai)
- **Official Website**: https://flowiseai.com/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/flowiseai/flowise
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 55.6k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Open source platform for building AI agents, chatbots, and multi-agent systems using a drag-and-drop interface, with support for 100+ LLMs and RAG.
- **The Catch vs Relay.app**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Relay.app.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/flowiseai/flowise or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

### Kestra
- **Fork Page**: [Kestra Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/kestra)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Relay.app vs Kestra](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-kestra)
- **Official Website**: https://kestra.io/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/kestra-io/kestra
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 30.2k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: YAML-based orchestration platform with 1400+ plugins for running data pipelines, AI workflows, and infrastructure automation across teams at scale.
- **The Catch vs Relay.app**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Relay.app.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/kestra-io/kestra or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

### ActivePieces
- **Fork Page**: [ActivePieces Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/activepieces)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Relay.app vs ActivePieces](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-activepieces)
- **Official Website**: https://activepieces.com
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/activepieces/activepieces
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 25.4k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Open-source integration platform for seamless workflow automation. Connect apps, automate tasks, and boost productivity effortlessly.
- **The Catch vs Relay.app**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Relay.app.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/activepieces/activepieces or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

### Automa
- **Fork Page**: [Automa Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/automa)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Relay.app vs Automa](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-automa)
- **Official Website**: https://www.automa.site/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/automaapp/automa
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 21.7k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: No-code platform for building AI agents and RPA workflows that automate repetitive business tasks across finance, HR, sales, and operations.
- **The Catch vs Relay.app**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed UiPath.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/AutomaApp/automa or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

### Automatisch
- **Fork Page**: [Automatisch Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/automatisch)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Relay.app vs Automatisch](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-automatisch)
- **Official Website**: https://automatisch.io/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/automatisch/automatisch/
- **License**: AGPL-3.0
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 14k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Self-hosted automation tool that connects your apps and services, enabling powerful integrations and efficient data flow across your ecosystem.
- **The Catch vs Relay.app**: Automatisch has far fewer connectors and much less transformation/retry polish than Albato, while also requiring self-hosting.
- **Installation**: Clone the repository and run Docker Compose.
- **Setup**: Requires Docker, PostgreSQL/Redis configuration and secret management; the default sample login must be changed immediately.
- **Data Storage**: Application and credential data stays on the user's server in PostgreSQL, with Redis for queues/cache; credentials are encrypted.

### ByteChef
- **Fork Page**: [ByteChef Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/bytechef)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Relay.app vs ByteChef](https://caniforkit.com/vs/relay-app-vs-bytechef)
- **Official Website**: https://www.bytechef.io
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/bytechefhq/bytechef
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 1.1k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Create intelligent automation workflows combining AI agents with your favorite apps and services. Connect, automate, and scale your operations without complex coding.
- **The Catch vs Relay.app**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Relay.app.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/bytechefhq/bytechef or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the best free alternative to Relay.app?
The top free alternative to Relay.app is n8n (open source, Open Source). Visual workflow automation platform for building AI agents and business processes, with 500+ integrations, human approval steps, code when needed, and self-hosting. Other popular Relay.app replacements include Flowise AI, Kestra, ActivePieces.

### How much does switching from Relay.app to a free alternative save?
Relay.app starts at $15/month per seat ($180/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like n8n saves $900 per year in software subscription fees.

### What is the catch when switching away from Relay.app?
While n8n replaces core Relay.app features without subscription fees, the real-world trade-off is: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Relay.app.

## Related

- [automation Software Category Hub](https://caniforkit.com/category/automation)
- [All Paid SaaS Alternatives Index](https://caniforkit.com/alternatives)
- [Self-Hosted Software Directory](https://caniforkit.com/self-hosted)
- [Homepage](https://caniforkit.com)