Free Workflow Automation Tools: What You Actually Get

In a world where teams are expected to do more with less, workflow automation tools have quickly become essential. They help businesses and individuals streamline repetitive tasks, connect different apps, and save hours each week. The good news? There are plenty of free workflow automation tools available — but the truth is, not all free plans are created equal. Some offer just enough to test the waters, while others provide real value for long-term use. We tested what’s really included in the most popular free plans — so you don’t have to.

What Should We Expect from Workflow Automation Software?

Workflow automation software helps individuals and teams save time by automating repetitive tasks and connecting different tools they use every day. These platforms let users build visual workflows that define what happens when a specific trigger occurs — like receiving an email, updating a spreadsheet, or getting a new form submission. Instead of doing the same manual steps over and over, automation tools carry out these actions automatically. This reduces errors, improves speed, and gives people more time to focus on meaningful work.

Most workflow automation software includes features like app integration, condition-based logic, scheduling, and multi-step workflows. They allow businesses to automate workflows across different tools such as CRMs, email platforms, form builders, and project management apps. From small startups to large companies, many teams use automation to optimize business processes, like onboarding new clients, managing approvals, or sending notifications. Whether you're a solo entrepreneur or part of a larger team, the right automation platform can help you work smarter, not harder.

Who Should Use Free Workflow Automation Tool — And Who Shouldn’t?

Freemium plans on workflow management software can be a great starting point for many users. Freelancers and solopreneurs, for example, often need just a few automations to handle tasks like email follow-ups, moving form responses into spreadsheets, or sending reminders. For them, a free plan offers just enough to streamline repetitive work without added costs. Early-stage startups and small teams can also benefit by automating essential business processes—such as lead tracking or task notifications—while keeping their budget in check. Similarly, nonprofits, educators, and individuals learning how to automate workflows often find freemium plans useful for experimenting with integrations and visual workflows.

However, free plans are not suitable for everyone. Larger businesses and fast-growing teams often outgrow the limitations quickly. These organizations typically need more advanced features like multi-user access, higher task limits, secure data handling, and conditional logic in their workflows. Companies managing complex or high-volume automation—such as agencies working with multiple clients—usually require more control and flexibility than a free plan can offer. In short, while freemium plans are perfect for getting started, scaling up often means moving to a paid plan to unlock the full potential of workflow automation tool.

Find Free Workflow Automation Tool for You

Let’s take a closer look at what features each platform offers in its freemium plan — and what you can realistically expect to do without paying a cent.

Monkedo No-Code Automation Tool

Monkedo is a powerful no-code workflow automation platform designed to help individuals and teams automate tasks and connect their favorite tools without writing a single line of code. With its intuitive visual builder and over 400 ready-to-use app integrations—including Google Drive, Shopify, and Zoho CRM—Monkedo makes process automation accessible to everyone. As an iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service) solution, it enables seamless data exchange between cloud applications, giving businesses the flexibility to build complex workflows using triggers, actions, data components, and logic-based operations like iterations, filters, and webhooks.

Monkedo’s free plan is perfect for anyone looking to explore automation without hitting feature walls. While you can run up to 100 automation actions per month, Monkedo stands out by offering full access to its core features—even on the free tier. You can use the browser extension, create and manage data tables, store dynamic values, and connect with over 400 integrated apps. Built-in components like webhooks, iterations, and list or table operations are also available, allowing you to build complex, tree-like workflows with ease.

You’re free to invite your entire team to your workspace, create reusable automation templates, and share them privately or with the wider Monkedo community. Whether you're automating everyday tasks or building more advanced process automation flows, the free plan gives you everything you need to get started—and room to grow. And if you need help, email support is available at support@monkedo.com.

Automate Apps with Zapier

Zapier’s free plan allows users to automate AI-powered workflows with up to 100 tasks per month, making it a practical choice for individuals or small teams starting with workflow automation. Users can create unlimited Zaps—Zapier’s term for automations—as long as they stay within their monthly task limit. The free tier supports two-step Zaps, meaning each workflow can have one trigger and one action, such as receiving a new email lead and automatically adding it to a CRM. It also includes access to a visual drag-and-drop editor, Zapier Interfaces for building simple forms and web pages connected to Zaps, Zapier Tables for managing structured data, and some AI power-up features to assist with automation building. The polling time (the interval Zapier checks for new data) is set at 15 minutes on the free plan, and it supports two-factor authentication for added security.

However, the free plan comes with some limitations. While you can use many standard apps, premium app integrations and advanced features like Filters & Paths, Webhooks, and Formatter are not included. You’re also limited to one seat, and customer support is not available—even via email. Users looking to build complex workflows with conditional logic or integrate with more advanced tools will likely need to upgrade to a paid plan or purchase premium add-ons. Still, for basic task automation between two apps, Zapier’s free plan offers a solid entry point.

Free Workflow Software: Make.com

Make.com is a powerful workflow management tool that allows users to build custom workflows using a no-code visual workflow builder, ideal for those looking to automate tasks across over 2,000 standard apps. With the free plan, you get 1,000 operations per month, access to routers and filters for branching logic, integration with 350+ AI apps, and even customer support—a rare offering in free tiers. You can also add unlimited users, making it suitable for collaborative teams experimenting with automation.

However, the free plan comes with several limitations. It excludes premium apps, Make API endpoints, the on-premise agent, and features like relation trees and priority scenario execution. You're also limited to a maximum of two active scenarios, and automations run at a 15-minute minimum interval, which may not be ideal for time-sensitive processes. Despite these restrictions, Make.com remains a flexible platform for building and testing custom workflows before committing to a paid plan.

Business Process in Integrately

Integrately is a simple and intuitive workflow management system designed for users who want to automate everyday tasks quickly without technical complexity. It focuses on delivering pre-built automations that help streamline business workflows across a wide range of apps. With a clean interface and strong integration capabilities, it's ideal for individuals and small teams looking to get started with basic automation.

The free plan includes 100 tasks per month, a 15-minute update interval, and supports up to 5 single-step automations—meaning each workflow can only connect two apps with no additional logic. Unlike paid plans, the freemium version does not include features like webhooks, conditions (IF/Filters), branching (Paths), iterators, or access to premium apps. Multi-step workflows and advanced logic are also restricted. However, users still benefit from 24/5 live chat support, making it a supportive environment for beginners exploring the basics of automation within their business workflow needs.

Pipefy: AI-Powered Workflow Automation

Pipefy is a no-code workflow management platform designed to help teams organize and automate their business processes in a structured, repeatable way. Unlike traditional automation tools focused on app-to-app integrations, Pipefy specializes in internal workflows like approvals, onboarding, and service requests. Its visual interface and plug-and-play templates make it easy to create and manage processes without relying on IT support, making it a strong choice for operations, HR, finance, and customer service teams.

Pipefy’s free plan includes access to Pipefy AI, up to 5 active processes, and support for 10 users, making it suitable for small teams getting started with workflow automation. You can use basic automations, visual customization, and pre-built process templates, and track incoming requests with ease. However, advanced features like role-based access controls, white labeling, and some enterprise-grade capabilities are only available on paid plans. While not an integration-focused platform like Zapier or Make, Pipefy excels at standardizing and streamlining internal operations.

Free Open-Source Workflow Management Tools

There are a few open-source workflow automation tools that are completely free to use—but with one important detail: they’re only free if you self-host them. That means you’ll need your own server or cloud setup (like a VPS or Docker environment) to run them. While this is a great option for developers or technical users, it can become costly if you need to use these tools on cloud platforms with all features enabled. In some cases, the cost of hosting, setup, and maintenance may outweigh the benefits of being “free.”

n8n.io Workflow Management Software

n8n is a popular workflow tool known for its open-source foundation, offering users the ability to create and manage complex automations without cost for personal or non-commercial projects. Its open-core model means that while the core software is free and open source, additional features and enterprise-grade services are part of a paid offering. This approach allows developers and hobbyists to benefit from effective workflow management on their own terms, while businesses can access premium features tailored for commercial needs.

For personal use, n8n can be freely installed and run, making it an excellent choice for individuals or small projects. However, for commercial or enterprise use, there is no ongoing free plan; instead, n8n offers a free trial so companies can evaluate its capabilities before committing to a subscription. This model ensures that businesses seeking robust and scalable workflow automation have access to the full feature set with professional support, while personal users continue to enjoy the open-source flexibility at no cost.

Automatisch for Automation and Integration

Automatisch is an open-source automation solution designed to help users streamline repetitive tasks and integrate various apps through a user-friendly, no-code interface. It offers a modern alternative to commercial tools like Zapier, allowing for flexible workflow creation with support for multi-step flows, filters, formatters, and webhooks. With built-in user management and a clean visual interface, Automatisch is a solid choice for teams and individuals looking to automate parts of their business operations without vendor lock-in.

The free plan is based on the open-source community edition, which is completely free to use if self-hosted. It includes unlimited connections, unlimited flows, and full access to essential features like multi-step workflows, filters, and webhook support. While it requires users to set up and host the platform themselves, it provides a powerful and cost-effective option for those comfortable managing their own infrastructure. For businesses or teams with technical capabilities, Automatisch offers a compelling, open alternative to traditional automation platforms.

Huginn Workflow Automation Platform

Huginn is an open-source system for building agents that monitor, collect, and act on data from the web or APIs—similar to a self-hosted version of Zapier or IFTTT. It allows users to automate workflows by chaining together "agents" that perform tasks like scraping websites, watching RSS feeds, sending emails, or triggering webhooks. Designed primarily for developers and technical users, Huginn offers full flexibility and control, but it must be self-hosted, as there's no official cloud service or freemium hosted plan available.

Custom Workflows with Node-RED

Node-RED is a flow-based, visual programming tool developed by IBM, designed for wiring together devices, APIs, and online services in new and interesting ways. It provides a browser-based editor that makes it easy to create workflow automations by connecting nodes representing different actions or services. Completely open source and free to use, Node-RED is often used in IoT and backend automation projects, but like Huginn, it must be self-hosted or run locally, with no official cloud-hosted free plan. It’s best suited for developers or technically inclined users looking to build custom automations.

Find the Best Workflow Automation Tool

Choosing the right tool depends on your goals, technical skills, and the complexity of the tasks you want to automate. Fortunately, there are many free workflow automation tools available—ranging from easy-to-use platforms with generous free plans to open-source solutions that offer complete control if you're comfortable with self-hosting. In this blog, we explored several popular options, including Monkedo, Zapier, Make, Integrately, Pipefy, n8n, Automatisch, Huginn, and Node-RED. Each comes with its own strengths, limitations, and ideal use cases. Whether you’re automating a simple daily task or building multi-step workflows for your team, there’s a tool out there to match your needs. Take the time to explore your options, test a few, and find the best fit to boost your productivity and streamline your business operations.