Tool category
AI agents & automation
Connect workflows, delegate tasks and let entire processes run autonomously.
AI agents and automation tools connect apps, handle recurring tasks and run whole workflows on their own. Simple automations can be clicked together without code using a builder. For beginners, ready-made templates are the easiest way; complex workflows need some learning and often a paid plan.
How do I choose the right tool?
- For simple workflows, the free builder versions are enough.
- Look for ready-made templates and supported apps for your purpose.
- Complex, multi-step workflows usually need a paid plan.
- Test an automation thoroughly before you rely on it.
Best free tools
Permanently usable free tier – try it at no cost.
- 1
n8n (Self-hosted)n8n (DE)
Workflow automation with AI nodes, self-hosted with no runtime costs
API connections, AI pipelines, Data flows, GDPR self-hosting
Free (open source)Free tierOpen - 2
Make (Free)Make
Visual scenarios with branching and AI modules
Multi-step flows, Visual logic, Syncing data between apps
Free (1.000 ops/mo)Free tierOpen - 3
Zapier (Free)Zapier
8,000+ app connections, simple AI steps in the free plan
Simple automations, Form → spreadsheet, Notifications
Free (100 tasks/mo)Free tierOpen - 4
Manus (Free)Manus
Autonomous agent that researches, creates files and works in the browser
Research tasks, Reports, Web tasks
Free (300 credits/day)Free tierOpen - 5
Activepieces (Free)Activepieces
Open-source automation with a free cloud plan, 400+ integrations and AI building blocks – self-hostable too
Connecting apps, AI workflows, Self-hosting
Free (1,000 credits/mo)Free tierOpen
Best premium tools
Monthly prices as entry and maximum plan (approximate).
- 1
Zapier Pro/TeamZapier
Multi-step Zaps, agents & copilot, tables/interfaces, premium apps
Business processes, No-code AI agents, Lead routing
From approx. 20 $Max 69 $/moOpen - 2
Make Pro/TeamsMake
More operations, error handling, team features, AI agents
Complex scenarios, Agency automation, Fault-tolerant pipelines
From 12 $Max 38 $/moOpen - 3
n8n Cloudn8n (DE)
Hosted edition with support, collaboration and environments
Production workflows, AI agents with custom tools, Slack/CRM integration
From 20 €Max 50 €/moOpen - 4
Claude Pro / Max (desktop agent)Anthropic
Claude works as a desktop agent on tasks in your files and apps on your computer – included in Pro and Max
Editing files, Research + documents, Recurring tasks
From 20 $Max 200 $/moOpen - 5
ChatGPT Plus/Pro (ChatGPT Work)OpenAI
“ChatGPT Work” (successor to agent mode) handles multi-step tasks with files, the web and cloud apps
Research + execution, Forms & bookings, Price comparisons
From 20 $Max 500 $/moOpen - 6
ManusManus
More parallel agent sessions, bigger task batches, scheduler
Delegable projects, Recurring reports, Browser tasks
From 20 $Max 200 $/moOpen
Matching guides & automations
Automate your email inbox with AI
Automatically sort and summarise incoming emails and generate reply drafts in your own tone.
Build an AI phone assistant for appointment booking
A voice assistant that answers calls, responds to questions and books appointments – ideal for small businesses.
Social media autopilot: plan, create, post
From topic idea through automatically generated posts to scheduled publishing – largely automated.
Email triage: classify & draft replies
Your inbox sorts itself – important mail first, ready-made reply drafts already waiting. One of the biggest daily time-savers.
Daily inbox assistant
Every morning a short summary of yesterday's important mail – plus a ready to-do list. Instead of reading your inbox: an overview in two minutes.
Research agent: topic → briefing + sources
Enter a topic and get a structured briefing with current sources back – instead of digging through ten tabs yourself.
AI scheduling assistant
Find times without the back-and-forth. Availability, booking and reminders run largely on their own.
Get AI agents on your smartphone
Enable the agent mode of ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude on your phone – so the AI carries out multi-step tasks on its own instead of just answering.
Receipt & invoice data extraction
Photos or PDFs of invoices turn into structured data in your sheet automatically – a classic with quickly noticeable time savings.