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AI & Automation

AI Tools Guide

Hand the busywork to tools that think.

AI assistants, agents and no-code automations that take repetitive work off your plate, so your side hustle keeps moving while you sleep.

Our picks

The winners of this guide, at a glance.

5 tools, most useful first

01

Best overall

Zapier

Connect your apps and hand off the busywork between them, no code needed

Super user-friendly Usefulness 9/10

Zapier watches for something to happen in one app, then does the follow-up work in others. It connects more than 10,000 apps, and Tables, Forms, Copilot and AI agents live on the same account.

Zapier links 10,000+ apps so your busywork runs itself. Free covers 100 tasks a month; Pro, from $19.99/mo, adds multi-step Zaps and premium apps.

Zapier: Home page
Zapier: Home page · 1 of 3

Our verdict

The quickest way to get your apps doing each other's chores. Start free, and move to Pro the day a workflow needs a third step.

Pros

  • Free plan runs 100 tasks a month with unlimited two-step Zaps
  • More than 10,000 apps in its directory
  • Filters, Formatter, Paths and Delay steps don't use up tasks
  • Pro adds AI by Zapier steps and every premium app
  • New accounts get a 14-day Pro trial with no card

Cons

  • Free Zaps are two steps only and check for new data every 15 minutes
  • Pro's $19.99 price covers 750 tasks a month; more tasks cost more
  • Extra tasks are billed automatically unless you switch pay-per-task off
  • Paying month to month makes Pro $29.99 instead of $19.99

Best for: solo founders who want an automation running tonight

02

Most powerful

Make

Design automations on a visual canvas

Needs some skill Usefulness 9/10

Make (formerly Integromat) builds automations as visual scenarios: modules connected on a canvas, with routers, filters and iterators for branching logic. Billing is by credits, and most actions use one credit.

Make suits automations with branches, loops and data shaping. The free plan includes 1,000 credits a month; Core, Pro and Teams plans add credits and features.

Make: Home page
Make: Home page · 1 of 3

Our verdict

More control than Zapier for complex workflows, at a lower price per action.

Pros

  • Visual canvas shows the whole workflow
  • Routers, filters and iterators for complex logic
  • Credits go further than per-task pricing
  • Free plan with no time limit

Cons

  • Steeper learning curve than Zapier
  • Credit costs vary by action and AI use
  • Fewer ready-made integrations than Zapier

Best for: Builders who want detailed control over multi-step workflows

03

Best value

n8n

Workflow automation you can host yourself

Difficult to use Usefulness 9/10

n8n is a node-based automation tool you can run on n8n's cloud or on your own server. Plans count whole workflow executions rather than steps, and agents, MCP and AI nodes are built in. The Community Edition is free to self-host.

n8n gives technical users full control: code nodes, self-hosting and pricing per execution, not per step. The cloud Starter plan is €20 a month billed annually (about $23).

n8n: Home page
n8n: Home page · 1 of 3

Our verdict

The most flexible option, and free if you host it yourself.

Pros

  • Free self-hosted Community Edition
  • Pay per workflow run, not per step
  • Code nodes when no-code isn't enough
  • AI agents and MCP built in

Cons

  • Hardest of the group to learn
  • Self-hosting means maintaining a server
  • Cloud plans are priced in euros

Best for: Technical founders who want control and low running costs

04

Gumloop

Build AI agents that work across your tools

Needs some skill Usefulness 8/10

Gumloop builds AI agents and workflows that connect to your company's tools and data. Agents can use 35+ models, and the Pro plan includes 20,000 credits a month with unlimited agents and seats.

Gumloop focuses on AI agents rather than classic trigger-action automations. Pro starts at $37 a month with 20,000 credits; there's a trial but no free plan.

Gumloop: Home page
Gumloop: Home page · 1 of 3

Our verdict

A strong agent builder for teams that want AI doing real work in their tools.

Pros

  • Agents with access to 35+ models
  • Unlimited agents, seats and teams on Pro
  • Bring your own API keys
  • MCP server hosting included

Cons

  • No free plan, only a trial
  • 8% orchestration fee on top of credits
  • Agent-first approach can be overkill for simple automations

Best for: Small teams putting AI agents to work on research, sales and support

05

Lindy

An AI teammate in Slack, email and meetings

Super user-friendly Usefulness 7/10

Lindy is an AI assistant that works in Slack threads, your inbox and your meetings: it drafts replies, takes meeting notes, runs scheduled routines and uses 1,500+ integrations. Usage is billed in credits per seat.

Lindy acts like an assistant rather than a workflow builder. It starts with $50 of free credits for 7 days, then $29.99 a month per seat for 3,000 credits.

Lindy: Home page
Lindy: Home page · 1 of 3

Our verdict

The friendliest way to hand inbox and meeting busywork to AI.

Pros

  • Works where you already are: Slack, email, iMessage
  • Meeting notes, scheduling and follow-ups built in
  • Pick the model for each task
  • Setup takes minutes

Cons

  • Credits run out fast on deep work
  • Every active seat is billed
  • Free credits only last 7 days

Best for: Busy solo founders drowning in email and meetings