Problems / Operations
Automate the busywork: AI workflow automation for small teams
If someone on your team copies data between two apps every day, that's a workflow waiting to be automated.
- 1List repetitive tasks and how many minutes each costs per week.
- 2Automate the most expensive one end to end on Zapier, Make or n8n.
- 3Add an AI step only where judgment is needed (summarize, classify, draft).
- 4Keep a human approval step for anything that sends money or messages.
Companies & products 7
Zapier
No-code automation connecting thousands of apps, plus AI agents.
Free plan available; see siteCompanyMake
Visual scenario builder for complex multi-step automations.
Free plan available; see siteCompanyn8n
Fair-code workflow automation with AI agent nodes; self-host or cloud.
Self-hosted community edition free; cloud see siteCompanyRelay.app
Automation with human-in-the-loop steps and AI.
See siteCompanyLindy
Build AI agents that handle email, scheduling and business tasks.
See siteCompanyZapier MCP
Expose Zapier app actions to any MCP-compatible AI client.
See siteCompanyNotion AI
AI writing, search and agents inside Notion workspaces.
See siteOpen-source tools 8
AnythingLLM
Local-first AI workspace: chat with your documents and run agents on your own hardware or cloud.
Mintplex-Labs/anything-llmOpen sourceDify
Build agentic workflows and RAG apps on one workspace; cloud or self-hosted.
langgenius/difyOpen sourceActivepieces
Open-source workflow automation with AI agents and hundreds of MCP-ready pieces.
activepieces/activepiecesOpen sourceHuginn
Create self-hosted agents that monitor the web and act on your behalf.
huginn/huginnOpen sourceBrowser Use
Python library that lets AI agents operate a web browser, for sites with no API.
browser-use/browser-useOpen sourcePaperless-ngx
Scan, OCR, index and archive receipts, invoices and documents.
paperless-ngx/paperless-ngxOpen sourceTrigger.dev
Build and deploy durable AI agents and background workflows in TypeScript.
triggerdotdev/trigger.devOpen sourceWindmill
Code-first, self-hostable platform for workflows, internal apps and AI agents.
windmill-labs/windmillAgent skills & MCP servers 4
Anthropic Agent Skills
Anthropic's public repository of Agent Skills (SKILL.md folders) including document, design and workflow skills.
anthropics/skillsSkill / MCPAwesome Claude Skills
Curated list of Claude Skills and resources for customizing Claude workflows.
ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skillsSkill / MCPPlaywright MCP
Microsoft's MCP server that lets agents drive a real browser for testing and web tasks.
microsoft/playwright-mcpSkill / MCPwshobson/agents
Plugin marketplace of subagents and skills for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and more.
wshobson/agentsWorkflow recipes 1
Workflow recipe
Automate a weekly ops report
- Schedule an n8n workflow to pull sales, tickets and spend every Monday.
- Use a report-writing skill to summarize what changed and why.
- Email it to the team; Huginn can watch for anomalies mid-week.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use Zapier, Make or n8n?
Zapier is the easiest with the largest app catalog; Make suits branching, multi-step scenarios; n8n suits technical teams and can be self-hosted. Our Zapier vs Make vs n8n guide compares them.
What are free, open-source alternatives to Zapier?
n8n (self-hosted community edition), Activepieces, Huginn, Windmill and Trigger.dev are open-source automation platforms. Self-hosting means you handle updates, backups and security.
Can AI agents do repetitive office tasks for me?
Yes, within limits. Tools like Lindy and Relay.app add AI steps to workflows, and Browser Use lets an agent operate websites that have no API. Keep a human approval step for anything that sends money or messages.
What should I automate first?
List repetitive tasks with the minutes each costs per week and automate the most expensive one end to end. A weekly ops report is a good starter (see the recipe on this page).