IFTTT

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to IFTTT

A curated collection of the 6 best self hosted alternatives to IFTTT.

IFTTT (If This Then That) is a web and mobile automation platform that connects apps, devices, and web services to create conditional workflows (“applets”) that trigger actions automatically to streamline tasks and smart‑home integration.

Alternatives List

#1
n8n

n8n

Self-hostable workflow automation platform with 400+ integrations, visual flows, webhooks, and custom code for building reliable integrations and internal automations.

n8n screenshot

n8n is a workflow automation platform for building integrations and automations across apps, APIs, and internal systems. It provides a visual editor for creating multi-step workflows, with the option to add custom code and handle complex data transformations.

Key Features

  • Visual workflow editor with triggers, branching/IF logic, loops, and data mapping
  • Large library of prebuilt integration nodes (HTTP/API, SaaS apps, databases) plus generic HTTP Request node
  • Webhooks for event-driven automation and building lightweight API endpoints
  • Code and scripting steps (e.g., JavaScript) for custom logic and transformations
  • Credentials management for connecting services securely
  • Scheduling and polling triggers for time-based or interval automations
  • Execution history and tooling to debug runs and inspect data
  • Queue/worker execution mode for scaling and isolating job processing

Use Cases

  • Sync data between CRM, spreadsheets, and databases with transformations
  • Automate support/ops workflows (ticket enrichment, notifications, escalations)
  • Build internal integrations using webhooks + custom logic without a full app

Limitations and Considerations

  • Some advanced capabilities (e.g., certain governance/enterprise controls) may depend on paid offerings
  • Complex workflows can require careful error handling/retries design to be resilient at scale

n8n fits teams that want an approachable low-code automation tool while keeping the option to write code for edge cases. It is commonly used to replace ad-hoc scripts and brittle point-to-point integrations with observable, reusable workflows.

167.5kstars
53.3kforks
#2
Home Assistant

Home Assistant

Open-source smart home platform that integrates thousands of devices, runs local automations, and provides dashboards, mobile apps, and voice control.

Home Assistant screenshot

Home Assistant is a local-first home automation platform that acts as a central hub to integrate smart home devices and services. It provides a unified UI, powerful automations, and extensibility through a large integration ecosystem.

Key Features

  • Large integration library for smart home devices and cloud services (devices, hubs, media players, sensors, energy, calendars, etc.)
  • Automation engine with triggers/conditions/actions, time- and event-based rules, and scenes
  • Dashboards (Lovelace) for customizable UI cards, views, and responsive control panels
  • Scripts and helpers for reusable routines, state tracking, timers, input selectors, and more
  • Presence detection and zones for location-based automation
  • Built-in history/logbook and recorder for state changes and event tracking
  • Mobile apps with sensors, notifications, actionable notifications, and device tracking
  • Voice control via built-in Assist features and integrations with major voice ecosystems
  • Extensible architecture: custom integrations, blueprints, and add-ons via Home Assistant OS/Supervised deployments
  • Authentication, users, and permissions for multi-user households

Use Cases

  • Unify and control a mixed smart home (Zigbee/Z-Wave hubs, Wi-Fi devices, and cloud services) from one interface
  • Create local automations for lighting, HVAC, security, and media based on sensors, schedules, and presence
  • Track energy usage and optimize routines (e.g., solar/peak pricing automations) with dashboards and history

Limitations and Considerations

  • Some device capabilities depend on third-party integrations and may break when vendor APIs change
  • Certain advanced features (e.g., add-on management) depend on installation method (OS/Supervised vs. Container/Core)

Home Assistant is well-suited for users who want a highly extensible smart home controller with strong automation capabilities and a large integration ecosystem. It can serve as the central layer that ties together devices, dashboards, notifications, and voice interactions.

84kstars
36.4kforks
#3
Huginn

Huginn

Self-hosted automation platform to create agents that watch web/services, ingest data (RSS, APIs, scraping), and trigger actions like notifications or webhooks.

Huginn screenshot

Huginn is a self-hosted automation system for creating “agents” that watch the web and your services, collect and transform data, and trigger actions based on events. It’s often used as an open alternative to IFTTT/Zapier-style workflows, with strong support for web scraping, scheduling, and event chaining.

Key Features

  • Agent-based workflows where agents emit events that other agents can consume
  • Large catalog of built-in agents (e.g., Website/Change detection, RSS, JSON/API, Email, Weather, etc.)
  • Web scraping and extraction using CSS selectors/XPath (via a dedicated Website Agent)
  • Scheduling and periodic execution for polling-based integrations
  • Event transformation and filtering (templating/interpolation, de-duplication, and conditional logic)
  • Actions and outputs such as email, HTTP requests/webhooks, and notifications
  • Web UI to configure agents, view event logs, and debug data flow
  • Optional user multi-tenancy (multiple users on one instance) and agent sharing/import/export

Use Cases

  • Monitor websites for changes (price drops, new postings, status updates) and send alerts
  • Aggregate feeds/APIs into a unified stream, filter/enrich, then forward via webhooks
  • Automate personal ops tasks (periodic checks, reminders, and lightweight integrations)

Limitations and Considerations

  • Many integrations are polling-based; real-time triggers depend on available agents/webhooks
  • Requires careful handling of scraping targets (rate limits, site changes) and secrets management

Huginn is well-suited for users who want transparent, customizable automation with event pipelines and web scraping. Its agent model and UI make it practical for building reliable personal or small-team automations without relying on third-party workflow services.

48.5kstars
4.2kforks
#4
Node-RED

Node-RED

Low-code, flow-based tool to wire devices, APIs, and services using a browser editor and Node.js runtime; widely used for IoT, automation, and integrations.

Node-RED screenshot

Node-RED is a flow-based development tool for building event-driven applications by wiring together “nodes” in a browser-based editor. It provides a Node.js runtime that executes flows and integrates with devices, APIs, and online services via a large ecosystem of community-contributed nodes.

Key Features:

  • Browser-based visual editor to create flows by connecting nodes (inputs, processing, outputs)
  • Node.js runtime for executing event-driven flows, suitable for edge devices and servers
  • Large palette/ecosystem of nodes (community “contrib” modules) to integrate protocols, services, and hardware
  • Built-in support for common integration patterns: HTTP endpoints, WebSockets, TCP/UDP, file I/O, and scheduling
  • Function nodes for custom logic in JavaScript plus reusable subflows for modularity
  • Context storage (in-memory and pluggable persistent stores) for state across messages/flows
  • Admin HTTP API for managing flows and runtime operations; supports projects mode for Git-backed flow versioning
  • Extensible editor/runtime via plugins and custom nodes; packaging/distribution via npm

Use Cases:

  • IoT and home automation: connect sensors/actuators via MQTT/HTTP and trigger actions
  • API and system integration: glue internal services together, transform payloads, and route events
  • Edge data collection: ingest, filter, and forward telemetry from gateways to databases/cloud services

Limitations and Considerations

  • Visual flows can become difficult to maintain at scale without strong conventions, modular subflows, and version control practices.
  • Security hardening (auth, TLS, network exposure) requires deliberate configuration; deployments should avoid exposing the editor publicly without protection.

Node-RED is a practical choice for rapid integration and automation where a visual, event-driven approach is preferred. Its extensible node ecosystem and JavaScript-based customization make it adaptable from lightweight Raspberry Pi deployments to larger integration workloads.

22.6kstars
3.8kforks
#5
Activepieces

Activepieces

Self-hostable workflow automation tool to build and run integrations, triggers, and multi-step flows with a visual builder and reusable “pieces”.

Activepieces screenshot

Activepieces is a low-code workflow automation platform for building integrations between apps and internal systems. It lets you create trigger-based flows, run multi-step automations, and connect services using a visual builder and reusable integration modules (“pieces”).

Key Features

  • Visual flow builder for creating multi-step automations with branching and logic
  • Large and growing catalog of reusable integration “pieces” (connectors) plus custom pieces
  • Webhook and scheduled triggers for event-driven and time-based automations
  • Support for common workflow actions such as HTTP requests, data mapping, and transformations
  • Credentials/connections management for authenticating to third-party services
  • Runs as a server application with a web UI for designing, testing, and monitoring flows

Use Cases

  • Automate business processes (e.g., lead intake → CRM updates → notifications)
  • Integrate internal tools with SaaS systems via webhooks and API calls
  • Build lightweight event-driven automations for ops tasks and alert routing

Limitations and Considerations

  • Connector coverage and parity varies by “piece”; niche integrations may require building custom pieces
  • Advanced governance features (e.g., enterprise-grade policy controls) may be limited compared to large commercial iPaaS tools

Activepieces is a solid fit for teams that want an automation builder similar to Zapier/Make but with control over deployments and the ability to extend integrations. Its modular “pieces” approach makes it practical for both quick automations and custom integration development.

20.3kstars
3.1kforks
#6
Automatisch

Automatisch

Build and run automated workflows connecting apps via triggers and actions, with a web UI, reusable steps, and community connectors.

Automatisch screenshot

Automatisch is a self-hosted workflow automation platform for connecting apps and automating repetitive tasks using triggers and actions. It provides a visual web interface to build flows, authenticate to third‑party services, and run automations on a schedule or in response to events.

Key Features

  • Workflow builder for creating automations from triggers and actions
  • App integrations (“connectors”) to interact with third-party services
  • Webhook-based and polling-based triggers (depending on connector)
  • Credential management for connecting external accounts/services
  • Workflow execution history/logs for monitoring runs and debugging
  • Extensible connector system for adding new integrations

Use Cases

  • Sync leads or contacts between forms/CRM/email marketing tools
  • Post notifications to chat when events occur in other systems
  • Automate recurring data pulls/updates between SaaS tools

Limitations and Considerations

  • Connector coverage and feature depth depend on available/community integrations
  • Advanced enterprise governance features (fine-grained audit/compliance) may be limited compared to large commercial iPaaS offerings

Automatisch is a practical option for teams that want Zapier-like automation with more control over deployment and integrations. It fits well for internal operations automations, cross-tool syncing, and event-driven workflows where extensibility matters.

13.5kstars
1kforks

Why choose an open source alternative?

  • Data ownership: Keep your data on your own servers
  • No vendor lock-in: Freedom to switch or modify at any time
  • Cost savings: Reduce or eliminate subscription fees
  • Transparency: Audit the code and know exactly what's running