Is there a Zapier alternative with approvals and guardrails?
Yes. Zapier connects apps but leaves governance to whoever builds the zap. Runmate is built for automations that touch company data: every workflow is tested before it acts, actions wait for approval, sensitive fields are masked by role, and every step is in an audit log. Staff build workflows by asking in plain English rather than mapping fields.
Where general automation tools struggle in a growing company
- Anyone with access can build an automation that emails customers or changes records, with no review.
- Zaps run with the builder's full access, so a warehouse workflow can expose customer data.
- Many tasks need AI or code steps, and costs grow with every task run.
- When something goes wrong, it is hard to see who built what and what it sent.
How Runmate workflows work
- A workflow is: query your data, check a condition, optionally have AI draft a message, then take one to three actions.
- Saving a workflow tests it: Runmate shows exactly what it would send, and nothing is sent.
- Actions go through approvals. Internal emails can send automatically if your admin allows it; messages outside the company always wait.
- Each workflow runs with its owner's guardrails, so it never sees more than its owner can.
- Steps run without AI unless you add an AI step, and only that step uses credits.
What is built and what is next
Today workflows run on a schedule, as often as hourly. Workflows that start the moment something happens, such as a new order, are next. A visual, drag-and-drop flow builder is planned for version 2.
Common questions
- Does Runmate replace Zapier completely?
- For workflows on company data that need governance, yes. Zapier still has far more app connections; Runmate focuses on the systems mid-market commerce companies run.
- Is it priced per task?
- No. Runmate is priced per company with unlimited users. Workflows run without AI by default, so most runs use no credits.