Zapier alternative
ZAPIER ALTERNATIVE BUILT FOR CREATIVE OPERATIONS
Zapier was built for moving data between apps. Your creative pipeline needs something that actually understands rendering, approvals, brand safety, and distribution as one connected workflow.
60-day money-back guarantee for all users that switch to Plainly Flows.
Zapier is built for tasks.
Plainly Flows is built for creative work
Same category on paper. Very different tools in practice.
Zapier
Best for app-to-app data transfer
Connecting business apps with simple trigger-action logic
Moving data between tools like Gmail, Slack, or a CRM
Low-volume automations that don't need a full production system
Sales, HR, or finance teams automating internal processes
Workflows where the output doesn't need approval
Plainly Flows
Best for teams producing creative at scale
Repeatable video, image, and GenAI content workflows
Connecting design tools, AI models, and delivery into one pipeline
Workflows where assets need review and approval before going live
Turning brand-approved templates into automated creatives
Mid-to-large organizations running creative operations at scale
Plainly has been an incredible partner. They are technical experts, highly responsive, and have allowed us to rethink how we execute large-scale video production.
Zachary Perlinski, Senior Manager of Content Design @ Anywhere
The differences that matter for creative teams
Plainly Flows
Zapier
Workflow automation
Built for creative ops
Built for general tasks
Pre-built creative nodes
AI with templated creatives
Visual preview at every stage
Built-in approval stages
Multi-stakeholder sign-off steps
Brand safety guardrails
Pricing
Custom
Starts at $29.99 per month
Zapier vs Plainly Flows
Features you'd have to
duct-tape together in Zapier
Less setup, more creativity
Zapier hands you a blank canvas and 7,000 apps. Building a working creative pipeline out of that is a project in itself, usually owned by the one person who understands how it all fits together. You can build almost anything, as long as someone has the time to build it.
Plainly Flows is built for creative work, which is what makes the setup simple. Predefined creative modules for common creative production jobs, with generation, rendering, and approvals connected out of the box.
Plainly Flows is built for creative work, which is what makes the setup simple. Predefined creative modules for common creative production jobs, with generation, rendering, and approvals connected out of the box.
See what you're producing without leaving the workflow
In Zapier, you never see what your workflow is creating. Each step passes along URLs and data fields, so reviewing an output means clicking through to storage, the AI tool's dashboard, or wherever the file ended up.
In Plainly Flows, every stage shows the actual asset. You watch the creative take shape step by step, open any output directly in the workflow, and spot a problem the moment it appears instead of after the run finishes.
In Plainly Flows, every stage shows the actual asset. You watch the creative take shape step by step, open any output directly in the workflow, and spot a problem the moment it appears instead of after the run finishes.
Nothing goes live without sign-off
Zapier was built to move things automatically. Stopping so a human can look at something is not part of how it works. If your process needs an approval, that step lives in your email, your Slack, or nowhere at all, and getting sign-off from more than one person means chasing people.
Plainly Flows treats approval as a normal part of the workflow. Add review stages wherever you need them and route assets to legal, creative directors, regional leads, or all three. Each person signs off in order, and nothing moves forward until everyone who needs to approve has approved.
Plainly Flows treats approval as a normal part of the workflow. Add review stages wherever you need them and route assets to legal, creative directors, regional leads, or all three. Each person signs off in order, and nothing moves forward until everyone who needs to approve has approved.
Brand compliance built into the workflow
Zapier has no concept of a brand. It moves and triggers whatever the workflow says, with nothing watching what the output actually looks like or says.
Plainly Flows was built with creative production in mind, which means brand safety is part of the system. Set the guardrails, define what passes and what doesn't, and let the workflow enforce it automatically at every step.
Plainly Flows was built with creative production in mind, which means brand safety is part of the system. Set the guardrails, define what passes and what doesn't, and let the workflow enforce it automatically at every step.
Trusted by creative teams worldwide
Collaborating with Plainly was a seamless experience. Their team was committed and proficient, allowing us to achieve our campaign goals and create great experiences for our supporters.
Toma Delafosse
Head of Performance @ Unicef Australia
You know you often hear business owners say we really just want technology to help us run our business better? Like this is it. This is what you do to run your business better.
Jody Poole
Team Lead Design @ Leads.io
We use Plainly for crucial tasks to automate creative production for our clients, and whilst they have a great product we're even more happy about their support.
Kasimir Hellman
CEO @ Plug
Get exclusive early access
Currently, we're accepting teams at mid-to-large companies that run creative operations at scale and want to shape the future of creative automation with us.
Compared to my old in-house rendering setup, it's like night and day. It scales effortlessly, performs consistently, and has been rock-solid reliable.
Tony Sajdak, CTO @ Perfect Fools
Frequently asked questions
Is Plainly Flows a Zapier alternative?
Can I use Plainly Flows and Zapier together?
Does Plainly Flows integrate with as many apps as Zapier
Do I need coding experience to build workflows in Plainly Flows?
Who is Plainly Flows for?
Does Plainly Flows replace my creative team or design tools?
What types of creative assets can I automate using Plainly Flows?
Can Plainly Flows handle creative production across multiple brands at once?
