Add to Chrome — it’s free
Automa is a well-liked open-source browser automation extension — roughly 200,000 users and a 4.4 rating from 261 reviews on its Chrome Web Store listing — built around a visual, block-based workflow builder. You drag blocks onto a canvas, connect them, and the workflow runs. It is genuinely no-code, and its docs are good.
The friction is that a canvas is still a design surface. For a five-step chore, drawing the workflow takes longer than doing the chore. Replayo is a macro recorder: it captures the chore while you do it and replays it exactly, which is why it is worth a look as an Automa alternative for simple, repetitive tasks.
Blocks vs recording
A block workflow is explicit. Every action is a node you chose, so you can branch, loop and inspect — but you have to know the shape of the task before you start, and you have to translate "click the export button" into the block that does it.
A recording is implicit. You do not describe the task; you perform it. There is no translation step, and nothing to lay out. The cost is that you cannot branch or loop — a recording is a straight line.
| Automa | Replayo | |
|---|---|---|
| How automations are made | Drag and connect blocks on a canvas | Record the task once |
| Branching and loops | Yes — conditions, loops, data blocks | No — a macro is a straight line of steps |
| Time to first automation | Learn the blocks, then build the workflow | About the time it takes to do the task once |
| Scheduling | Yes, via triggers | Yes — every 30 min, hourly, or daily |
| Email a value from a page | Possible via blocks and integrations | Built in — pick an element while recording |
| Where data lives | Local, with optional sync | Locally, in your browser's extension storage |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Price | Free and open source, with paid hosted options | Free to install and use, optional paid tier for unlimited replays |
Competitor details are as published at the time of writing and may change — check the vendor's own site for current specifics.
Choose Automa if…
- Your automation needs conditions, loops or per-row data.
- You want to share and version workflows as files.
- You care about open source and want to extend the tool.
Choose Replayo if…
- The task is linear — open a page, click a few things, read a number.
- You do not want to design anything before you can automate it.
- You want the result emailed rather than sitting in a log.
Automate it without drawing it
Record the task once. Replayo does it the same way every time — free to install.
Frequently asked questions
Does Replayo have loops or conditions like Automa?
No. A Replayo macro is a linear sequence of recorded steps — it replays what you did, in order. If your automation needs branching, loops, or to run over a list of input rows, a block-based tool like Automa is a better fit.
Is Replayo open source?
No, Replayo is a closed-source Chrome extension. Macros, recordings and schedules are stored locally in your browser's extension storage rather than uploaded.
Which is easier for a non-technical person?
Recording has a lower floor: there is nothing to learn beyond pressing Record and doing the task. A block builder is more capable but asks you to model the task first.