Vibecode Zapier
track this build5 steps, step by step0%A few personal automations are easy; Zapier's moat is the 9,000+ app integration catalog, auth handling, retries, task history, UI, and reliability.
You are building a lean indie version of Zapier. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Zapier indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Zapier workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Write scripts or an n8n/Activepieces flow to call the handful of APIs you actually need. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - integration catalog - OAuth maintenance - retries/history - nontechnical builder - app triggers/actions - uptime If those capabilities are essential, use n8n instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal automation runner to replace Zapier, for the handful of pipelines I actually use. Requirements: - One Node process on my VPS: Express for incoming webhooks, node-cron for schedules. A pipeline is a plain JS file in pipelines/ exporting a trigger (cron expression or webhook path) and an async run(payload). - Steps are just code: fetch() calls to the APIs I need, every key in .env. Adding an integration means writing 20 lines, not finding a connector. - Every run logged to SQLite (better-sqlite3): pipeline, trigger payload, status, duration, error. Failures retry 3 times with exponential backoff via p-retry. - A /runs page (bound to localhost) showing the last 100 runs with status and an expandable payload/error view, plus a re-run button. - After the final failed retry, notify me via an ntfy topic in .env. - Webhook URLs include a per-pipeline secret token; reject anything else. - Ship two example pipelines: a cron one (daily 08:00, fetch a weather API, push to ntfy) and a webhook one (POST in, append a row to a CSV). - No accounts, no telemetry, no visual editor. - Out of scope: OAuth flows for third-party apps (token-based APIs only) and any connector catalog. A service that only offers OAuth will cost an afternoon each, say so in the README. - README: systemd unit, how to add a pipeline, .env layout. ## Required capabilities - API keys/OAuth for each service - hosted runner - queue/retry system - logs - secrets storage ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a lean indie version of Zapier. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Zapier indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Zapier workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Write scripts or an n8n/Activepieces flow to call the handful of APIs you actually need. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - integration catalog - OAuth maintenance - retries/history - nontechnical builder - app triggers/actions - uptime If those capabilities are essential, use n8n instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal automation runner to replace Zapier, for the handful of pipelines I actually use. Requirements: - One Node process on my VPS: Express for incoming webhooks, node-cron for schedules. A pipeline is a plain JS file in pipelines/ exporting a trigger (cron expression or webhook path) and an async run(payload). - Steps are just code: fetch() calls to the APIs I need, every key in .env. Adding an integration means writing 20 lines, not finding a connector. - Every run logged to SQLite (better-sqlite3): pipeline, trigger payload, status, duration, error. Failures retry 3 times with exponential backoff via p-retry. - A /runs page (bound to localhost) showing the last 100 runs with status and an expandable payload/error view, plus a re-run button. - After the final failed retry, notify me via an ntfy topic in .env. - Webhook URLs include a per-pipeline secret token; reject anything else. - Ship two example pipelines: a cron one (daily 08:00, fetch a weather API, push to ntfy) and a webhook one (POST in, append a row to a CSV). - No accounts, no telemetry, no visual editor. - Out of scope: OAuth flows for third-party apps (token-based APIs only) and any connector catalog. A service that only offers OAuth will cost an afternoon each, say so in the README. - README: systemd unit, how to add a pipeline, .env layout. ## Required capabilities - API keys/OAuth for each service - hosted runner - queue/retry system - logs - secrets storage ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a production product version of Zapier. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== PRODUCT.md ===== # Zapier product brief ## Problem A few personal automations are easy; Zapier's moat is the 9,000+ app integration catalog, auth handling, retries, task history, UI, and reliability. ## Product outcome Write scripts or an n8n/Activepieces flow to call the handful of APIs you actually need. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - API keys/OAuth for each service - hosted runner - queue/retry system - logs - secrets storage ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - integration catalog - OAuth maintenance - retries/history - nontechnical builder - app triggers/actions - uptime ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees. ===== ARCHITECTURE.md ===== # Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a personal automation runner to replace Zapier, for the handful of pipelines I actually use. Requirements: - One Node process on my VPS: Express for incoming webhooks, node-cron for schedules. A pipeline is a plain JS file in pipelines/ exporting a trigger (cron expression or webhook path) and an async run(payload). - Steps are just code: fetch() calls to the APIs I need, every key in .env. Adding an integration means writing 20 lines, not finding a connector. - Every run logged to SQLite (better-sqlite3): pipeline, trigger payload, status, duration, error. Failures retry 3 times with exponential backoff via p-retry. - A /runs page (bound to localhost) showing the last 100 runs with status and an expandable payload/error view, plus a re-run button. - After the final failed retry, notify me via an ntfy topic in .env. - Webhook URLs include a per-pipeline secret token; reject anything else. - Ship two example pipelines: a cron one (daily 08:00, fetch a weather API, push to ntfy) and a webhook one (POST in, append a row to a CSV). - No accounts, no telemetry, no visual editor. - Out of scope: OAuth flows for third-party apps (token-based APIs only) and any connector catalog. A service that only offers OAuth will cost an afternoon each, say so in the README. - README: systemd unit, how to add a pipeline, .env layout. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone. ===== MILESTONES.md ===== # Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations. ===== OPERATIONS.md ===== # Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Zapier capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
# Zapier indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Zapier workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Write scripts or an n8n/Activepieces flow to call the handful of APIs you actually need. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - integration catalog - OAuth maintenance - retries/history - nontechnical builder - app triggers/actions - uptime If those capabilities are essential, use n8n instead of pretending the gap is solved.
# Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs".
# Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal automation runner to replace Zapier, for the handful of pipelines I actually use. Requirements: - One Node process on my VPS: Express for incoming webhooks, node-cron for schedules. A pipeline is a plain JS file in pipelines/ exporting a trigger (cron expression or webhook path) and an async run(payload). - Steps are just code: fetch() calls to the APIs I need, every key in .env. Adding an integration means writing 20 lines, not finding a connector. - Every run logged to SQLite (better-sqlite3): pipeline, trigger payload, status, duration, error. Failures retry 3 times with exponential backoff via p-retry. - A /runs page (bound to localhost) showing the last 100 runs with status and an expandable payload/error view, plus a re-run button. - After the final failed retry, notify me via an ntfy topic in .env. - Webhook URLs include a per-pipeline secret token; reject anything else. - Ship two example pipelines: a cron one (daily 08:00, fetch a weather API, push to ntfy) and a webhook one (POST in, append a row to a CSV). - No accounts, no telemetry, no visual editor. - Out of scope: OAuth flows for third-party apps (token-based APIs only) and any connector catalog. A service that only offers OAuth will cost an afternoon each, say so in the README. - README: systemd unit, how to add a pipeline, .env layout. ## Required capabilities - API keys/OAuth for each service - hosted runner - queue/retry system - logs - secrets storage ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden.
# Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
# Zapier product brief ## Problem A few personal automations are easy; Zapier's moat is the 9,000+ app integration catalog, auth handling, retries, task history, UI, and reliability. ## Product outcome Write scripts or an n8n/Activepieces flow to call the handful of APIs you actually need. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - API keys/OAuth for each service - hosted runner - queue/retry system - logs - secrets storage ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - integration catalog - OAuth maintenance - retries/history - nontechnical builder - app triggers/actions - uptime ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees.
# Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a personal automation runner to replace Zapier, for the handful of pipelines I actually use. Requirements: - One Node process on my VPS: Express for incoming webhooks, node-cron for schedules. A pipeline is a plain JS file in pipelines/ exporting a trigger (cron expression or webhook path) and an async run(payload). - Steps are just code: fetch() calls to the APIs I need, every key in .env. Adding an integration means writing 20 lines, not finding a connector. - Every run logged to SQLite (better-sqlite3): pipeline, trigger payload, status, duration, error. Failures retry 3 times with exponential backoff via p-retry. - A /runs page (bound to localhost) showing the last 100 runs with status and an expandable payload/error view, plus a re-run button. - After the final failed retry, notify me via an ntfy topic in .env. - Webhook URLs include a per-pipeline secret token; reject anything else. - Ship two example pipelines: a cron one (daily 08:00, fetch a weather API, push to ntfy) and a webhook one (POST in, append a row to a CSV). - No accounts, no telemetry, no visual editor. - Out of scope: OAuth flows for third-party apps (token-based APIs only) and any connector catalog. A service that only offers OAuth will cost an afternoon each, say so in the README. - README: systemd unit, how to add a pipeline, .env layout. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it.
# Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone.
# Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations.
# Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Zapier capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
$ choose a build depth, inspect the files, then open the complete pack in your agent · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR
They pay because every new app connection is already packaged and maintained.
xintegration catalog
xOAuth maintenance
xretries/history
xnontechnical builder
xapp triggers/actions
xuptime
Don't feel like building it? These folks already made it free.
all 3 free alternatives to Zapier →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Zapier pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0/workspace | $0/workspace | 100 tasks/month; unlimited Zaps, Tables and Forms; 2-step Zaps; 1 seat; 15-minute polling; 2,500 table records/account. |
| professional | $29.99/workspace | $19.99/workspace | Starts at 750 tasks/month; 1 seat; multi-step Zaps; premium apps; 2-minute polling; 100,000 table records/account. |
| team | $103.50/workspace | $69/workspace | Starts at 2,000 tasks/month; up to 25 users; 1-minute polling; 500,000 table records/account. |
| enterprise | custom | — | Custom annual task allowance; unlimited users; enterprise administration and security. |
free tier100 tasks/month, 2-step Zaps, 1 seat, 15-minute polling, 2,500 table records/account, 3 views/table, 10 form pages and 5 MB maximum form upload
billingmonthly + annual; annual prices are effective monthly rates and plans scale by task volume
hidden costsPay-per-task overage is enabled by default on eligible paid plans. Some newer units cost multiple tasks: MCP calls use 2, Lead Router steps 5, AI actions can use 1/3/5 by model tier, and extended code uses 1 task per 30 seconds. Agents and Chatbots are separate products or add-ons.
verified 2026-08-11 · source ↗
Vibecode Zapier
Kinda. The core of Zapier is buildable in a weekend with the prompt on this page, but there are real gaps: integration catalog, OAuth maintenance. Read the honest list above before committing.
How much does Zapier cost?
Zapier costs about $29.99/month (Professional/Starter, checked 2026-07-30), which is $359.88 per year.
What do I lose by replacing Zapier?
Honestly: integration catalog; OAuth maintenance; retries/history; nontechnical builder; app triggers/actions; uptime. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Zapier?
Yes: Activepieces Community Edition (Zapier with a Docker bill and no task meter.) Automatisch (A smaller AGPL Zapier clone for ordinary trigger-action flows.) n8n Community Edition (The standard self-hosted answer: broad, durable, and fair-code rather than open source.) All 3 curated free alternatives are at vibecodeit.com/zapier/alternatives. The prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.