Self-Hosted Alternatives to IFTTT
Why Replace IFTTT?
The free tier gutting. IFTTT once offered unlimited applets for free. Now the free plan is limited to 2 applets. The Pro plan is $3.99/month for 20 applets. Pro+ is $14.99/month for unlimited. What was once the simplest free automation tool is now a subscription.
Privacy. Every IFTTT applet routes data through IFTTT’s cloud. Your smart home data, email triggers, location data, and connected service credentials all live on IFTTT’s servers.
Reliability. IFTTT applets have polling delays (often 15-60 minutes for free users). Smart home triggers that should be instant are frustratingly slow.
Limited complexity. IFTTT’s “if this then that” model is simple — too simple. No branching, no multi-step workflows, no data transformation. For anything beyond basic triggers, you need Zapier-level tools anyway.
Best Alternatives
n8n — Best Overall IFTTT Replacement
n8n handles everything IFTTT does and far more. Simple trigger-action automations are easy to build, but you also get branching, code nodes, and 400+ integrations when you need them. It’s overkill for simple “if this then that” automations, but you’ll never outgrow it.
IFTTT equivalents in n8n:
- IFTTT trigger → n8n trigger node (webhook, schedule, app-specific)
- IFTTT action → n8n action node
- IFTTT filter → n8n IF node
- IFTTT multiple actions → n8n workflow with multiple nodes
Read our full guide: How to Self-Host n8n
Node-RED — Best for Smart Home
If you used IFTTT primarily for smart home automations (lights, sensors, switches), Node-RED is the natural replacement. It has a dedicated Home Assistant integration, MQTT support for IoT devices, and runs on a Raspberry Pi alongside your smart home hub.
Why it’s perfect for IFTTT smart home users:
- Native MQTT support for IoT devices
- Home Assistant palette for deep integration
- Runs on the same hardware as your smart home
- Real-time triggers (no polling delays)
- 4,000+ community nodes
Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Node-RED
Activepieces — Closest to IFTTT Simplicity
Activepieces has the simplest UI of any self-hosted automation tool. Its step-by-step builder is closer to IFTTT’s simplicity than n8n’s canvas editor. If you want something easy and open-source (MIT), start here.
Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Activepieces
Huginn — Best for Web Monitoring Applets
If you used IFTTT to monitor websites, RSS feeds, or web services, Huginn’s agent model maps well to those use cases. Its WebsiteAgent and RssAgent handle monitoring and alerting.
Caveat: Aging project with slow development. Use for monitoring-specific use cases; prefer n8n or Activepieces for general automation.
Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Huginn
Migration Guide
Common IFTTT Applet Replacements
| IFTTT Applet | Self-Hosted Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Weather alert → notification | n8n: Weather API node → Slack/Email node |
| RSS feed → email digest | n8n: RSS Feed trigger → Email node |
| Smart home trigger → action | Node-RED: MQTT/HA trigger → action |
| New email → spreadsheet row | n8n: Gmail trigger → Google Sheets node |
| Button press → action | n8n: Webhook trigger → action node |
| Time-based trigger → action | n8n: Cron trigger → action node |
| Web page change → notification | Huginn: WebsiteAgent → EmailAgent |
Steps to Migrate
- List your IFTTT applets — go to IFTTT → My Applets and document each one
- Categorize — smart home, web monitoring, SaaS integration, or notifications
- Choose your tool — Node-RED for smart home, n8n for everything else
- Recreate each applet — most take 5-10 minutes to rebuild
- Test for a week — run both IFTTT and self-hosted in parallel
- Cancel IFTTT Pro — save $48-180/year
Cost Comparison
| IFTTT Free | IFTTT Pro+ | n8n (Self-Hosted) | Node-RED (Self-Hosted) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $0 | $14.99 | $5-10 (VPS) | $0 (Raspberry Pi) |
| Annual cost | $0 | $180 | $60-120 | ~$5 (electricity) |
| Applets/workflows | 2 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Trigger speed | 15-60 min polling | 1 min polling | Instant (webhooks) | Instant |
| Smart home | Basic | Basic | Good (via API) | Excellent (MQTT, HA) |
| Privacy | IFTTT servers | IFTTT servers | Your server | Your server |
What You Give Up
- Simplicity. IFTTT’s UI is genuinely the simplest automation interface. Self-hosted tools require more setup, even the easier ones like Activepieces.
- Mobile app. IFTTT has polished iOS/Android apps with location triggers and button widgets. Self-hosted tools are web-only.
- Some integrations. IFTTT connects to services like Ring, Philips Hue, and Wyze via proprietary APIs that self-hosted tools can’t access. However, most smart devices support MQTT or Home Assistant, which Node-RED handles natively.
- Zero maintenance. IFTTT is a managed service. Self-hosted tools need occasional updates and monitoring.
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