# Lindy vs Zapier: the open-source system you own

> Lindy and Zapier both run in their own cloud and price the work in credits or tasks. This comparison sorts them by what a team ends up owning, next to Kortix, the open-source AI Operating System you can read, fork, and self-host.

URL: https://lindyalternative.com/lindy-vs-zapier

_Compare_

## Lindy vs Zapier, by what you own

Kortix is the one you host; both rivals run in their own cloud, and every rival cell quotes the vendor's own pages.

| | Kortix (recommended) | Lindy | Zapier |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Open source | Yes. Read it, fork it, audit it. | No. A hosted service. | No. A hosted automation platform. |
| Where it runs | Kortix Cloud, your VPC, or on-prem. Self-host is free. | Lindy's cloud only. | Zapier's cloud only. |
| What you own | Agents, skills, memory, and connectors in one git repo you own. | A hosted workspace in Lindy's cloud. | Zaps, Tables, and Forms in Zapier's cloud. |
| How you're billed | Self-host is free; cloud seats draw pooled credits. | Credits per active seat, refreshed monthly, no rollover. | Tasks per plan, shared across the account. |
| Integrations | 3,000+ apps in a click, plus MCP and raw HTTP. | 1,000+ integrations and any MCP server. | 9,000+ native integrations, plus MCP and SDK. |
| Approvals | Approval gates you set. Off until you set them. | Anything with outside impact waits for approval. | Approval requests for teammate steps. |
| Model choice | Any model provider with your own keys. | A model per task from those Lindy hosts. | Bring Your Own Model on Enterprise. |

## What actually decides a Lindy vs Zapier choice

The choice hides three different jobs. One reader wants a hosted AI teammate to swap for Lindy. One wants app-to-app automation that reaches 9,000+ tools. One wants a system the team owns: agents, skills, memory, and connectors in files it controls. Lindy and Zapier both keep the configuration and the runtime in their own cloud, so whichever you pick, the vendor holds the system. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System: your agents, their skills, your company memory, and every connector in one git repo you own, with the agents working on real cloud computers.

## What Lindy is

Lindy describes itself as "your AI teammate that plugs into your tools, learns how you work, and takes real work off your plate." It is a hosted service you reach over the web, Slack, email, and SMS, with 1,000+ integrations and 40+ skills. It prices the work in credits ([Lindy pricing](https://www.lindy.ai/pricing), checked October 2026): credits refresh each month, do not roll over, and every active seat draws from one shared pool. The arithmetic behind that pool is on the [Lindy priced out](/lindy-pricing) page.

## What Zapier is

Zapier calls itself "an AI orchestration platform designed for securely building AI workflows and business systems across 9,000+ apps." You build Zaps, Tables, and Forms in a visual editor, and each successful action spends a task from a shared pool. Its own pricing lists a free tier, a Professional plan from $19.99 a month, and a Team plan ([Zapier pricing](https://zapier.com/pricing), checked October 2026). Zapier connects more apps than either of the other two, and it governs credentials and guardrails in one place.

## What you own after the subscription stops

This is the split neither rival takes. Zapier and Lindy keep the configuration and the memory on their side of the wall; stop paying and the Zaps and the workspace stay theirs. On Kortix the system is files. Each agent is `agents/<name>.md` plus an `agents.<name>` block in `kortix.yaml`, and company memory is plain files today in the same repo, so you can read it, fork it, and audit it.

```yaml
kortix_version: 2
default_agent: kortix
agents:
  kortix:
    file: agents/kortix.md
    connectors: all
    secrets: all
    kortix_permissions: all
```

That block governs what an agent may reach, and connectors, triggers, and secret names live in the same file. The reference is in the [Kortix docs](https://kortix.com/docs/project/manifest). For the head-to-head with the hosted teammate, see [Kortix vs Lindy](/kortix-vs-lindy). If the other option on your desk is a self-hostable workflow tool, [Lindy vs n8n](/lindy-vs-n8n) covers that pair.

_FAQ_

## Lindy vs Zapier, answered

Short answers about self-hosting, seats, and where the work lives.

### Can I self-host Lindy or Zapier?

No. Neither Lindy's nor Zapier's own pages show a self-hosting option, so both run in their own cloud. Kortix is open source and runs on Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on-prem, and self-host is free.

### What do I stop owning if I rent instead?

In a hosted tool the configuration and the memory sit in the vendor's cloud. Kortix keeps them in one git repo you own, with agents, skills, memory, and connectors as files.

### Do Lindy and Zapier bill per person?

Both bill by active seat or task tier. Lindy draws one shared credit pool across every active seat, and Zapier shares tasks across the account. Kortix pools cloud credits per seat and self-hosts for free.

### How does Kortix compare with a self-hostable workflow tool?

If you are weighing n8n instead of Zapier, the [Lindy vs n8n](/lindy-vs-n8n) page sets out that pair, and the full head-to-head with Lindy is on [Kortix vs Lindy](/kortix-vs-lindy).

## Run your agents from one repo you own.

Start with one job, one session, one change request.

[Try Kortix](https://kortix.com) · [Compare with Lindy](https://lindyalternative.com/kortix-vs-lindy)

Open source · Any model, your keys · Self-host, VPC, or on-prem