Apple Shortcuts vs Automate
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Apple Shortcuts
Free automation app for iPhone, iPad and Mac, built by Apple
Free
Automate
Android automation app that builds tasks as flowcharts
Free plan · from $4.99 one-time
Where they differ
- Apple Shortcuts is free. Automate starts at $4.99 one-time in-app purchase.
- Only Apple Shortcuts lists iOS and macOS apps.
- Only Automate lists an Android app.
- Automate can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Apple Shortcuts also covers templates.
In commonFree planWorkflow automationNo-code
At a glance
| Apple Shortcuts | Automate | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $4.99 one-time in-app purchase |
| Free plan | The US App Store lists Shortcuts as free, with no in-app purchases shown. It needs an iPhone or iPad on iOS 12 or later, or a Mac. | The free edition has every feature and one limit: at most 30 running blocks at a time, counting unconnected blocks in running flows. Inactive flows stored on the device are unlimited. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Apple Inc. | LlamaLab |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | play.google.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Apple Shortcuts
- iPhone, iPad and Mac owners automating tasks across Apple's apps
- Routines tied to a time, a place or an alarm on iPhone
- Anyone who wants automation on Apple devices at no cost
Automate
- Android users who prefer drawing an automation as a flowchart
- Changing device settings or sending messages by time, place or event
- Trying every feature before paying, since the free edition leaves none out
Worth knowing
Apple Shortcuts
- Shortcuts runs only on Apple devices: the App Store lists it for iPhone and iPad, and Apple documents a Mac app. There is no Windows, Android or web version.
- A third-party app appears in Shortcuts only if its developer supports it; other services have to be reached through web API requests.
- Keeping shortcuts in step across devices depends on iCloud Sync and on being signed in with the same Apple account.
Automate
- Android only: the FAQ says there is no PC or online edition and suggests an Android emulator for editing flows on a computer.
- The free edition runs at most 30 blocks at once, and unconnected blocks inside a running flow count toward the limit.
- Premium is tied to the Google account that bought it and is verified through the Google Play store app.
- Battery-saving settings and task-killer apps can pause flows; the FAQ lists the system settings to change.
Key features
Apple Shortcuts
- Actions
- Each shortcut is a series of actions, and each action is one step. The App Store listing cites over 300 built-in actions, and apps that support Siri Shortcuts add their own.
- Gallery
- A curated collection of ready-made shortcuts. Any of them can be added to your own collection and then edited to suit, which also shows how they are built.
- Personal and home automations
- On iPhone and iPad, an automation is triggered by an event instead of being started by hand. Triggers include a time of day, an alarm, a sleep schedule and arriving at a place.
- Many ways to run a shortcut
- On iPhone and iPad: the app, Siri, the Home Screen, a widget, the share sheet, Control Center or an Apple Watch. On a Mac: Finder, Spotlight, the menu bar, a keyboard shortcut or the command line.
- iCloud Sync
- With iCloud Sync turned on, a shortcut added, changed or removed on one device is updated on the others signed in to the same Apple account, including Apple Watch.
- Scripting and web APIs
- Advanced actions cover variables, If and Repeat logic, menus and prompts, running JavaScript on a web page, URL schemes and requests to web APIs with JSON parsing.
Automate
- Flowchart editor
- Automations are drawn by adding and connecting blocks. Beginners configure blocks with predefined options, and experienced users can add expressions, variables and functions.
- More than 400 building blocks
- Blocks cover actions, conditions, event triggers and loops for files, messages, phone calls, the camera, audio and device settings such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC.
- Context triggers
- Flows can react to the time of day, location through geofencing, calendar events, the app currently open, the connected Wi-Fi network, battery level and physical activity.
- App and web integration
- Automate works with apps that support the Locale/Tasker plug-in API, can fall back on screen scraping and simulated input, and calls online services over HTTP, including webhooks.
- Community flows
- Complete flows that other users have made and shared can be downloaded from a community section inside the app, then run or edited.
- Files and remote storage
- Blocks copy, move, rename and delete files on the device, SD card and USB drives, handle zip archives, and upload or download through Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and FTP.
Plans
Apple Shortcuts
ShortcutsFree
The whole app: over 300 built-in actions, the Gallery of ready-made shortcuts, personal and home automations, and iCloud sync.
Automate
Free$0
All features, with a maximum of 30 running blocks: for example 15 running flows of two blocks, or one flow of 30.
Premium$4.99
one-time in-app purchase (US Google Play listing)
Removes the 30 running-block limit. Owned by the Google account that bought it and applied to every device registered with that account.
