Automate vs MacroDroid
We give Automate and MacroDroid the same GPA: 3.0 out of 4.0. They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Automate
Android automation app that builds tasks as flowcharts
Free plan · from $4.99 one-time
MacroDroid
Android automation app built on triggers, actions and constraints
Free plan · from $1.49
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAAutomateVery good | 3.0GPAMacroDroidVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APremium is $4.99, once, on the US Google Play listing. No subscription. It lifts the 30-block limit and covers every device registered to the Google account that bought it. Most automation tools ask for more than that every month. | APro is a one-time in-app purchase with no subscription. Google Play lists the app's purchases at $1.49 to $10.00 an item and doesn't give the exact Pro price, but anywhere in that range is small change next to a monthly automation plan. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free edition has every feature. The one limit is 30 running blocks at a time, and blocks you haven't connected count too. That's 15 two-block flows or a single big one, so a keen tinkerer runs out fast. | BMacroDroid's wiki calls the free version otherwise fully functional, but it shows ads and stops at 5 macros. That's a Wi-Fi routine and a few others, and then you'll want Pro. |
| Features | AMore than 400 blocks for actions, conditions, triggers and loops. Flows can react to the time, your location, Wi-Fi, battery or the app that's open, call web services over HTTP and use Tasker plug-ins. For automating a phone, that's the whole job. | AMore than 120 triggers, 200 actions and 80 constraints, plus variables, loops and IF / THEN / ELSE logic for the keen. Add a store of ready-made macros, Tasker plugins, webhooks and AI actions that mostly run on the device. For a phone, that's the whole job. |
| Ease of use | BYou build by connecting blocks, with preset options for beginners and ready-made community flows to download. Battery savers can pause your flows until you change some system settings. There's no rating on record to go by, so a B. | BNo programming. A macro is a trigger, some actions and optional constraints, and one tap installs a template you can adjust. Automating taps on screen needs Android's accessibility services switched on. No rating on record, so a B. |
| Platforms and integrations | DAndroid only. LlamaLab's FAQ says there's no PC or online edition, and suggests an emulator if you want to edit on a computer. From the phone it does reach Google Drive, OneDrive, FTP and webhooks. | DAndroid phones and tablets only, and the Wear OS companion needs the phone app. The listing shows no iPhone, web or desktop version. It does take webhook triggers and run Tasker and Locale plugins. |
| Best for | drawing Android automations as flowcharts | a first go at automating an Android phone |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Automate and MacroDroid. How we grade
Where they differ
- Automate starts at $4.99 one-time in-app purchase. MacroDroid starts at $1.49 - $10.00 per item in-app; the Pro upgrade is a one-time payment.
- MacroDroid also covers templates.
In commonFree planAndroidOne-time purchaseWorkflow automationNo-code
At a glance
| Automate | MacroDroid | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $4.99 one-time in-app purchase | $1.49 - $10.00 per item in-app; the Pro upgrade is a one-time payment |
| Free plan | 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. | The free version is ad-supported and lets you create up to 5 macros. The MacroDroid wiki describes it as otherwise fully functional. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Android | ||
| Made by | LlamaLab | ArloSoft |
| Price read from | play.google.com | play.google.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
MacroDroid
- Android users new to automation who want ready-made macros
- Routines based on location, time, battery level or connectivity
- People who want a one-time upgrade with no subscription
Worth knowing
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.
MacroDroid
- The free version shows ads and allows only 5 macros.
- MacroDroid runs on Android phones and tablets only; its Wear OS companion app needs the phone app.
- Google Play lists in-app purchases at $1.49 to $10.00 per item and does not state the exact price of the Pro upgrade.
- Some features, such as automating UI interactions, rely on Android's accessibility services, which are optional to enable.
Key features
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.
MacroDroid
- Triggers
- More than 120 triggers start a macro: location and geofences, battery and app launches, sensors such as shake and proximity, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, notifications and webhooks.
- Actions
- More than 200 actions can be chained in one macro, including adjusting volume, speaking text aloud, sending messages, controlling media, taking screenshots and running Tasker plugins.
- Constraints
- More than 80 constraints limit when a macro runs, by day, time, location or device state: for example, connecting to office Wi-Fi only during working hours.
- Template Store
- A built-in store holds hundreds of ready-made macros shared by the community. One tap installs a template, which can then be adjusted.
- Logic and scripting
- Power users get user-defined variables, dictionaries and arrays, intents, scripting, IF / THEN / ELSE logic, AND/OR conditions and loops.
- AI actions
- Per the MacroDroid wiki, AI actions query language models, summarize and rewrite text and describe images, mostly on the device with Gemini Nano. An AI Assistant helps build macros.
Plans
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.
MacroDroid
Free$0
Ad-supported version of the app with up to 5 macros.
Pro$1.49 - $10.00
one-time in-app purchase; the listing gives only this range
Removes all ads and unlocks unlimited macros, with no subscription. The wiki adds cloud backup and uploading your own templates as Pro extras.
