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Comparison·Last reviewed Sep 18, 2026

Pilotran vs Relay

Relay pioneered human-in-the-loop AI automation. Pilotran takes that shape further: BYO AI keys with no token markup, a curated template catalogue, an MCP endpoint, and audit logging.

The wedge

Relay gets the shape right — humans in the loop, AI drafts, review before send. Pilotran removes the two frictions Relay leaves in place: token markup on top of your AI usage, and no exposed MCP endpoint for Claude / ChatGPT to drive workflows.

Feature by feature

FeaturePilotranRelay
BYO Anthropic / OpenAI key (no markup)YesNo
Approval stepsYesYes
Templates you can start from50+Handful
Failure DoctorYesNo
MCP server — Claude Desktop / ChatGPTYesNo
Audit logYesEnterprise only
Undo runsYesNo

Pricing side by side

Pilotran
Our pricing
  • Starter
    Free $0 · 50 runs · no card
  • Pro
    Pro $49/mo · 2,000 runs
  • Business
    Business $299/mo · 15,000 runs
  • AI cost
    BYO Anthropic/OpenAI key on every paid plan
Relay
  • Starter
    Free 200 runs · 100 AI credits
  • Pro
    Pro $19/mo/user · 5k runs · 1.5k AI credits
  • Business
    Team $59/mo/user · unlimited runs · 5k AI credits
  • AI cost
    AI credits marked up on top of subscription

Relay markets 'AI credits' as a feature; those credits are marked-up AI calls. Pilotran removes that markup entirely with BYO key.

Where Pilotran wins

Teams that want Relay's human-in-the-loop model but are running enough AI volume that per-run markup starts to sting.

When Relay is the better fit

You need a highly polished visual canvas and are fine paying markup on AI usage — Relay's builder is more mature there today.

Questions people ask

Does Relay support BYO key like Pilotran?+

As of 2026, no. AI runs consume Relay's marked-up credits. Pilotran lets you plug in your own Anthropic or OpenAI key so you pay providers directly with no surcharge.

Does Relay have an MCP server?+

No. Pilotran exposes an MCP endpoint so Claude Desktop / ChatGPT can list, run, and query your workflows directly.

Which has more templates?+

Pilotran ships 50+ curated templates. Relay's template library is smaller and lighter on marketing-ops workflows specifically.

Does Relay have audit logging?+

Enterprise-tier only. Pilotran includes audit logging on Business plans.

Try these workflows on Pilotran

Guide
How to summarize newsletters with AI (and email yourself one digest).
Guide
How to get inbox zero with AI (without deleting anything).
Guide
How to turn meeting notes into action items with AI.
Guide
How to chase overdue invoices with AI — without sounding like a bot.

Migrating from Relay? See the Relay alternative & migration guide →

Try Pilotran on your own Relay workflows.

Free forever, no card — or a 7-day trial on any paid plan. Bring your own Anthropic or OpenAI key — no token markup, no per-run surcharge.

Start free →
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Pilotran

AI workflow automation on autopilot. Pick a template, connect your apps, let Claude do the rest.

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