The best automation apps, according to hackers
6 automation apps recommended in Hacker News comments over the past year, ranked by how many separate people recommend each one.
All automation apps
- HammerspoonPeople recommend it as a free, scriptable Lua-based automation tool for macOS, used for window management, hotkeys and app integrations. Common caveat: Lua must be learned first.61recommend
- ShortcutsFree Apple app that automates tasks on iPhone and Mac, strong for simple workflows. Common caveat: the clumsy editor gets hard to maintain for complex shortcuts.57recommend
- TaskerPeople recommend it for powerful Android automation, from night mode to call rejection and hotspot triggers. The most common caveat is a hard-to-learn interface.12recommend
- Automator (macOS)Built-in macOS tool for automating tasks without code, with droplets and GUI workflows; people also use it as an AppleScript alternative. Critics say Apple never promoted it and it feels dated.7recommend
- Noodlesoft HazelMac users rely on it to automate file organization and cleanup, though some find a simple script can do similar work.7recommend
- SafeClawRecommended as a free, locally run automation alternative to OpenClaw that does most of its work without a language model, pausing risky actions for human approval.5recommend