Quick Verdict
Lindy ($49–99+/mo) is the right choice if you need to automate defined, repeatable business processes — multi-step workflows, CRM routing, team handoffs — and you have the technical capacity to build and maintain them.
Deputy (pay-as-you-go) is the right choice if you want to delegate personal tasks via text message without building anything — follow-ups, scheduling, reminders, recurring tasks — at a fraction of the cost.
The core distinction: Lindy is for business process automation. Deputy is for personal task delegation.
People searching for "Deputy vs Lindy" or "Lindy AI alternative" are typically in one of two situations: they've tried Lindy and found the workflow builder more complex than expected, or they're evaluating both before committing and want an honest take. This comparison gives you both.
The useful framing: Lindy and Deputy are both AI tools that take action — which already puts them in a different category from ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, which only generate text. But they arrive at "action" in fundamentally different ways, which makes them right for completely different users.
AI workflow automation (Lindy's approach): You define trigger-action workflows in a visual builder — "when this happens, do this." The tool then executes that workflow automatically whenever the trigger fires. Powerful for repeatable business processes. Requires upfront setup and maintenance.
AI personal assistant (Deputy's approach): You send a natural language instruction via text message. The AI interprets it and executes it. No workflow to build, no trigger to define. Designed for ad-hoc, personal task delegation. Works immediately with no setup time.
What Lindy actually is
Lindy is an AI workflow automation platform. Its core architecture is trigger-action: you use a visual interface to define what event triggers a workflow and what sequence of actions Lindy takes in response. It integrates with email, CRM, calendars, Slack, and dozens of other business tools. It's capable, well-designed, and genuinely useful for teams running defined, repeatable processes.
The tradeoff is setup cost. Every workflow Lindy runs is a workflow you built first. Before Lindy can do anything for you, you need to invest time designing the trigger, mapping the steps, testing the logic, and maintaining it when things change. According to Productiv's benchmark report, workflow automation tools see median adoption of around 40% within organizations — meaning even teams that buy them often don't fully utilize them because setup friction prevents it.
Lindy's pricing starts at approximately $49/month and scales to $99+/month depending on usage and features. It's designed and priced for business teams, not individual users.
What Deputy actually is
Deputy is an AI personal assistant that lives in your text messages. You text it a task in plain English — "follow up with Jordan on Thursday if I haven't heard back," "book a call with Marcus next week," "send me a briefing every morning at 8am" — and it handles it. No visual builder, no trigger-action setup, no dashboard to manage.
It's built on ATXP infrastructure, which handles credentials, task execution, and billing. Pricing is pay-as-you-go — free to sign up, you only pay when Deputy does work for you. Most users spend a few dollars a month. No monthly subscription, no minimum commitment.
Deputy is designed for individuals — busy professionals, solopreneurs, small business owners, and anyone who wants personal task delegation without building anything first. The SMS interface means there's no app to open and no friction between thinking "I should follow up on this" and actually delegating it.
Side-by-side feature comparison
| Lindy | Deputy | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup required | Yes — visual workflow builder | No — text a task and it starts |
| Interface | Web app / dashboard | SMS text message |
| Pricing | $49–99+/month subscription | Pay-as-you-go · $0 when idle · free to start |
| Takes action | Yes — via defined workflows | Yes — via natural language instructions |
| Personalizes messages | Yes, with workflow configuration | Yes, based on context you provide |
| Works via SMS | No — web interface only | Yes — SMS is the primary interface |
| Always-on | Yes — workflows run automatically | Yes — 24/7 background execution |
| Best for individuals | Possible but overbuilt for personal use | Yes — designed for individuals |
| Best for teams | Yes — built for team workflows | Individual-focused; not team tooling |
| Monthly cost | $49–99+/month | Typically under $30/month at daily use |
| Free tier | Limited trial | Free to sign up; pay only for work done |
| Learning curve | Moderate — workflow logic takes time | Minimal — text it like you'd text a person |
When to use Lindy
Lindy is the right choice when you have defined, repeatable business processes that need to run automatically — not ad-hoc tasks that vary by context. Use Lindy when:
- →You have a specific, documented workflow that runs more than a few times a week — a lead routing sequence, a Slack notification trigger, a CRM update pipeline
- →You're automating for a team, not just yourself — Lindy's workflow-first model scales well to shared business processes
- →You have the technical capacity (or time) to build and maintain workflows before you get value
- →The $49–99/month subscription is justified by the volume of work Lindy automates across your team
Don't want to build workflows before AI does anything?
Deputy works the moment you text it a task. Free to start. $0 when idle.
Try Deputy FreeWhen to use Deputy
Deputy is the right choice when you want to delegate personal tasks without setup investment — the kind of thing you'd tell a human assistant over text. Use Deputy when:
- →You want to delegate tasks in real time without building anything first — you think of something, you text it, it's handled
- →Your tasks are personal and variable — follow up with this specific person, book a call for next week, remind me about X — not repeating templates
- →You're a solopreneur, small business owner, or individual professional — not an ops team running defined processes
- →You're already paying for AI subscriptions that require babysitting — you want to cut cost and gain execution, not add more tools
- →SMS is your primary communication channel — you don't want another app or dashboard to manage
"We care a lot more about the last mile and 'making things actually work' than the glitzy demos."
Louis Amira
Founder & CEO, Deputy / Circuit & Chisel
Decision guide: which tool fits your scenario
| Your situation | Recommended tool |
|---|---|
| You need to automate a CRM lead routing workflow for your sales team | Lindy |
| You want to follow up on proposals without manually tracking each one | Deputy |
| You want a Slack notification when a new form submission comes in | Lindy |
| You want a morning briefing every day at 8am without setting up a workflow | Deputy |
| You're a 10-person team with repeatable operational processes | Lindy |
| You're a solopreneur who wants ad-hoc task delegation under $30/month | Deputy |
| You want AI that works while you sleep on tasks you'd tell a human assistant | Deputy |
| You want to automate a multi-step conditional process with branching logic | Lindy |
Frequently asked questions
Is Lindy or Deputy better?
Neither is universally better — they're built for different users. Lindy is better for teams automating defined, repeatable business processes who can invest time in building workflows. Deputy is better for individuals who want to delegate personal tasks via text message without any setup. The key question: do you want to build automation, or do you want to send a text and have it handled?
How does Deputy compare to Lindy?
Both tools take autonomous action with AI — that's what makes them different from ChatGPT or Claude. The difference is how: Lindy requires you to build trigger-action workflows in a visual interface before it can do anything. Deputy works via SMS — you text it a task in plain language and it handles it. No workflow builder, no setup, no dashboard. Lindy costs $49–99+/month; Deputy is pay-as-you-go — $0 when idle.
What is cheaper, Lindy or Deputy?
Deputy is significantly cheaper for most individual users. Lindy's plans start around $49/month and scale to $99+/month. Deputy is pay-as-you-go — free to sign up, and you only pay when Deputy does work for you, typically just a few dollars a month. For a user running 10–15 tasks per month, Deputy will cost a fraction of Lindy's monthly minimum.
Can I use both Deputy and Lindy?
Yes, and some users do. Lindy handles automated business processes that run on defined triggers — things like routing leads from a form into a CRM. Deputy handles personal, ad-hoc tasks that come up in your day — following up on a specific conversation, booking a call, running a morning briefing. They operate in different contexts and don't overlap much in practice.