Free picks · Windows · Open source
Best free open-source automation tools for Windows (2026)
Every pick is listed under Automation in our directory, runs on a Windows PC and is free to use and tagged open source. We rank them by our rating and popularity, then favour tools made mainly for automation and apps built for Windows.
Short answer
The best free open-source automation tools for Windows are AutoHotkey, gptme and Espanso, the top three of 25 matches in our directory. All 10 are tagged open source in our directory. All 10 are completely free.
Updated
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
At a glance
Counted from the top 10 picks, except the total.
- Matching tools
- 25
- Completely free
- 10
- Open source
- 10
- Work offline
- 8
- Native apps
- 9
Comparison table
“Free plan” means a free tier with paid upgrades. A dash in Licence means our directory does not list the tool as open source.
| # | Name | Pricing | Platforms | Licence | Why pick it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AutoHotkey | Free | Windows, Offline | Open source | A free scripting tool for creating hotkeys and automating tasks on Windows. |
| 2 | gptme | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux | Open source | Your agent in your terminal, equipped with local tools. |
| 3 | Espanso | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux, Offline | Open source | An open-source text expander that types your snippets anywhere on your computer. |
| 4 | Task | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux | Open source | A modern task runner that turns your repeated commands into short, named steps. |
| 5 | Node-RED | Free | Linux, Windows, macOS | Open source | Free, open-source low-code tool for wiring together devices, APIs and online services. |
| 6 | Nushell | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux, Offline | Open source | A modern shell that treats your data as tables, not walls of text. |
| 7 | Cline for Desktop | Free | macOS, Windows | Open source | The open-source Cline coding agent as a native desktop app. |
| 8 | topgrade | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux | Open source | Update every app and tool on your computer with one command. |
| 9 | Gum | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux, Offline | Open source | A toolkit for adding friendly prompts and menus to shell scripts. |
| 10 | Cerebro | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux | Open source | A productivity booster and a global search tool. |
Why each pick made the list
Every reason is taken from the tool's own listing: its categories, platforms, features, rating and pricing.
Our top Windows pick, rated 4.7/5, the highest here. Made mainly for automation, one of 8 such picks here. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on Offline. Its listing says it works offline (8 of 10 here). It is not in the Mac top 10 (not listed for Mac). On the wider free Windows list, open source or not, it is number 1.
Watch out for: Windows only
Number 2 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for AI productivity, it is one of 2 picks here that cover automation as a second use. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (8 of 10 here), is privacy-focused (the only one here) and has AI features (2 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 3. On the wider free Windows list, open source or not, it is number 2.
Watch out for: Terminal-first workflow
Number 3 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for automation, one of 8 such picks here. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux and Offline. Its listing says it works offline (8 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 4. On the wider free Windows list, open source or not, it is number 4.
Watch out for: Setup is done in config files
Number 4 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for automation, one of 8 such picks here. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (8 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 6. On the wider free Windows list, open source or not, it is number 5.
Watch out for: Mostly useful to developers
Number 5 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for automation, one of 8 such picks here. Runs on a Windows PC, and also on Linux and macOS. Its listing says it works offline (8 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 8. On the wider free Windows list, open source or not, it is number 6.
Watch out for: You install and host it yourself
Number 6 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for automation, one of 8 such picks here. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux and Offline. Its listing says it works offline (8 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 9. On the wider free Windows list, open source or not, it is number 7.
Watch out for: Scripts differ from Bash
Number 7 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.5/5. Made mainly for AI productivity, it is one of 2 picks here that cover automation as a second use. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS. Its listing says it has AI features (2 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 10. On the wider free Windows list, open source or not, it is number 8.
Watch out for: Currently in beta
Number 8 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for automation, one of 8 such picks here. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (8 of 10 here). It is not in the Mac top 10 (11th for Mac). On the wider free Windows list, open source or not, it is number 9.
Watch out for: Terminal only
Number 9 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for automation, one of 8 such picks here. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux and Offline. Its listing says it works offline (8 of 10 here). It is not in the Mac top 10 (13th for Mac). On the wider free Windows list it ranks 12th, outside the top 10.
Watch out for: Only useful if you write scripts
Number 10 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.3/5. Made mainly for automation, one of 8 such picks here. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS and Linux. It is not in the Mac top 10 (14th for Mac). On the wider free Windows list it ranks 13th, outside the top 10.
Watch out for: Can consume notable system resources with many plugins
Running these on Windows
Counted from each pick's listing type and platforms.
- By listing type, the 10 Windows picks are 9 desktop apps (AutoHotkey, gptme, Espanso, Task and 5 others) and 1 automation tool (Node-RED).
- 9 of 10 are apps you install on a Windows PC; the other one is a web or cloud tool listed for Windows.
- Every Windows pick here also runs somewhere else. Espanso reaches furthest, on 3 other platforms besides Windows.
- None of these Windows picks is listed on Android.
How this list compares
The same search on other platforms, and the other price filter. Only the differences are named.
- Free open-source automation tools for Mac
6 of these 10 Windows picks also make the Mac top 10. 4 are on this list only: AutoHotkey (not listed for Mac), topgrade (11th for Mac), Gum (13th for Mac) and Cerebro (14th for Mac). In their place the Mac list has direnv, Hammerspoon, Karabiner-Elements and iTerm2; none of them is listed for Windows.
- Free automation tools for Windows
Fine with closed source? The wider free Windows list ranks 33 tools that run on a Windows PC, open source or not, led by AutoHotkey, gptme and Raycast.
More matches
15 more free open-source automation tools for Windows in our directory, in ranked order.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free open-source automation tool for Windows?
- AutoHotkey is our first pick. A free scripting tool for creating hotkeys and automating tasks on Windows. Yes. AutoHotkey is free to use.
- Are these automation tools really free?
- Yes. All 10 picks on this page are completely free, with no paid plan listed.
- Do these open-source automation tools work on other platforms too?
- All 10 picks also run elsewhere, including AutoHotkey (Offline), gptme (macOS and Linux) and Espanso (macOS, Linux and Offline).
- Which ones work offline on a Windows PC?
- AutoHotkey, gptme, Espanso, Task, Node-RED and 3 others are listed as working offline. The others need an internet connection for at least some features.
- How many free open-source automation tools for Windows are in the directory?
- 25 match: listed under Automation, available on a Windows PC and free to start, and tagged open source. This page ranks the top 10 and names up to 20 more under More matches. The Automation category page has every listing, paid ones included.
Keep exploring
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