IFTTT或 If This, Then That 是一种在线工具,可以轻松实现几乎任何事情的自动化(online tool that makes it easy to automate almost anything)。这些自动化过程被称为“食谱”,任何人都可以上传它们。如果您想将所有包含“山羊”一词的电子邮件主题行发布到Twitter,您可以。
如果您希望您的智能灯在他们在大型比赛中得分时闪烁您球队的颜色,您可以。可能性几乎是无穷无尽的。
也就是说,IFTTT并不是唯一的选择。如果您发现自己对IFTTT(IFTTT)的设置方式不满意,或者您只是想尝试另一种自动化日常生活的方法,请查看其中一些IFTTT替代方案。
Zapier (网站(Website))
Zapier是(Zapier)IFTTT最著名的替代品之一。Zapier的目标是比(Zapier)IFTTT可以轻松实现的更复杂的序列,但它的大部分功能适用于 Web 应用程序。
如果您使用IFTTT不支持的小众服务,您很有可能会在Zapier上找到它的代表。该公司声称每周都会添加新选项,“连接比任何人都多的网络应用程序”。
缺点是Zapier不是免费服务。虽然有免费套餐,但它限制您使用 Zaps(Zapier的食谱名称)两步或更少,并限制您可以选择的应用程序数量。每月 20 美元的层级可以充分发挥服务的潜力,还有一个每月运行 250 美元的业务层级。
字符串化(网站(Website))
如果您正在寻找或为您的智能家居设备设置特定触发器的方法,那么Stringify是您的理想之选。Stringify将其配方称为“ Flows ”,并且已经有数千个用户创建的选项。如果你找不到一个能满足你需要的,你可以自己做。
Stringify的优势之一是它支持单个操作的多个触发器。假设(Say)您想创建一个提高客厅温度的 Flow。您可以将其设置为在早上 6 点到 8 点之间在卧室中检测到运动或(or )抬起车库门时激活。
Stringify目前支持超过 600 种智能家居设备,但经常添加更多。也许最重要的是,Stringify是完全免费的。无需每月订阅即可访问其所有功能。
在此处阅读我们对 Stringify 的完整深入评论。(full in-depth review of Stringify here.)
塔斯克(网站(Website))
如果你是一个顽固的Android用户,Tasker是完美的自动化工具。该服务专门针对Android用户,比IFTTT授予对您设备的更多控制权。
如果您的手机已植根, Tasker(Tasker)会变得更加强大。UI 易于导航,并通过可靠、值得信赖的程序迎合Android用户的需求——正如任何(Android)Android用户可以告诉您的那样,有时在(Android)Google Play 商店(Google Play Store)中很难找到该程序。
不过, Tasker(Tasker)确实是有代价的。下载价格为 2.99 美元。一次性费用是您所需要担心的。另一个缺点是Tasker不支持基于 Web 的服务,因此您不会使用它来自动化Gmail。但是,在设备控制方面,您会发现没有比这更好的了。
捷径
Tasker 对Android的作用,Shortcuts对 iPhone 的作用。Apple发布了 iOS 12 的快捷方式(Shortcuts)。该服务让您只需几个步骤即可设置快速访问命令。
Apple将快捷方式的每个组成部分称为“动作”。” 结合(” Combining)多个操作可以让您创建一个快捷方式来执行您能想到的几乎任何事情。Apple提供的示例是“冲浪时间”快捷方式。快捷方式获取本地冲浪报告,为您提供到达海滩的预计(ETA)到达时间,并启动专门的冲浪播放列表。
Shortcuts是 iOS 12 的免费内置部分。Shortcuts应用程序还有一个“图库(Gallery)”,开发人员可以在其中策划最佳的快捷方式,并将其提供给用户。如果您好奇Apple认为什么是最好的,请查看它。
许多人反对IFTTT收集用户执行任务数据的方式。如果您担心隐私,Huginn
可能只是缓解这些担忧的服务。Huginn是一个开源自动化工具,让您几乎可以完全控制它的功能。控制的广度确实令人惊叹,但它伴随着一个问题。
Huginn不是任何人都认为用户友好的。充分利用这项服务需要大量的技术知识。您必须能够深入研究代码并设置自动化。您还必须从您自己的服务器上运行Huginn 。虽然这几乎可以保证数据安全,但它也是大量的设置。
选择替代方案
使用哪种IFTTT替代方案取决于您打算用它做什么。如果您只对电话自动化感兴趣,那么Tasker或Shortcuts将完成工作。
如果您对智能家居更感兴趣,那么Stringify是正确的选择。Zapier是一个强大的工具,但它是有代价的。至于Huginn,好吧——如果你知道如何使用它,你会很难找到一个你无法自动化的任务。
考虑您的目标并评估这些服务之间的比较。尝试其中一些。您不受任何给定服务的约束。随着时间的推移,您可能会发现为不同的任务使用多个自动化应用程序是解决方案。
The Best IFTTT Alternatives
IFTTT, or If This, Then That, is an online tool that makes it easy to automate almost anything. These automated processes are called “recipes,” and anyone can upload them. If you want to post all email subject lines containing the word “goat” to Twitter, you can.
If you want your smart lights to flash your team’s colors when they score a point in the big game, you can. The possibilities are nearly endless.
That said, IFTTT isn’t the only option out
there. If you find yourself unhappy with the way IFTTT is set up or you just
want to try out a different method of automating your day-to-day life, check
out some of these IFTTT alternatives.
Zapier is one of the most well-known alternatives to IFTTT. Zapier is targeted toward more complex sequences than IFTTT can easily achieve, but the majority of its functionality applies to web applications.
If you use a niche service that IFTTT doesn’t support, there is a good chance you can find it represented on Zapier. The company claims to “connect more web apps than anyone” with new options added each week.
The downside is that Zapier isn’t a free
service. While there is a free tier, it restricts you to Zaps—Zapier’s name for
recipes—of two steps or less and limits the number of apps you can choose.
There $20 per month tier unlocks the full potential of the service, and there
is also a business tier that runs $250 per month.
If you’re looking or ways to set a specific trigger for your smart home devices, Stringify is the place to go. Stringify calls its recipes “Flows,” and there are already thousands of user-created options. If you can’t find one that does what you need it to, you can make your own.
One of the strengths of Stringify is that it supports multiple triggers for a single action. Say you wanted to create a Flow that turned up the temperature of the living room. You could set it to activate when motion was detected in the bedroom between 6 AM and 8 AM or when you raise the garage door.
Stringify supports more than 600 smart home devices at the moment, but more are added often. Perhaps best of all, Stringify is completely free. There’s no need to pay a monthly subscription to access all its functionality.
Read our full in-depth review of Stringify here.
If you are a die-hard Android user, Tasker is the perfect automation tool. The service is aimed specifically at Android users and grants far more control over your device than IFTTT.
Tasker becomes even more powerful if your phone is rooted. The UI is easy to navigate and caters to Android users with a reliable, trustworthy program—which as any Android user can tell you is sometimes hard to find on the Google Play Store.
Tasker does come at a cost, though. It’s
$2.99 to download. The one-time fee is all you have to worry about. The other
downside is that Tasker doesn’t support web-based services, so you won’t be
automating Gmail with it. When it comes to on-device control, however, you’ll
find nothing better.
Shortcuts
What Tasker does for Android, Shortcuts does for iPhone. Apple announced Shortcuts with iOS 12. The service lets you set up quick-access commands with just a few steps.
Apple calls each of the building blocks of a shortcut an “action.” Combining multiple actions lets you create a shortcut to do nearly anything you can think of. The example Apple provides is the “Surf Time” shortcut. The shortcut grabs the local surf report, gives you the ETA to the beach, and launches a specialized surfing playlist.
Shortcuts is a free, built-in part of iOS
12. The Shortcuts apps also has a “Gallery” where the developers
curate the best shortcuts and make them available to users. Check it out if
you’re curious what Apple considers the best of the best.
Many people opposed the way IFTTT collected
data on what tasks users performed. If you’re concerned about privacy, Huginn
may be just the service to alleviate those concerns. Huginn is an open-source
automation tool that gives you almost total control over what it does. The
breadth of control is truly amazing, but it comes with a catch.
Huginn is not what anyone would consider
user-friendly. It takes a lot of technical know-how to make the most of the
service. You have to be able to dive into bits of code and set the automation.
You also have to run Huginn from your own server. While this all but guarantees
data security, it’s also an enormous amount of setup.
Choosing an Alternative
Which one of the IFTTT alternatives to use depends on what you intend to do with it. If you’re interested only in phone automation, then Tasker or Shortcuts will get the job done.
If you’re more interested in smart homes, then Stringify is the right option. Zapier is a powerful tool, but it comes at a cost. As for Huginn, well—if you know how to use it, you’d be hard pressed to find a task you can’t automate.
Think about your goals and evaluate how
these services compare to one another. Try a few of them out. You aren’t bound
to any given service. In time, you might find that using multiple automation
apps for different tasks is the solution.