If Hazel got you started,
Watchflows is where you go next.
Hazel is excellent at what it does. We built Watchflows for the day you wanted to chain a file-watch trigger into a Python script into an HTTP call into a notification (all local, in one tool) and realized rules-based file automation couldn't get you there.
Same DNA, broader reach
Watchflows keeps everything you love about Hazel (the file-watching ergonomics, the local-first model, the no-account requirement) and extends the surface to anything macOS can do.
Triggers cover files, schedules, app events, system events, clipboard, keyboard shortcuts, calendar, and webhooks. Actions cover scripts, AI prompts, HTTP requests, Apple Notes / Reminders / Music, Move to Trash, Move File, Write File, and more. Connect them on a visual canvas. One-time $49 — no subscription required; optional Watchflows Cloud adds hosted AI and public webhooks.
Capability matrix
Honest comparison. We are not Hazel killers. We are Hazel graduates.
Pricing as of April 2026. We don't hold this against Hazel; they keep shipping. We just chose a different model.
What Watchflows does that Hazel can't
Chain triggers and actions in one tool.
"Watch this folder → run a Python script → call an HTTP endpoint → notify on failure" lives in one workflow file. No bridging between Hazel, a launchd plist, a shell script, and a Keyboard Maestro macro.
AI as a node, not a competitor.
Drop in an AI Prompt or Agent node and feed it the payload from any upstream trigger. Use Ollama, LM Studio, OpenAI, Anthropic. Your choice, your keys, your data. The agent doesn't decide whether your nightly backup runs. The schedule does.
A real code node.
Run Bash, Python, AppleScript, Node, Ruby: anything you'd put in a shebang. Capture stdout, stderr, exit code as payload variables and feed them into the next node.
Watch what runs.
A live execution timeline shows every payload as it flows between nodes. Inspect any past run, replay against the same payload, debug across nodes the way you'd debug across function calls, not log files.
Where Hazel still wins
- →Mature, battle-tested. Hazel has been a Mac mainstay for 15+ years. We're new.
- →Spotlight-aware rules. Hazel can match on Spotlight metadata and content out of the box. Watchflows handles this via Script nodes (using
mdls); cleaner native support is on our roadmap. - →Recursive folder rules. Hazel's rule engine inherits cleanly across nested folders. Our directory triggers work but require a touch more wiring for deeply nested patterns.
- →Inbox Zero for files. If your need is "rules engine for files," Hazel is purpose-built. Watchflows is broader; that breadth has a cost.
Some users will keep both. That's fine. Watchflows can call into Hazel-managed folders, and Hazel rules can drop files into Watchflows-watched folders. They compose.
Try it for 14 days, decide for yourself.
$49 one-time. Lifetime updates within v1. Free 14-day trial: fully evaluate before you buy. Local-first. No account.
Get Watchflows for $49Questions? support@watchflows.app