Krom Automation is a WordPress-native workflow automation plugin that lets you build visual “if this, then that” automations on a drag-and-drop canvas.
The free version includes 16 triggers, 21 actions, built-in AI, and 20 ready-made templates. There are no run caps and no trial period. Pro plans start at $119 per year and unlock 80+ additional triggers, 60+ additional actions, and 24 integrations.
We built Krom Automation because every other option forced you into a list-based rule editor or locked AI behind a paywall. Others sent your workflow data to someone else’s server.
This review covers exactly what you get at each tier, how the plugin performs in practice, and where it genuinely will not be the right fit.
If you want to see the full feature breakdown before reading further, browse the complete Krom Automation feature list.
Quick Summary
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Plugin type | Visual workflow automation for WordPress |
| Free triggers | 16 |
| Free actions | 21 |
| Free templates | 20 |
| AI included free | Yes, bring your own API key |
| Pro triggers added | 80+ |
| Pro actions added | 60+ |
| Pro integrations | 24 |
| Pro templates total | 121 (20 free + 101 Pro) |
| Pro pricing from | $119/year or $299 lifetime |
| Self-hosted | Yes, data stays in your database |
| WP-Cron dependency | Yes, affects delay accuracy on low-traffic sites |
What Does Krom Automation Actually Do?
Krom Automation watches for events on your WordPress site and responds to them automatically. A user registers, an order completes, a post publishes. Instead of handling those moments manually or writing custom code, you build a workflow once and it runs every time.
The workflow builder runs on a visual canvas powered by ReactFlow. You drag trigger nodes and action nodes onto the canvas, connect them, and the automation is live. There is no shortcode, no PHP snippet, and no separate dashboard login required.
The full explanation of how triggers, actions, and workflows connect is in the documentation if you want the technical detail before installing.
“The free version has no run caps, no trial period, and no features locked behind a paywall. You get all 16 triggers and all 21 actions the moment you activate it.”
What Are the 16 Free Triggers?
Triggers are the events that start a workflow. The free version includes 16 triggers across five categories.
- User (7): User Registered, User Profile Updated, User Login, User Logout, User Role Changed, User Deleted, Password Reset
- Post (4): Post Published, Post Updated, Post Deleted, Post Status Changed
- Comment (2): Comment Submitted, Comment Approved
- Media (1): Media Uploaded
- WooCommerce (2): Order Created, Order Completed
For most content sites, membership sites, and small WooCommerce stores, these 16 triggers cover the automations that matter most. The full free triggers reference documents every field and filter each trigger exposes.
What Are the 21 Free Actions?
Actions are what the workflow does after a trigger fires. The free version includes 21 actions across seven categories.
- Email (1): Send Email
- User (4): Create User, Update User Meta, Change User Role, Send Password Reset
- Post (6): Create Post, Update Post, Update Post Field, Change Post Status, Add Post Meta, Delete Post
- Comment (4): Add Comment, Update Comment Status, Add Comment Label, Add Comment Meta
- HTTP Request (1): GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE with JSON response parsing
- AI (3): AI Generate Text, AI Content Moderation, AI Auto-Tag
- WooCommerce (2): Create Coupon, Update Order Status
The HTTP Request action is worth calling out specifically. It lets you send data to any external service that has an API, without needing a Pro plan or a dedicated integration. The free actions reference covers every available field.
How Does the AI Work in the Free Version?
AI is not a Pro feature. All three AI actions, Generate Text, Content Moderation, and Auto-Tag, are available in the free version from day one. You connect your own API key from your chosen provider. Every call goes directly from your site to that provider.
We never charge per AI call and never mark up tokens. You pay your provider’s standard rate and nothing else.
Supported providers in the free version:
- OpenAI: GPT-4o Mini, GPT-4o
- Google Gemini: Gemini 2.0 Flash, Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview
- Groq: Llama 3.3 70B, Llama 3.1 8B
The AI actions setup guide walks through connecting each provider and configuring prompts with merge tags.
“Three AI actions, six supported models, zero additional cost from us. You own your API key and you pay your provider directly.”
Other Free Features Worth Knowing
Beyond triggers and actions, the free version includes a set of features that are often paywalled in competing tools.
- Workflow simulator: Run a dry test with zero side effects before a workflow goes live
- Execution logging: Full per-step audit trail for every workflow run
- Analytics dashboard: Total executions, active workflows, estimated time saved, and a trend chart
- Reports page: Date range filtering, success rate, per-workflow breakdown, CSV export
- Conditional branching: Yes and No paths based on trigger data
- Delay scheduling: Minutes, hours, days, weeks, or a custom number of seconds
- Merge tags: Inject live event data into any action field dynamically
- Run once per entity: Prevents duplicate executions on the same record
- Import and export: Portable JSON for moving workflows between sites
- Failure notifications: Email alerts plus automatic retry with configurable backoff
- Full REST API: Under the krom-automation/v1 namespace
- Background execution: Powered by Action Scheduler, nothing runs during page loads
The workflow settings documentation covers run-once enforcement, notes, pausing, and import/export in detail.
What Does Krom Automation Pro Add?
Pro is an add-on that installs alongside the free plugin. It does not replace it. Every feature in the free version remains available after you activate Pro.
Pro Trigger and Action Counts
| Tier | Triggers | Actions | Templates | Integrations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 16 | 21 | 20 | 0 dedicated |
| Pro adds | 80+ | 60+ | 101 | 24 |
| Total with Pro | 96+ | 81+ | 121 | 24 |
Pro-Exclusive Features
- AI workflow generation: Describe an automation in plain English and get a working workflow in seconds
- Visual email builder: Block-based, powered by the Gutenberg editor, no code required
- Schedule trigger: Hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, custom interval, or one-time
- Incoming webhook receiver: A unique secret URL per workflow with HMAC-SHA256 signature verification and nine security layers
- Extended delay units and advanced branching
The Pro features and integrations overview lists every trigger, action, and integration added at the Pro tier.
Pro Integration Categories
Pro adds 24 integrations across the following categories: forms, e-commerce, CRM, email marketing, LMS, membership, messaging, social media, data storage, productivity, and affiliate.
A few examples worth naming specifically:
- Email marketing: Mailchimp, ConvertKit, MailerLite, ActiveCampaign
- Forms: FluentForms, WPForms, Gravity Forms, Contact Form 7, Elementor Forms, Ninja Forms
- LMS: LearnDash, TutorLMS
- Membership: MemberPress
- Messaging: Slack, Discord, Twilio, Telegram
- Productivity: Google Sheets, Google Calendar
- Affiliate: AffiliateWP
What Does Krom Automation Pro Cost?
Every Pro plan includes every Pro feature. The only difference between plans is the number of sites you can activate on.
| Plan | Annual | Lifetime | Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $119/year | $299 | 1 site |
| Standard | $199/year | $499 | 5 sites |
| Enterprise | $369/year | $799 | Unlimited |
All Pro plans carry a 14-day money-back guarantee. The free version remains free forever with no limits applied. See the full pricing page for current details and any active offers.
“Every plan includes every Pro feature. You are never choosing between feature sets, only between site counts.”
What Are the Real Limitations?
No automation plugin is right for every situation. Here is an honest account of where Krom Automation will not serve you well.
WP-Cron Dependency
Delays and scheduled workflows depend on WordPress Cron. On very low-traffic sites, WP-Cron fires late if no visitor arrives for hours. If your delays need to be precise, configure a real server-side cron job instead of relying on the default WordPress behaviour.
WordPress-Native Only
Krom Automation is built for WordPress. The trigger or the action needs to touch your WordPress site. If you need automation between two external services with no WordPress involvement, a general-purpose automation platform is the better fit.
AI Requires Your Own API Key
The AI actions are free to use, but they are not plug-and-play out of the box. You need to create an account with OpenAI, Google, or Groq and supply a valid API key. There is no built-in AI credit system.
Migration Cost from Existing Platforms
Teams with hundreds of existing flows on an external automation platform will face real migration work. Krom Automation does not import from other tools. Each workflow needs to be rebuilt on the canvas.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
- Sites automating purely between external services with no WordPress involvement
- Teams already deeply invested in another platform with no appetite to migrate
- Very simple single-step needs that a lighter plugin could handle with less setup
How Does Krom Automation Compare to Other WordPress Automation Tools?
Most WordPress automation tools fall into one of two camps. Some use a list-based rule editor, which is simple but becomes hard to follow once a workflow has more than three or four steps. Others offer a visual canvas but charge extra for AI, analytics, or advanced branching.
| Feature | Krom Automation Free | Typical Competitor Free |
|---|---|---|
| Visual canvas builder | Yes | Rarely |
| AI actions | Yes (3 actions, 6 models) | Usually Pro only |
| Execution logs | Yes, full audit trail | Often limited or absent |
| Analytics dashboard | Yes | Often Pro only |
| Workflow simulator | Yes | Rarely free |
| Run caps | None | Common |
| Self-hosted data | Yes | Depends on plugin |
| HTTP Request action | Yes | Sometimes Pro only |
For a direct side-by-side comparison with named alternatives, see the full comparison page.
System Requirements and Installation
Krom Automation has modest requirements that most WordPress hosts meet by default.
- WordPress 6.2 or higher
- PHP 7.4 or higher
- MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.2+
- WooCommerce is optional, required only for the two WooCommerce triggers and two WooCommerce actions
The plugin creates nine custom database tables on activation. Background jobs run through Action Scheduler, so workflow execution never blocks a page load. The installation guide walks through every step.
Free vs Pro: Is the Free Version Enough?
For a single WordPress site handling user registrations, post publishing, comments, and basic WooCommerce orders, the free version covers the automations most sites actually need. The analytics, logging, AI, and workflow simulator are all included at no cost.
Pro makes sense when you need to connect to a specific third-party service, use the schedule trigger for recurring jobs, or accept incoming webhooks from external platforms. The free vs Pro comparison documents every difference.
Adoption and Market Context
Workflow automation in WordPress is a growing category. The broader no-code automation market has expanded sharply since 2023 as teams look to reduce manual admin work without hiring developers. WordPress-native tools are gaining ground because they keep data on the site’s own server rather than routing it through a third-party cloud.
Krom Automation sits in a specific position: a self-hosted, visual, AI-included tool built entirely for WordPress. There is no SaaS subscription for the core product and no per-execution billing at any tier. That combination is genuinely rare in the current tool landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the free version expire or have a trial period?
No. The free version is free forever with no trial period, no run cap, and no features that revert after a set number of days. Install it free from WordPress.org and use it indefinitely.
Do I need to install both the free and Pro plugins?
Yes. Pro is an add-on that runs alongside the free plugin. The free plugin must be installed and active first. The Pro installation guide covers the exact steps.
Can I use Krom Automation without WooCommerce?
Yes. WooCommerce is entirely optional. The two WooCommerce triggers and two WooCommerce actions simply do not appear in your workflow builder if WooCommerce is not active. All other triggers and actions work without it.
Is my workflow data sent to wpRigel’s servers?
No. Krom Automation is self-hosted. Workflow definitions, execution logs, and API credentials are stored in your own WordPress database. Nothing is transmitted to our servers.
What happens if a workflow fails?
Krom Automation sends an email notification when a workflow execution fails. It then retries automatically with configurable backoff. Every attempt is recorded in the execution log so you can see exactly which step failed and why.
Can I move workflows between sites?
Yes. Workflows export as portable JSON files. You can import that file into any other WordPress site running Krom Automation. The workflow settings documentation explains the process.
Does the schedule trigger require Pro?
Yes. The schedule trigger lets you run workflows on a recurring interval or at a specific time. It is a Pro-exclusive feature. The free version supports delay scheduling within a workflow, but not a standalone time-based trigger.
Is Krom Automation Worth It?
The free version is genuinely competitive with what other plugins charge for. Sixteen triggers, 21 actions, three AI actions, a visual canvas, full execution logs, and analytics at no cost is a strong starting point. The absence of run caps alone separates it from most alternatives in the same category.
Pro is the right upgrade when your workflows need to reach third-party services like Mailchimp, Slack, LearnDash, or Google Sheets. At $119 per year for a single site, it covers the cost quickly if it replaces even one or two hours of manual work per month. Compare all three Pro plans and pick the one that matches your site count.
If you want to start without any commitment, get the free plugin from WordPress.org and build your first workflow today.