HarshAI: I Built a Zapier Killer in 40 Days (Open Source)
40 days, 90 planned features, 44% complete. Here's what I built.
Why I Started
Zapier is expensive. Make.com has a learning curve. I wanted something:
- ✅ Free & open source
- ✅ Drag-drop builder
- ✅ Self-hostable
- ✅ Built for AI workflows
So I started building HarshAI.
What's Built (Days 1-40)
Phase 1: Core Builder (Days 1-15)
- Drag-drop workflow builder
- Node-based interface
- Real-time connections
- Mobile-responsive design
- Template system
Phase 2: Execution Engine (Days 16-25)
- Workflow execution engine
- Real API integrations (Gmail, Twitter, Notion, Slack)
- Test mode (no credentials needed)
- Error handling
- Execution history
Phase 3: Advanced Features (Days 26-35)
- Background scheduler (cron)
- Email notifications
- Analytics dashboard
-
Webhook triggers (Days 31-35):
- HMAC signature verification (Stripe-style)
- Retry logic with exponential backoff
- Analytics dashboard
- Event-based filters
Phase 4: Template & Execution (Days 36-40)
- Template marketplace - Save/share workflows
- Multi-step workflows - If/else, loops, parallel execution
- Error handling - Try/catch, logging, debug mode
- Versioning - Auto-save, rollback, diff comparison
- Rate limiting - Per-user quotas (4 tiers)
Tech Stack
| Component | Technology |
|---|---|
| Frontend | Next.js 14, React Flow |
| Backend | Node.js, TypeScript |
| Database | PostgreSQL (Supabase) |
| Auth | Clerk |
| Deploy | Vercel (free tier) |
What's Next (Days 41-90)
Phase 5: Integrations (Days 41-50)
- 20+ pre-built API connectors
- AI nodes (GPT-4, Claude, DALL-E)
- Data transformation nodes
- Enhanced scheduler
- Template library (20+ workflows)
Phase 6: Polish (Days 51-70)
- UI/UX improvements
- Performance optimization
- Comprehensive testing
- Documentation
- Video tutorials
Phase 7: Launch Prep (Days 71-90)
- Beta testing
- Community feedback
- Bug fixes
- Marketing site
- Launch on Product Hunt
Try It Now
Live Demo: ai-workflow-automator.vercel.app
GitHub: github.com/harshaldevloper/harshai
Status: ✅ Production ready (Days 1-40 complete)
Want to Contribute?
Looking for:
- 🐛 Bug reports
- 💡 Feature suggestions
- 🔌 Integration requests
- ⭐ GitHub stars
The Reality
Building in public is hard. Some days I coded 8 hours. Some days I questioned everything. But 40 days in, I have:
- ✅ 40/90 features complete (44%)
- ✅ Production-ready webhook system
- ✅ Template marketplace
- ✅ Multi-step workflows with branching
- ✅ Full version control
- ✅ Rate limiting & quotas
Not bad for 40 days.
Follow along as I build to 100% in the next 50 days.
Disclosure: This is my project. Links above are direct (no affiliates).
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