RunLookout and Rootbrief
Last checked: 18 October 2026.
Rootbrief monitors automation workflows and AI agents. Its site says it watches status, errors and cost data, and not workflow payloads.
What Rootbrief does well
- It flags workflow failures and silent workflows that did not run within the expected interval.
- It also tracks AI agent cost spikes and retry patterns.
- It connects to n8n with an API key, and to Zapier and Make through a webhook URL.
- It offers email alerts on all plans, plus Slack, Discord and Microsoft Teams on paid plans.
- It has a free plan with 2 monitored workflows. Paid plans start at $19 a month for 20 workflows.
Where RunLookout differs
- Empty run detection. You pick a step, and we alert when a "successful" run produced 0 items at that step.
- Every alert has a short plain-English note you can forward to your client.
- Alerts go to Telegram.
- We only read workflows and run history through the n8n API. We never edit your workflows.
- Price: free for 14 days, then $9 a month for up to 10 client servers, or $19 a month for unlimited servers.
Side by side
| RunLookout | Rootbrief | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | n8n (Make is on the waitlist) | n8n, Zapier, Make, AI agent frameworks |
| Empty run check on a chosen step | Yes | Not stated |
| Forwardable client note in each alert | Yes | Not stated |
| Alert channel | Telegram | Email, Slack, Discord, Teams, webhook, PagerDuty |
| Pricing basis | Per client server | Per monitored workflow |
| Starting paid price | $9 a month | $19 a month |
RunLookout is not affiliated with n8n GmbH, Make (Celonis) or Rootbrief. Check Rootbrief's own site for its current features and prices. Try RunLookout free. Related: 7 ways an n8n workflow fails silently.