HITL vs withHuman
HITL lets your agent ask a person anything, not only whether a tool call may run: get a number, a rating or an edited draft back, chain several reviews, and keep going with a default answer when nobody replies.
TL;DR: three reasons teams pick HITL
HITL keeps a person in the loop on AI agents, from a one-tap approval to a multi-stage review that branches on every answer. Here is where it pulls ahead of withHuman.
More than approve or deny: 7 response types, including editable text, a number and a rating, so the agent gets real input back.
Several Human Review steps in one workflow, each branch with its own reviewers, where withHuman ends a request at the first decision.
A default answer on timeout, Telegram, an Apple Watch app and n8n, Zapier and Make, with flat pricing from $10 a month.
Built for complex decisions, not just yes or no
In HITL a workflow is a graph, not a straight line. Classify the request, ask the right person, branch on what they say and merge back. Build it on a canvas, or describe it and let the workflow assistant build it for you.
Yes: Send the refund · No: Email the customer
As many reviews as the decision needs
Put several Human Review steps in one workflow: a first check, a second sign-off, an escalation, and a different reviewer on each branch.
Branch on the answer
A Condition step routes on what the person decided or on the data. An AI Classifier sends each request down the path for its category.
Paths that meet again
Branches can merge back into one path, so a refund, an escalation and a drafted reply can all finish with the same follow-up step.
Describe it, get the workflow
The built-in workflow assistant builds the graph from a plain-language prompt. Every revision is kept, so you can restore an earlier one.
Nine step types on the canvas
- TriggerStart on a schedule, an email or a spreadsheet row.
- Human ReviewAsk a person to decide, with any of the 7 response types.
- AIRun a prompt on the data so far.
- AI ClassifierSort input into categories, each with its own path, plus Other.
- ConditionBranch yes or no on the answer or on any data.
- TransformSet variables for the steps that follow.
- DataFetch from Google Sheets, an API or a table.
- ActionCall a webhook, send an email or post to Slack.
- EndClose the run once every path is done.
What about withHuman?
withHuman's approval pipelines check a tool call against Branch, Delegate, AI judge and webhook blocks, then approve it, deny it or ask a person, and an escalation path decides who is contacted and when. Its docs say one approval or denial ends the request, with no requirement for several sign-offs. HITL chains Human Review steps and branches on each answer.
Feature comparison
Where HITL leads comes first. Then the features HITL and withHuman share, from connecting agents to pricing.
| Feature | HITL | withHuman |
|---|---|---|
| Nonlinear workflows (branching, multi-step review) | YesBranches, AI routing, several review steps | NoBranching rules, then one decision |
| Callback webhooks | YesPer request | Not listedAgents wait on a long poll |
| No-code tools (n8n, Zapier, Make) | Yesn8n, Zapier, Make | Not listed |
| Answers beyond approve or deny | Yes7 response types | NoApprove or deny, with a note |
| Reviewer edits the AI draft | YesEditable text | Not listed |
| Timeouts with a default answer | Yes | NoRequest expires; the agent must not act |
| Apple Watch | Yes | Not listed |
| Telegram | Yes | Not listed |
| Visual workflow editor | YesCanvas with 9 step types | YesPipeline of blocks |
| MCP server for agents | YesHosted, with sign-in | YesMCP gateway |
| REST API | Yes | YesAgent Approval Protocol |
| One-step setup for coding agents | YesPaste-in setup prompt | YesCLI guided setup |
| Web inbox | Yesmy.hitl.sh | YesReview queue |
| iPhone app | Yes | YesScale plan, $20 per user |
| Android app | Yes | YesScale plan, $20 per user |
| Free plan | Yes500 requests / mo | YesUp to 5 members |
| Slack | Coming soon | YesAlso Discord, SMS, WhatsApp |
"Not listed" means we could not find it on withHuman's public site or docs in October 2026. It may still exist. "Coming soon" channels are on HITL's roadmap and not live yet.
The products, side by side
HITL's web inbox next to a product image withHuman shows on its own site.
HITL web inboxfrom hitl.sh
withHumanfrom withhuman.aiAbout withHuman
withHuman is an open source approval layer for AI agents, backed by Y Combinator. It intercepts the tool calls an agent makes through hooks, SDKs or an MCP gateway, runs each one through an approval pipeline of rules, and sends the ones that need a person to a reviewer, who approves or denies it. Reviewers are reached by email, Slack, Discord, text message, WhatsApp and apps for iPhone, Android and Mac.
Why teams pick HITL
For the people who answer the requests and the teams who run the workflows.
Ask for input, not only permission
Have a person pick a reply, fix a draft, enter an amount or score an output. The agent gets typed data back, not just a yes or no.
Several sign-offs when it matters
A first reviewer checks, a Condition step reads the answer and the big cases go to a second reviewer. Each branch can have its own people.
Work keeps moving
Every request carries a default response. If nobody answers in time, the agent gets that answer and carries on instead of stopping.
Flat monthly pricing
Free for 500 requests a month and 3 humans, then a flat $10 or $30 a month, instead of a price per reviewer.
Why agents work well with HITL
For the agents asking the questions. HITL gives them a clear contract: ask, wait, get a typed answer.
A hosted MCP server
Add https://mcp.hitl.sh/mcp to Claude Code, Cursor or any client that supports remote MCP. Sign in once and the agent gets tools like list_loops, create_request and get_request.
A structured answer, every time
The agent picks one of 7 response types and gets back typed data: a decision, the chosen options, a number, a rating or the edited text. No parsing a chat reply.
Timeouts that keep work moving
Every request carries a default response. If nobody answers in time, the agent gets that answer and carries on instead of waiting forever.
A setup prompt the agent follows
Copy the setup prompt from hitl.sh and paste it into your agent. It asks for your API key, reads the docs at docs.hitl.sh/llms.txt and lists your loops to prove the connection works.
Add HITL to Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http hitl https://mcp.hitl.sh/mcpQuestions
What teams ask when they weigh HITL against withHuman.
- Why choose HITL over withHuman?
- withHuman decides whether an agent's tool call may run. HITL does that too, and also lets the agent ask a person for a choice, text, an edited draft, a number or a rating, chain several reviews in one workflow and fall back to a default answer on timeout.
- Can HITL run multi-stage approvals?
- Yes. A HITL workflow can hold several Human Review steps, branch on each answer and give each branch its own reviewers. withHuman's docs say one approval or denial ends a request, and its escalation path contacts more people over time rather than asking for more sign-offs.
- What happens when nobody answers?
- In HITL the agent gets the default response you set and carries on. In withHuman the request expires and the agent must not carry out the action.
- Do both work with coding agents?
- Yes. withHuman installs hooks for Claude Code, Codex and other coding agents with its CLI. HITL connects through its hosted MCP server, added to Claude Code with one command, or a setup prompt you paste into Claude Code, Cursor or Codex.
- How does pricing compare?
- HITL is free for 500 requests a month and 3 humans, then a flat $10 or $30 a month. withHuman is free for up to 5 members, then $20 per user per month on its Scale plan, which is also where its phone apps and text alerts start. Its open source edition is free to self-host. HITL includes its mobile app on the free plan.
- Can I use both?
- Yes. withHuman can gate which tool calls run, and HITL can ask a person for the input an agent needs, with richer answers and a branching workflow.
Sources
Facts about withHuman come from these public pages, checked in October 2026. Products change, so check them for the latest. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].
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