# Actuate

> Actuate runs a TypeScript file as a tool an AI agent can call over MCP or HTTP. Each tool has a durable step engine (steps run exactly once, so retries are safe), its own SQLite database, waits that cost nothing (sleep, events, payments, replies, human approval by signed link), and clients for the user's own messaging, payment and LLM accounts.

Start with `npm create actuate`. The runtime, SDK, CLI and provider adapters are open source (Apache-2.0): https://github.com/actuate-run/actuate

## Docs

- [Docs index for LLMs](https://actuate.run/docs/llms.txt): every page with a one-line summary, each available as Markdown
- [All docs in one file](https://actuate.run/docs/llms-full.txt)
- [Quickstart](https://actuate.run/docs/getting-started/quickstart.md)
- [Connect your agent](https://actuate.run/docs/guides/connect-your-agent.md)
- [SDK reference](https://actuate.run/docs/reference/sdk.md)

## Plans

- Sandbox: US$0. 2 actuators; 1,000 runs a month; 25 MB SQLite per actuator, 50 MB total; Hosted MCP endpoint and OpenAPI document; No messaging or payment providers; HTTP to domains you list; Sleeps and waits up to 7 days.
- Maker: US$9 a month. 15 actuators; 100,000 runs a month; 500 MB SQLite; Hosted MCP endpoint and OpenAPI document; Providers: messaging, payment, LLM, HTTP; Unlimited sleep and wait duration; Custom webhook domain.

## FAQ

### What is Actuate?

Actuate runs a TypeScript file as a tool your AI agent calls over MCP or HTTP. The file gets a durable step engine, its own SQLite database and clients for your own messaging, payment and LLM accounts. You deploy it with one command.

### Which agents can use it?

Any MCP client: Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, or your own agent through an MCP SDK. Each tool also has an HTTP endpoint and an OpenAPI document, so anything that speaks HTTP can call it.

### What happens if my agent calls a tool twice?

A retried call gets the first run's receipt back instead of starting another. Each step runs once and its result is stored, so a payment link, message or refund is not made twice.

### Can a tool wait for a payment, a reply or a person?

Yes. A run can sleep for days, wait for a payment webhook or a WhatsApp or Telegram reply, or pause until someone approves or answers through a signed link. A waiting run costs nothing.

### How is it different from a workflow engine like Temporal or Cloudflare Workflows?

A workflow engine is a library you wire into your own app and infrastructure. An actuator is the whole tool, hosted: the step engine, database, provider clients, approval links and MCP endpoint come with it.

### Is it open source?

The runtime, SDK, CLI and provider adapters are open source under Apache-2.0 and can be self-hosted on Cloudflare Workers. The hosted platform adds multi-tenant hosting, the dashboard and billing.

### Can I get a surprise bill?

No. Every plan has hard monthly limits. At a limit, work pauses until the month resets instead of costing more. Fees from your own providers, such as payment fees or LLM tokens, are billed to you by them.