Integration platforms for AI agents in 2026
Updated November 4, 2026.
An AI agent is only as useful as the apps it can work in. To triage an inbox, update a CRM or file an issue, it needs tools for those apps and a safe way to sign in to them. There are a few ways to get there: a hosted platform that manages the logins for thousands of apps, an MCP server the app publishes itself, or a connector built straight from an API's description.
SFCrew is an open source app for AI teammates that do real work. You talk to each bot in chat, and it uses your apps on your behalf, asking before it changes anything you've told it to check with you. SFCrew supports all four ways of giving bots tools, and you can mix them. This page compares them. For the individual apps bots can use, see the integrations catalog.
Compared
| Option | Gives bots | App logins | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composio | Hosted app actions with sign-in handled | Composio stores them | A large app catalog with no OAuth apps to register |
| Pipedream | Hosted app tools over Pipedream's MCP server | Pipedream stores them | Teams already on Pipedream Connect |
| MCP servers | Tools from any MCP server, remote or local | Your OAuth grant or token, encrypted in SFCrew | Apps that publish their own MCP server |
| API connectors | One tool per operation in an OpenAPI or GraphQL API | Your API key or token, encrypted in SFCrew | APIs with a key and no MCP server |
Every option
How to choose
You want a big app catalog with sign-in handled
Composio is the quickest way to give self-hosted bots a large app catalog: one API key, and Composio handles each app's sign-in. Bots search its actions and run them in batches, and approvals judge each action on its own.
You already use Pipedream
Pipedream Connect, owned by Workday, also hosts logins for thousands of apps and serves each connected account's tools over its MCP server. It takes a project and an OAuth client to set up, and needs its production environment for more than a handful of users. It can run alongside Composio.
The app has its own MCP server
If the app publishes an MCP server, connect it directly: paste its URL or find it with Browse MCP servers, and sign in with OAuth. Anyone can add remote servers. Admins of a self-hosted SFCrew can also run local servers and reach internal ones.
The app only has an API
If an app has an OpenAPI description or a GraphQL endpoint but no MCP server, an API connector turns its operations into tools with just an API key. There's no OAuth sign-in, so for apps that need one, use Composio or Pipedream.
FAQ
What is an integration platform for AI agents?
A service that gives an agent ready-made tools for other apps and handles signing in to them, so you don't build and host each integration yourself. Composio and Pipedream Connect are two examples. MCP servers and API connectors get you tools without a platform in the middle.
Do I need Composio or Pipedream to use SFCrew?
No. Both are optional. Without them, bots can still use MCP servers, API connectors and plugins you add. On a self-hosted server, the built-in app catalog appears once one of them is set up.
Can I use more than one?
Yes. A self-hosted server can have Composio and Pipedream on together, and the Apps list shows apps from both. MCP servers and API connectors work alongside either.
Does the AI model see my app logins?
No. OAuth grants, tokens and API keys are stored encrypted, added to requests by the server, and never sent to the model. Hosted platforms like Composio and Pipedream keep the logins they manage on their side.