Do you need to know how to host a server to use Activepieces?

Not necessarily: a cloud version managed by the vendor exists, with the same pricing tiers as its competitors. But Activepieces' differentiating argument — no execution cap — only materializes by self-hosting the Community Edition, via Docker, Docker Compose or Kubernetes. Without in-house technical skills, you might as well look at Zapier instead.

Is Activepieces really open source?

Yes, for its core: the Community Edition is published under the MIT license, a permissive license with no clause limiting commercial use. That's a clear difference from n8n, whose Sustainable Use License reserves usage to internal needs. One nuance to know: features aimed at large teams (SSO, roles, audit) live in a separate folder of the repository, under a distinct Enterprise license that requires a subscription.

What happens if a flow loops heavily in a self-hosted setup?

Nothing on the billing side: the documentation mentions no cap on executions, flows or users for the self-hosted Community Edition. The only limit then becomes the capacity of your own servers — a flow that misbehaves will burn compute and memory on your end, not credits billed by the vendor.

Does my data leave my infrastructure?

Self-hosted, no: flows and their data stay on your servers. On the cloud version managed by Activepieces, data passes through the vendor's infrastructure, with declared subprocessors for usage analytics and payment (Google Analytics, Stripe among others).

What's the difference with n8n?

Both are self-hostable and show a comparable visual canvas. The difference lies in the license: Activepieces publishes a full MIT license on its core, with no reservation on commercial use; n8n imposes its Sustainable Use License, which limits usage to the company's internal needs. In exchange, Activepieces' connector catalog stays more modest.

Activepieces: our review

Activepieces connects your apps on a visual canvas close to Zapier and Make, but publishes its core under a genuine MIT license: the community edition installs on your own servers with no execution cap.

Cloud or self-hostedFree version, then paid·from $16/monthOpen source

Go to Activepieces's website

What we take away from it

What counts in its favor

The Community Edition is MIT with no restriction on commercial use of the software's core: unlike n8n's Sustainable Use License, nothing stops you from building a resold product on top of it.
Self-hosted via Docker, Docker Compose or Kubernetes, it imposes no cap on flows, users or executions found in the documentation: cost then depends on your own servers, not a usage counter.
The Plus tier, at 16 $/month billed yearly, is the lowest entry point of the three tools compared here to get past the strict free plan.

What counts against it

Features aimed at larger organizations (SSO, custom roles, audit logs) sit outside MIT and fall under a separate Enterprise license, subject to the vendor's subscription terms: full freedom stops where the needs of a structured team begin.
The connector catalog, a little over 700 according to the dedicated page, still trails well behind Zapier (9,000+) and Make (3,500+): mainstream apps are covered, the more specialized ones less often.
The cloud version managed by Activepieces applies a monthly credit system with overage billed beyond the cap — the zero-cap argument only holds for those who self-host.

The most consistent choice for a controlled-hosting requirement and a real open-source budget, provided you accept a narrower connector catalog and start paying once the team grows.

The facts

First paid tier: $16/month — Plus, billed annually
Data hosting: Cloud or self-hosted · source
Categories: Automation,No-code
Data verified on: 30 July 2026

What happens to your data

Is your data used to train their models?: Not verified
Subprocessors: The privacy policy names Google Analytics, Stripe, Intercom, Mixpanel and Userback as subprocessors for usage analytics, payment and support.
Retention: Data is kept as long as the account stays active, then deleted within twelve months of its closure, subject to the vendor's legal obligations.

Activepieces in detail

Activepieces presents itself as an open-source replacement for Zapier: a visual canvas, ready-made connectors, and an AI step available in the flow. The difference isn't in the interface, which is very close to its two competitors, but in what happens when you look under the hood.

An MIT license that goes further than n8n's

The software's repository says it in black and white: the Community Edition is published under the MIT license, with no clause reserving usage to a company's internal needs. This is genuine permissive open source, worth comparing to n8n's Sustainable Use License, which allows internal use but blocks reselling a product built on top of it. One nuance worth knowing before celebrating too fast: a separate folder in the same repository groups the features aimed at large teams — single sign-on, custom roles, audit logs — under a distinct Enterprise license, which requires a subscription for production use. MIT covers the product's core, not everything that appears in the commercial interface.

What self-hosting changes on the bill

Installed via Docker, Docker Compose or Kubernetes, the Community Edition has no cap on executions, flows or users in the documentation reviewed. A scenario that misbehaves therefore doesn't trigger an extra bill: it burns compute and memory on your own servers, an infrastructure problem to monitor yourself rather than an extra line on a monthly invoice. That's the exact opposite of Make and Zapier, where every extra execution turns into billed credits or tasks.

This advantage only holds for those who actually host the tool. The cloud version managed by Activepieces runs a monthly credit system with overage billed, much like its competitors in spirit: the Plus tier, at 16 $/month billed yearly, still remains the lowest entry price of the three tools compared here.

What's missing

Two reservations before deciding. First: the connector catalog, a little over 700 according to the dedicated page, rivals neither Make (around 3,500) nor Zapier (over 9,000). A specialized business app is less likely to already be there, and you'll sometimes need to build a custom connector. Second: without anyone able to maintain a Docker server in-house, the tool's main argument — zero cap, open code — disappears, and the cloud version then reverts to a billing system comparable to its competitors'.

Our recommendation

Activepieces suits organizations that already have, or want to build, in-house hosting expertise and refuse a license that limits reselling the code. For a team without that technical profile, or that depends on an uncommon app, Zapier or Make remain safer choices. Our automation and AI agent engagements help decide between these three models before installing anything.

Who it's for, and who it isn't

Suited for

A technical team that wants to host its own automations without paying per execution
A development team that needs to read, modify and redistribute the code without a Sustainable-Use-License-style restriction

Not a fit

A team with no one able to maintain a Docker server: the cloud version exists, but then loses the tool's main selling point
An organization that depends on a specialized app: with just over 700 connectors, checking it first is essential

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to know how to host a server to use Activepieces?: Not necessarily: a cloud version managed by the vendor exists, with the same pricing tiers as its competitors. But Activepieces' differentiating argument — no execution cap — only materializes by self-hosting the Community Edition, via Docker, Docker Compose or Kubernetes. Without in-house technical skills, you might as well look at Zapier instead.
Is Activepieces really open source?: Yes, for its core: the Community Edition is published under the MIT license, a permissive license with no clause limiting commercial use. That's a clear difference from n8n, whose Sustainable Use License reserves usage to internal needs. One nuance to know: features aimed at large teams (SSO, roles, audit) live in a separate folder of the repository, under a distinct Enterprise license that requires a subscription.
What happens if a flow loops heavily in a self-hosted setup?: Nothing on the billing side: the documentation mentions no cap on executions, flows or users for the self-hosted Community Edition. The only limit then becomes the capacity of your own servers — a flow that misbehaves will burn compute and memory on your end, not credits billed by the vendor.
Does my data leave my infrastructure?: Self-hosted, no: flows and their data stay on your servers. On the cloud version managed by Activepieces, data passes through the vendor's infrastructure, with declared subprocessors for usage analytics and payment (Google Analytics, Stripe among others).
What's the difference with n8n?: Both are self-hostable and show a comparable visual canvas. The difference lies in the license: Activepieces publishes a full MIT license on its core, with no reservation on commercial use; n8n imposes its Sustainable Use License, which limits usage to the company's internal needs. In exchange, Activepieces' connector catalog stays more modest.