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ActivepiecesOpen-source automation platform for building trigger-based flows and AI agents, on its cloud or on your own servers. n8nWorkflow automation you can run on n8n's cloud or host yourself, with code nodes for logic the built-in nodes do not cover.

Activepieces vs n8n

A plain comparison: who each tool is for, where each one breaks, and when neither is the answer. No affiliate links.

Who this is for

Teams that want automation they can self-host or extend with code, choosing between two open options.

Side by side

Activepieces and n8n, compared
Compared onActivepiecesn8n
What it is forOpen-source platform for trigger-based flows and AI agents, on its cloud or your servers.Workflow automation on n8n's cloud or self-hosted, with code nodes for custom logic.
Starting price (checked 2026-10-09)$20/month (Plus, billed monthly); free plan with 1,000 credits.20 EUR/month (Starter, billed annually); Community Edition free to self-host.
What you pay forCredits, with overage at $0.007 per credit on paid plans.Workflow executions, with unlimited steps per execution.
Self-hostingCommunity Edition self-hosts with one command; defaults cap a run at 600 seconds and 1 GB.Community Edition free from GitHub; docs say technical knowledge is required.
Integrations listed760+ apps, plus MCP clients.2,307, plus an HTTP Request node and code nodes.
Where it breaksFree flows wait until the next day when credits run out; niche apps may need custom code.Cloud caps executions (2.5K Starter, 10K Pro); Business is 667 EUR/month, self-hosted only.
SetupLow-code.Low-code.
A custom build beats it whenA flow must run past its timeout or handle heavy data.The workflow is mostly code anyway or needs tight testing and version control.

The verdict

Both can run on the vendor's cloud or for free on your own servers, and both let you drop into code when a built-in step falls short. Activepieces bills by credits, allows unlimited flows on every plan including Free (1,000 credits a month, up to 5 users), starts at $20 a month on Plus, lists 760+ apps and connects to MCP clients such as Claude, Copilot and Cursor. n8n bills per workflow execution with unlimited steps, starts at 20 EUR a month billed annually, and lists 2,307 integrations, but cloud plans cap executions (2,500 a month on Starter) and the Business plan is a big jump to 667 EUR a month.

Pick Activepieces if you want a Zapier-style builder with a free hosted tier and a low entry price; pick n8n if you need the larger catalog and long workflows that cost the same as short ones.

Read the full take on each

ActivepiecesGood at, breaks when, pricen8nGood at, breaks when, price

Sources

  1. activepieces.com/pricing
  2. activepieces.com/docs
  3. activepieces.com/docs/install/configuration/environment-variables
  4. n8n.io/pricing/
  5. docs.n8n.io/choose-how-to-use-n8n/
  6. n8n.io/integrations/

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Who runs this shop

Kratuva makes AI-first software. Our first product is Ruam, for teams that work apart. It shows how the working day went without screenshots or keystroke logging. Join the Ruam waitlist.

Occasionally we build with teams we like. Say hi: indra@kratuva.com.

Checked 9 Oct 2026

Every price and claim links to its source. Prices change often, so check the vendor's page before you buy. No affiliate links: nobody paid to be here. Logos belong to their owners and are shown only to name each tool, not as an endorsement.