Activepieces vs n8n: which one to choose in 2026?
Both are open source alternatives to Zapier, Make. We compare license, tech stack and features to help you decide which fits your team best.
| Activepieces | n8n | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Dev Tools | Dev Tools |
| License | MIT | Sustainable Use License (Fair-code) |
| GitHub stars | ~14k | ~55k |
| Tech stack | Node.js, PostgreSQL, Redis, React | Node.js, Vue.js, PostgreSQL |
| Replaces | Zapier, Make | Zapier, Make |
n8n has more GitHub stars, which usually indicates a larger community (not necessarily that it's the best option for your use case).
Activepieces
Workflow automation with 200+ integrations, an alternative to Zapier.
Pros
- Noticeably more modern interface than n8n's
- MIT-licensed core
Things to consider
- Some team features (SSO, analytics) are Enterprise-only paid add-ons
- Integration ecosystem still smaller than Zapier's
n8n
Workflow automation, an alternative to Zapier.
Pros
- No charge per execution when self-hosted
Things to consider
- The Fair-code license restricts offering it as a SaaS competing with n8n Cloud
Key features
Activepieces
- 200+ ready-to-use integrations (pieces)
- Visual no-code flow builder
- SDK to build your own pieces/integrations
n8n
- Visual flow editor with 400+ nodes
- JavaScript and Python code nodes when you need them
- Self-hosted execution with no task limit
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