Activepieces vs n8n

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings

Analysis reviewed Live tool data as of 2026-08-15
Cross-checked through our multi-step verification ·
Saved

At a glance

DimensionActivepiecesn8n
PricingFree tier: 10 active flows; $5/active flow/monthFree tier: 5 active workflows (cloud); self-hosted free; paid cloud plans from $10/month
Integrations700+ integrations500+ pre-built integrations + custom API nodes
AI FeaturesAI agents with custom instructions; AI agent library (Lead Scorer, Deal Closer)AI agent builder supporting multi-agent and RAG; AI evaluation; MCP support
Target UserNon-technical teams, sales, marketing, supportTechnical teams: IT Ops, Dev, SecOps
Self-HostingYes (Docker, Helm, any cloud)Yes (Docker, on-prem, cloud)
Latest News2026-04 guides on AI agent security and B2B sales automation2026-06 coverage of A2A protocol and data leak prevention node

If you're a sales or marketing team wanting a no-code, AI-first automation platform with predictable pricing, pick Activepieces. If you're a technical team needing flexible, code-friendly workflows with advanced AI orchestration (multi-agent, RAG), n8n is the better choice. Activepieces is cheaper for many flows ($5/flow vs n8n's tiered pricing) but n8n offers deeper customization and developer control.

Activepieces
Activepieces

Open-source AI-first automation platform for teams building workflows and agents visually

Visit Website
n8n
n8n

Open-source AI workflow automation with code-level control and traceable agents

Visit Website
Pricing
Freemium
Freemium
Plans
$0/mo
$16/mo
$166/mo
Custom
$0/mo
€20/mo (billed annually)
€50/mo (billed annually)
€667/mo (billed annually)
Contact Sales
Popularity
3.8k views
5.8k views
Skill Level
Beginner-friendly
Intermediate
API Available
Platforms
WebAPI
Web
Categories
🤖 Automation & Agents🕸️ Agent Frameworks & Orchestration
🤖 Automation & Agents🕸️ Agent Frameworks & Orchestration
Features
Drag-and-drop workflow builder
AI agents with custom instructions
Human approval steps
Chat-to-automation
700+ app integrations
Agent library: Lead Scorer, Deal Closer, Meeting Summarizer
Impact analytics dashboard
Gamification and leaderboards
SSO (SAML 2.0, Google)
SCIM provisioning
Advanced RBAC
Self-hosting (Docker, Helm)
Cloud hosting with SOC 2 Type II
Audit logs
Global connections
Visual workflow builder with drag-and-drop nodes
Insert JavaScript or Python anywhere
500+ pre-built integrations
AI agent builder with multi-agent and RAG support
MCP support for legacy systems
Human-in-the-loop approvals and guardrails
Self-host via Docker or n8n Cloud
Git-based version control with workflow diffs
SSO/SAML/LDAP, encrypted secrets, RBAC
Audit logs and log streaming to SIEM
Re-run single steps, replay or mock data
Execution-based pricing (not per step)
Native AI evaluation with real data
AI Assistant with credits (preview)
Offline model support
Integrations
Gmail
OpenAI
Slack
Notion
HubSpot
MCP
Google Sheets
Salesforce
GitHub
Jira
Anthropic
Microsoft Graph
IMAP
SMTP
HTTP
GraphQL
PostgreSQL

Who should pick which

  • Sales/Marketing team
    Pick: Activepieces

    Activepieces offers pre-built AI agents for lead scoring and sales automation, plus 700+ integrations (HubSpot, Gmail, Stripe) and a simpler drag-and-drop builder.

  • IT Ops / DevSecOps team
    Pick: n8n

    n8n provides advanced code support, version control, LDAP, and multi-agent/RAG capabilities needed for complex enterprise automation and incident response.

  • Solo founder building AI workflows
    Pick: Activepieces

    Activepieces' free tier (10 flows) and low per-flow cost are budget-friendly, and its AI agent library accelerates common automation tasks without coding.

  • Enterprise needing on-prem AI orchestration
    Pick: n8n

    n8n's full source availability, git-based diffs, and MCP support enable deep customization and integration into existing DevOps pipelines with strong security controls.

  • Non-technical team automating HR/onboarding
    Pick: Activepieces

    Activepieces' gamification and simpler UI are better for driving adoption among non-technical users, and its 700+ integrations cover common HR tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Activepieces vs n8n: which should you choose?

If you're a sales or marketing team wanting a no-code, AI-first automation platform with predictable pricing, pick Activepieces. If you're a technical team needing flexible, code-friendly workflows with advanced AI orchestration (multi-agent, RAG), n8n is the better choice. Activepieces is cheaper for many flows ($5/flow vs n8n's tiered pricing) but n8n offers deeper customization and developer control.

Which platform has more integrations?

Activepieces boasts 700+ integrations, while n8n offers 500+ pre-built integrations plus custom API nodes for any service. Activepieces covers more popular apps out of the box.

Can I self-host both tools?

Yes, both support self-hosting. Activepieces can be deployed via Docker, Helm, or any cloud. n8n offers Docker-based self-hosting and full source code on GitHub.

Which is better for AI agents?

Activepieces provides easy-to-use pre-built AI agents (Lead Scorer, Deal Closer) and custom instructions. n8n supports multi-agent orchestration, RAG, and AI evaluation, giving more control to developers.

Which is cheaper for 50 active flows?

Activepieces would cost $250/month (50 flows × $5). n8n's cloud pricing varies: the Pro plan ($20/month) covers 20 workflows, so you'd need multiple accounts or self-host. Self-hosting n8n is free but requires infrastructure.

Do both support human approvals?

Yes, both have human-in-the-loop approvals. Activepieces includes it as a standard feature; n8n also offers approval steps and human-in-the-loop guardrails.

Which is better for non-technical users?

Activepieces is more beginner-friendly with a simpler drag-and-drop builder, pre-built AI agents, and gamification to drive adoption. n8n has a steeper learning curve but offers more flexibility for technical users.

What are the latest notable features?

For Activepieces: recent guides on AI agent security and B2B sales automation. For n8n: support for Agent-to-Agent (A2A) protocol and a community node for data leak prevention within the execution graph.

Which has better enterprise security features?

Both offer RBAC, SSO/SAML, and audit logs. Activepieces adds SCIM provisioning and advanced RBAC. n8n adds LDAP, encrypted secrets, and log streaming, making it stronger for strict compliance environments.

More Activepieces or n8n comparisons

Explore each tool further

Browse these categories

Still deciding? Get the weekly AI tools brief

One email a week — new tools, honest comparisons, no spam.

Last reviewed: May 12, 2026