Activepieces vs Zapier

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

Analysis reviewed Live tool data as of 2026-09-29
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At a glance

DimensionActivepiecesZapier
PricingFree for 1 person, paid plans for builders/teamsFree tier, paid plans based on tasks
Core integrations700+9,000+
AI featuresAI agents, chat-to-automation, agent library, approval workflowsAI workflows, agents, chatbots, Copilot, MCP, SDK
DeploymentCloud or self-hostedCloud-only
ComplianceSOC 2 Type II (cloud)SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA
Best forAI-first teams, cost-conscious, self-hostersNon-technical teams needing broad app coverage

If you're AI-forward, cost-sensitive, or need on-prem compliance, Activepieces wins—it's cheaper, open-source, and ships built-in agent orchestration. But if you live off sheer app breadth (9,000+ integrations) and want enterprise polish with mature SLAs, Zapier is the safe bet. For most teams diving into AI automation today, Activepieces delivers more relevant value per dollar.

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Activepieces
Activepieces

Open-source AI automation platform: build workflows and AI agents visually, no code.

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Zapier
Zapier

Zapier connects 9,000+ apps with no-code AI workflows, MCP connectors, and task-based pricing

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Pricing
Freemium
Freemium
Plans
$0
$16/mo (billed yearly)
$166/mo (billed yearly)
Custom
$0/mo
Starting from $19.99/mo
Contact sales
Popularity
3.8k views
3.6k views
Skill Level
Beginner-friendly
Beginner-friendly
API Available
Platforms
WebAPI
Web
Categories
🤖 Automation & Agents🕸️ Agent Frameworks & Orchestration
🤖 Automation & Agents
Features
Chat-to-automation: describe a workflow in plain words and get a drafted flow
Drag-and-drop visual workflow builder with branching, retries, waitpoints, subflows, error handling
760+ open-source integrations (pieces) including Gmail, OpenAI, Slack, Notion, HubSpot
AI agents with custom instructions, tools, and human approval gates
Tables for storing data every flow and agent can read and write
MCP server to connect agents to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini
HTTP piece to call any REST or GraphQL API with auth and pagination
TypeScript code step for the hardest steps
Human approval gates to control steps that touch money, customers, or production
Impact analytics: track hours saved, adoption, cost savings
Project-based isolation for teams and clients
SSO (Okta/Entra), standard or custom roles, audit logs, secret managers
Credits model: one credit per run, AI steps cost extra (2, 10, or 20 credits)
Self-hosting via Docker or Kubernetes, including air-gapped deployments
Cloud hosting in EU, US, or other regions on request
Connect 9,000+ apps through pre-built, governed integrations
Build multi-step Zaps with filters and branching logic
Run Zapier MCP tool calls from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and 230+ other AI tools
Use one secure MCP connection with no passwords or API keys required
Install the Zapier SDK for AI coding agents via npm install @zapier/zapier-sdk (beta)
Install the Zapier SDK CLI for terminal-based agent setup (beta)
Build Next Gen Zaps with advanced logic and self-healing automatic recovery (early access)
Audit every agent action and workflow run through a single log
Set granular per-member permissions across 66,000+ triggers and actions
Store structured data in Tables that Zaps read and update
Capture inputs with Forms that trigger workflows
Plan and map workflows visually with Canvas
Create AI Agents for task-specific automation
Deploy AI Chatbots that answer customer questions
Run AI steps, code steps, and SDK calls on one unified task-based pricing meter
Integrations
Slack
Gmail
HubSpot
OpenAI
Notion
Snowflake
QuickBooks
Stripe
Google Sheets
Salesforce
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Claude
Microsoft Teams
Zendesk
Jira Software Cloud
NetSuite
Microsoft Dynamics CRM
QuickBooks Online
ServiceNow

What real users say: Activepieces vs Zapier

Not marketing copy and not our opinion — a structured sweep of public discussion (reviews, forums, communities and video comments), showing what people praise and what they complain about for each tool.

Activepieces

62 mentions across 4 sources · 76% positive (averaged across 4 sources)

Hacker News, YouTube, Product Hunt, GitHub

What users praise

  • • True open-source license (MIT) allows free use in commercial apps
  • • Drag-and-drop builder is praised for being easy and intuitive
  • • Active and responsive team; feature requests implemented in a day
  • • Very competitive pricing compared to Zapier and n8n

What frustrates them

  • • Advanced features are gated behind paid tiers, limiting open-source claim
  • • Fewer integrations than rivals (700 vs n8n's 1000+)
  • • Community edition lacks some power features, pushing users to paid plans
  • • Some users find n8n's workflow capabilities more advanced for complex automation

Researched Aug 21, 2026

Zapier

81 mentions across 5 sources · 62% positive — mixed (averaged across 5 sources)

Hacker News, YouTube, Product Hunt, Stack Overflow, Lemmy

What users praise

  • • Huge library of 9,000+ integrations.
  • • Beginner-friendly, no-code interface.
  • • Great for simple cross-app automations.
  • • Strong documentation and support.

What frustrates them

  • • Easily becomes expensive at scale.
  • • Limited to simple, linear logic.
  • • Debugging is hard for complex Zaps.
  • • Power users find it inflexible.

Researched Aug 18, 2026

Who should pick which

  • Solo founder
    Pick: Activepieces

    Free tier covers one person, and AI agents with approval steps suit lean startups wanting to automate without code costs.

  • Marketing team in a large enterprise
    Pick: Zapier

    9,000+ integrations map to the long tail of marketing tools, plus enterprise compliance (GDPR, CCPA) and support SLAs.

  • Cost-conscious team migrating from Zapier
    Pick: Activepieces

    Lower pricing, open-source flexibility, and AI features at a fraction of Zapier's task-based costs.

  • Enterprise with on-prem compliance needs
    Pick: Activepieces

    Self-hosting with Docker/Helm keeps data in-house—Zapier is cloud-only.

  • Operations manager automating cross-app workflows with AI guardrails
    Pick: Zapier

    Zapier's MCP/SDK and Copilot give governed AI orchestration and a vast connector library—better if you need a one-stop shop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Activepieces vs Zapier: which should you choose?

If you're AI-forward, cost-sensitive, or need on-prem compliance, Activepieces wins—it's cheaper, open-source, and ships built-in agent orchestration. But if you live off sheer app breadth (9,000+ integrations) and want enterprise polish with mature SLAs, Zapier is the safe bet. For most teams diving into AI automation today, Activepieces delivers more relevant value per dollar.

Can I self-host Zapier?

No, Zapier is cloud-only; Activepieces allows self-hosting via Docker or Helm.

Which platform offers more integrations?

Zapier has 9,000+ connectors vs. Activepieces' 700+, so Zapier covers more niche apps.

Does Activepieces support human approval for AI actions?

Yes, Activepieces explicitly includes human approval steps—a feature not mentioned in Zapier's spec.

Are these platforms suitable for real-time automation?

Both have typical delays; neither is built for low-latency/real-time use.

Which is better for a team new to AI automation?

Activepieces offers chat-to-automation and an agent library to jumpstart AI workflows; Zapier's AI tools are broad but less guided toward pre-built agents.

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Explore each tool further

Activepieces
View Activepieces reviewActivepieces alternatives
Zapier
View Zapier reviewZapier alternatives

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Last reviewed: August 11, 2026