Activepieces
Open-source AI-first automation platform for building workflows and agents without coding
Activepieces is the smart pick if you want AI-native automation at a fraction of Zapier's cost — the chat-to-automation feature genuinely works and the open-source licensing means you're never locked in. But the integration catalog is narrower and enterprise-grade features like SCIM and audit logs only appear at the custom-priced Ultimate tier. For most teams, the Team plan at $166/mo is the sweet spot.
Verified 2d ago · liveness 89/100 · cite: rightaichoice.com/tools/activepieces
- Teams adopting AI-driven automation without coding skills
- Organizations migrating from Zapier or Make to cut costs
- Enterprises needing self-hosted, compliant automation with full data control
- Sales, marketing, and support teams automating lead handling and responses
- Users requiring 10,000+ niche app integrations (better with Zapier)
- Teams demanding enterprise-grade support and SLAs on lower tiers
- Simple single-step automations that are overkill for a full platform
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Skip Activepieces if you need a massive library of niche integrations (Zapier has more), require enterprise-grade support with SLAs right now, or your automations are extremely simple and you don't need AI capabilities.
Going past your plan's monthly credits adds $0.007 per extra credit, which can add up during heavy automation months
Activepieces pricing starts free for one person, then jumps to $16/mo per user for Plus (5 users), $166/mo for Team (25 users), and custom for Ultimate. This is significantly cheaper than Zapier's similar tiers which start around $20/mo for 750 tasks and quickly scale. For teams needing AI agents and a large integration library, Activepieces offers better value, though Make might be cheaper for heavy usage on lower tiers.
In short
Activepieces — Open-source AI-first automation platform for building workflows and agents without coding. Best for Teams adopting AI-driven automation without coding skills, Organizations migrating from Zapier or Make to cut costs, Enterprises needing self-hosted, compliant automation with full data control. Free to start; paid plans from $16/mo.
What's new in Activepieces
Checked 9 days agoAcross the latest 4 updates: 4 news mentions.
How to design AI approval workflows that reduce legal liability
Activepieces blog post providing best practices for building AI approval workflows with human oversight to minimize legal risk.
ClickUp's automation quotas are conversion traps
Activepieces blog post critiquing ClickUp's automation quota policies and suggesting alternative automation scaling approaches.
How to handle errors in production AI agents
Activepieces blog post offering actionable strategies for monitoring and resolving errors in AI agents used in live environments.
AI Agent Security: Knowing Risks and How to Stop Them
Activepieces blog post detailing common security vulnerabilities in AI agents and mitigation techniques for enterprise deployment.
What people actually say about Activepieces — is it worth it?
We ran a structured research pass across product reviews, community discussions, and post-purchase forum threads to surface the patterns vendors won't publish themselves. Below: the recurring strengths, the hidden costs people mention most, and the cohort that consistently regrets adopting this tool.
62 mentions across 4 sources (Hacker News, YouTube, Product Hunt, GitHub) · researched Aug 21, 2026.
- +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
- +AI-first focus with built-in agents and human approval steps
- −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
- −No official mention of uptime SLA, raising reliability concerns for enterprise
- • Some advanced features (like certain AI features) are only available on paid plans, which might surprise users who expect all open-source features for free
- • Self-hosting may require infrastructure and maintenance costs that add up
Viability Score
How well maintained and how widely used is Activepieces? Built from what the vendor actually publishes (docs, changelog, tutorials, integrations, pricing), whether the site is live, and how much real users discuss it. How we calculate this
Last calculated: August 2026
How we score →Key Features
- Chat-to-automation: describe a task and Activepieces builds the workflow
- Drag-and-drop visual workflow builder
- 700+ app integrations including Gmail, OpenAI, Slack, Notion, HubSpot
- AI agents with custom instructions, tools, and human approval steps
- Agent library: Lead Scorer, Deal Closer, Meeting Summarizer, Inbox Zero Bot
- Impact analytics dashboard tracking hours saved, adoption, cost savings
- Gamification with leaderboards and badges for team adoption
- SSO (SAML 2.0, Google), SCIM provisioning, advanced RBAC
- Self-hosting via Docker or Helm on any cloud or your network
- Fully managed cloud with SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliance
- EU and US data regions
- Tables and MCPs included for data storage and model context
- API access for building custom integrations
- Global connections for shared app credentials
- Releases and Git Sync for version-controlled workflows (Ultimate)
About Activepieces
Activepieces is an open-source, AI-first automation platform where teams build workflows and AI agents visually, without writing code. It combines a drag-and-drop builder with 700+ integrations — Gmail, OpenAI, Slack, Notion, HubSpot and more — so you can move from a chat prompt to a working automation in minutes. That chat-to-automation flow is the core: describe what you want (triage my inbox, update the CRM), and Activepieces generates the workflow, complete with AI agents, human approval steps, custom logic, and access to agent data. It's built for every department, not just engineers. Productiled impact analytics track hours saved, adoption rates, and cost reduction across teams, while gamification features — leaderboards and badges — push adoption across your org. Sales, marketing, support, finance, IT and operations all get pre-built templates, from a Lead Scorer that saves $19.9k/yr to a Meeting Summarizer that saves $2.1k/yr, and an agent library that includes Deal Closer and Inbox Zero Bot. For governance, Activepieces covers SSO (SAML 2.0, Google), SCIM provisioning, advanced RBAC, audit logs, and secret management on paid plans. You can self-host via Docker or Helm on any cloud or your own network — every plan works on-prem, including the free open-source Community Edition — or use the fully managed cloud with SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliance, EU and US regions. The pricing starts free for one person, then Plus at $16/mo, Team at $166/mo, and custom Ultimate for enterprise control. Compared to Zapier or Make, Activepieces is cheaper, more AI-native, and open-source, which means no vendor lock-in. But the integration library is smaller and enterprise support is still maturing, so it's a better fit for teams ready to build AI-driven automation at scale than for those needing every niche app connector.
Behind the Verdict
Most automation tools make AI an afterthought — an action step buried in a flow. Activepieces makes it the starting point: you type what you want, it builds the workflow. That chat-to-automation capability is the real differentiator, and it's why teams with no coding skills can get serious work done on day one. Where the pricing gets interesting is the credit system. Every flow run costs 1 credit, but AI steps cost extra — 2 for a fast model, 10 for a smart model, 20 for a frontier model. Bring your own AI key and every agentic action drops to 1 credit. If you're running heavy AI workloads, the cost math favors BYO keys, and the Plus plan's 'pay as you go beyond that' keeps you honest. The Team plan at $166/mo is the real value: 25 users included, SSO, projects, 5× credits, global connections, and team analytics. But watch the jump to Ultimate — that's where SCIM, custom RBAC, audit logs, and secret managers live. If compliance is a hard requirement, you're paying custom pricing. That's a big gap between Team and Ultimate that smaller enterprises may feel. Compared to Zapier, Activepieces is cheaper and more flexible — but it doesn't have Zapier's 10,000+ app catalog. Compared to Make, it's cleaner and more AI-focused, and r/selfhosted users consistently call the UI better than n8n's. The self-hosting angle is genuinely strong: every plan works on-prem, and the Community Edition is free forever. Where it bites: support. The free tier is community-only, Plus and Team get email, and only Ultimate gets a dedicated contact. If you're running billion-dollar business processes, that's worth factoring in. Also, that '$0 per execution' claim on self-hosted is real for the running, but you're trading vendor costs for infrastructure costs and your own maintenance time. For
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Real-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas Activepieces actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
Automate lead capture to CRM
Outcome: Create a flow that captures new leads from your website form, enriches them via AI agent, and syncs to HubSpot, then sends a Slack alert.
Streamline internal approvals
Outcome: Build an approval workflow with human-in-the-loop steps that sends a request to a Slack channel, waits for approval, and then executes the next action.
Self-host for privacy
Outcome: Deploy Activepieces on your own server using Docker, create a workflow that reads Gmail and drafts replies with an AI agent, all data stays on your infrastructure.
Use Cases
- Automate lead qualification with an AI agent that scores and routes leads to sales
- Create a daily report agent that compiles team metrics and sends a summary to Slack
- Set up a meeting summarizer that transcribes calls and emails action items
- Build an inbox zero bot that auto-categorizes and responds to emails
- Automate support ticket routing with human approval steps
- Sync CRM data to Google Sheets and send notifications on changes
- Monitor social media mentions and trigger automated responses
Models Under the Hood
as of 2026-08-15
Limitations
- The free plan provides limited credits and up to 5 users on the Plus plan, with pay-as-you-go beyond included credits.
- The self-hosted Community Edition may require technical expertise for deployment.
- AI-generated responses may contain mistakes, as noted in the documentation.
- Advanced enterprise features require higher-tier plans.
as of 2026-08-14
Verification history
We have re-verified Activepieces 16 times since . Each pass re-reads the vendor's own pages and re-checks every listed field against that evidence; passes where nothing had changed are marked as such.
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
Showing the 6 most recent of 16 verification passes.
Free to cite with attribution — this page re-verifies continuously.
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Plans compared
For each published Activepieces tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Free
$0/mo
Ideal for
Solo individuals starting with automation, exploring AI agents, and wanting to try the platform risk-free
What this tier adds
Starting tier with unlimited flows, daily credits, and access to AI agents, but limited to one person
Plus
$16/mo
Ideal for
Freelancers or small teams needing more credits and up to 5 users, with bring-your-own-AI-keys flexibility
What this tier adds
Adds 5 user support, 3× credits, and pay-as-you-go beyond that
Team
$166/mo
Ideal for
Growing teams needing shared projects, SSO, and global connections, with 25 users included
What this tier adds
Adds 25 users, unlimited projects, 5× credits, SSO, email support
Ultimate
Custom
Ideal for
Enterprises requiring custom credits, dedicated resources, and advanced governance features like SCIM and audit logs
What this tier adds
Adds yearly credits, Releases and Git Sync, dedicated workers, custom roles, audit logs, and dedicated support
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where Activepieces's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
Activepieces pricing starts free for one person, then jumps to $16/mo per user for Plus (5 users), $166/mo for Team (25 users), and custom for Ultimate. This is significantly cheaper than Zapier's similar tiers which start around $20/mo for 750 tasks and quickly scale. For teams needing AI agents and a large integration library, Activepieces offers better value, though Make might be cheaper for heavy usage on lower tiers.
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of Activepieces — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
Most users can create their first flow within 30 minutes using the visual builder. For self-hosting, expect 1-2 hours to set up Docker and configure. Teams can be operational within a day, especially with the pre-built agent library.
Switching to or from Activepieces
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
- →From Zapier: Use Activepieces' guides and templates to recreate your most important Zaps as flows; since it's visual, it's a straightforward copy-paste of logic
- →From Make: Similar drag-and-drop interface means you can rebuild scenarios relatively quickly; leverage the open-source pieces to avoid vendor lock-in
- →From manual processes: Start with a simple flow to automate a repetitive task, then expand as you learn the platform
- ↗To Zapier: Since Activepieces uses standard webhooks and APIs, you can export your flow definitions and recreate them in Zapier, though you'll need to rebuild manually
- ↗To Make: Similar to Zapier, the visual nature makes migration feasible, but you'll need to redo it since there's no automated export tool
Integrations
Resources & Guides
- Documentationactivepieces.com
Welcome
Your friendliest open source all-in-one automation tool, designed to be extensible.
- Documentationactivepieces.com
How to Structure Projects
Full product docs from activepieces.com
- Documentationactivepieces.com
Overview
This section helps developers build and contribute pieces.
- Documentationactivepieces.com
Activepieces Handbook
Full product docs from activepieces.com
- Resourceactivepieces.com
Learn to automate your work
Helpful link from activepieces.com
- Resourceactivepieces.com
AI Agent Security: Knowing Risks and How to Stop Them
Helpful link from activepieces.com
Tutorials & Learning
Tools that pair well with Activepieces
Common stack mates teams adopt alongside Activepieces, with the specific reason each pairing earns its keep.
Featured Head-to-Head Comparisons
Activepieces vs Dify
Choose Dify if your primary need is building RAG-powered AI agents and workflows with a visual builder, especially for customer support chatbots requiring human review and team template sharing. Choose Activepieces if you want a broader AI-first automation platform that replaces Zapier/Make with 700+ integrations, enterprise features like SAML SSO and RBAC, and cost-effective per-flow pricing. Dify excels in AI agent depth; Activepieces wins in breadth of automation and enterprise readiness.
Activepieces vs Make
If your priority is AI agent automation on a budget with self-hosting flexibility, pick Activepieces. If you need the widest integration library and advanced workflow logic (routers, iterators) across a massive app ecosystem, Make is your safer bet. Both are solid, but Activepieces leans into AI-first innovation while Make excels in general-purpose automation scale.
Activepieces vs Zapier
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.
Activepieces vs N8n
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.
Alternatives to Activepieces
View all
Coze Studio
Open-source, visual AI agent builder for self-hosted, low-code development
AutoGen Studio
Open-source, low-code GUI for prototyping multi-agent AI systems on Microsoft's AutoGen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Best-of guides
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