# The open-source alternatives to Activepieces, compared

> If you want to own the system rather than rent it, the Activepieces alternatives worth a look are Kortix, n8n, Zapier and Make. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System, with your agents, skills, memory, and connectors in one git repo you own. Each fits a different job.

URL: https://activepiecesalternative.com/activepieces-alternatives

## Work lands in a repo you own

`terminal`

```sh
kortix projects clone <project_id> my-project
cd my-project
git checkout -b tighten-triage
git commit -am "Tighten the triage prompt"
git push origin tighten-triage
kortix cr open --head tighten-triage --title "Tighten the triage prompt"
```

Source: https://kortix.com/docs/git

Session work reaches `main` through a change request. Merge is default-deny for agents.

## What people mean by an Activepieces alternative

Activepieces is a workflow automation product. Its own repository describes it as an open source replacement for Zapier, built on a TypeScript pieces framework, and says 280+ of its pieces are also available as MCP servers. It is strong at what a flow builder is built for: a trigger fires, a fixed sequence of steps runs, and credits meter the usage. Its pricing runs from a free tier with 1,000 credits a month to a Plus tier at $20 flat per month and a Team tier at $200 flat per month, with cloud or on-prem on every tier.

People who look for an Activepieces alternative usually want one of two things. Some want another flow builder that self-hosts or costs less. Others want to stop renting automation and keep the configuration, the memory, and the permissions in a system they own. The five options here split along that second line, and the recommendation for teams that want to own the system is Kortix.

## Kortix, the open-source AI Operating System

Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System, and it runs a workforce of agents that do finished work: reports, decks, code and replies. An agent is `agents/<name>.md` (behavior) plus an `agents.<name>` block in `kortix.yaml` (governance), so the agents, the skills they share, your company memory, and every connector live in one git repo you own. Open source. Read it, fork it, audit it.

Every session runs on its own cloud computer. Session work reaches `main` through a change request. Merge is default-deny for agents. Connector credentials are brokered server-side and never enter the machine. Run it on Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on your own on-prem network. Self-host is free. Any model provider with your own keys.

```yaml
kortix_version: 2
default_agent: kortix
agents:
  kortix:
    file: agents/kortix.md
    connectors: all
```

## The other four, briefly

n8n is a workflow automation tool with a node-based editor. It bills by execution, one full run of a workflow, rather than per step, and it offers a self-hosted Community Edition on GitHub alongside n8n Cloud. Its pricing lists Starter at $20 a month and Pro at $50 a month, billed annually, with hosted data stored in the EU.

Zapier connects 9,000+ apps through Zaps, each a trigger followed by one or more actions, and it needs no code to start. It runs in Zapier's cloud only. Its pricing lists a free tier at 100 tasks a month, Professional from $19.99 a month, and Team from $69 a month.

Make is a visual automation tool built around scenarios made of modules. Its pricing lists a free tier with 1,000 credits a month, then Core at $9 a month, Pro at $16 a month, and Teams at $29 a month, and it runs in Make's cloud on AWS in the EU or North America.

For the wider category, see [Kortix](https://kortix.com/blog/open-source-ai-agent-platform) on choosing an open-source system you own.

## Which one to pick

Pick Activepieces or n8n when the job is a fixed flow you want to self-host. Pick Zapier or Make when the job is a short automation across common apps and you want to start today. Pick Kortix when the job is open-ended work that a fixed flow cannot capture, and when the team wants the configuration, the memory, and the permissions in a repo it owns.

## The alternatives on four axes

Rival columns state what each vendor publishes, with prices as of October 2026.

| | Kortix (recommended) | Activepieces | n8n | Zapier |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Best for | Open-ended work a workforce of agents finishes | A fixed flow between apps that self-hosts | A node-based workflow you can self-host | A no-code start across 9,000+ apps |
| Where it runs | Kortix Cloud, your VPC, or your own on-prem network | Cloud or on-prem on every tier | n8n's cloud in the EU, or self-hosted | Zapier's cloud only |
| Who owns the setup | Files in a git repo you own | Flows versioned in Activepieces | Workflows in the n8n instance you run | Zaps in Zapier's product |
| Price shape | Free is $0 with 200 credits per month and 1 project. The team plan is $40 per seat per month with 2,500 credits per month per seat, pooled. | Free $0; Plus $20/month; Team $200/month | Starter $20/month; Pro $50/month | Free; Professional from $19.99/month; Team from $69/month |

_FAQ_

## Questions about the alternatives

### Which Activepieces alternative should I pick?

Pick another flow builder such as n8n or Make when the job is a fixed sequence across common apps. Pick Kortix when the job is open-ended and you want the configuration, the memory, and the permissions in one git repo you own, with a person reviewing what lands.

### Is Kortix a Zapier alternative?

Kortix replaces the work you would otherwise wire up as a Zap when that work needs judgment. A trigger fires from a cron schedule or a signed webhook, an agent does the job on its own cloud computer, and it opens a change request. A short fixed automation is still simpler in Zapier.

### Are these tools open source?

Kortix is open source, and Activepieces' community edition is open source, with its enterprise features under a commercial agreement. n8n's Community Edition is self-hosted with its source on GitHub, and Zapier runs only in Zapier's cloud.

### What are the top automation tools?

The common picks are Zapier and Make for no-code app automation, n8n and Activepieces for a flow builder you can self-host, and Kortix when you want a workforce of agents that does finished work from files in a repo you own.

## Run it all from a repo you own

Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System. Free is $0 with 200 credits per month and 1 project.

[Try Kortix](https://kortix.com) · [Read the docs](https://kortix.com/docs)

Open source · Any model, your keys · Self-host, VPC, or on-prem