Activepieces vs n8n
Short answer
Activepieces: Open-source Zapier alternative with AI agents, MCP and human-in-the-loop steps. n8n: Workflow automation with 1,500+ integrations and built-in AI agent nodes. Both are in our Workflow automation with AI category.
Choose Activepieces if you want: fewer license conditions (Open core vs Source-available).
Choose n8n if you want: larger community (208k vs 25.2k GitHub stars).
Activepieces and n8n publish no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
Activepieces vs n8n side by side
| Activepieces | n8n | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Workflow automation with AI | Workflow automation with AI |
| What it is | Open-source Zapier alternative with AI agents, MCP and human-in-the-loop steps. | Workflow automation with 1,500+ integrations and built-in AI agent nodes. |
| License | MIT (core) + Activepieces Enterprise License (ee directories) | Sustainable Use License (fair-code) + n8n Enterprise License for .ee files |
| License type | Open core | Source-available |
| License conditions | Everything outside packages/ee and packages/server/api/src/app/ee is MIT. Code in those directories needs a commercial license. | You may use or modify n8n for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial use. You may not sell it or offer it to others as a paid service. Files with ".ee" in the name need an n8n Enterprise License. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 25.2k | 208k |
| Last commit | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Latest release | 0.92.3 | n8n@2.44.6 |
| Minimum hardware | Not published | Not published |
| Recommended hardware | Not published | Not published |
| RAM measured by us | Not tested yet | 412 MiB idle, 607 MiB working (our test, v2.44.6, Oct 22, 2026) |
| GPU | Not required / not stated | Not required / not stated |
| Est. server cost | Not estimated | from €11.99/mo (based on our test, not official) |
| Deploy method | Docker (single container, embedded DB) | Docker |
| Known gotchas | 2 listed | 2 listed |
| Telemetry | On by default | On by default |
| Calls home by default | Not documented | Yes, by default |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Paid / enterprise only (SAML paid) | Paid / enterprise only (OIDC paid · SAML paid · LDAP paid) |
| Audit log | Paid / enterprise only | Paid / enterprise only |
| RBAC | Paid / enterprise only | Paid / enterprise only |
| Details | Full Activepieces guide → | Full n8n guide → |
Key differences
- License: Activepieces: MIT (core) + Activepieces Enterprise License (ee directories) (Open core). n8n: Sustainable Use License (fair-code) + n8n Enterprise License for .ee files (Source-available).
- Deploy: Activepieces: Docker (single container, embedded DB) · single container. n8n: Docker · single container.
- GitHub stars: Activepieces: 25.2k. n8n: 208k.
- Latest release: Activepieces: 0.92.3 (Oct 12, 2026). n8n: n8n@2.44.6 (Oct 22, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Workflow automation with AI; Official hardware: not published; GPU: not required or not stated; Est. server cost: not estimated (no official RAM figure); Status: Active; Last commit: Oct 22, 2026.
Activepieces vs n8n: FAQ
Activepieces or n8n: which should a small business choose?
Choose Activepieces if you want: fewer license conditions (Open core vs Source-available). Choose n8n if you want: larger community (208k vs 25.2k GitHub stars). Activepieces and n8n publish no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Which is cheaper to self-host, Activepieces or n8n?
Activepieces: not estimated (no official RAM figure). n8n: not estimated (no official RAM figure). Our estimate is the cheapest Hetzner Cloud plan that meets each project's official RAM and vCPU figure; it covers the server only.
How much hardware do Activepieces and n8n need?
Activepieces: not published. n8n: not published.
What is the license difference between Activepieces and n8n?
Activepieces: MIT (core) + Activepieces Enterprise License (ee directories) (Open core). Everything outside packages/ee and packages/server/api/src/app/ee is MIT. Code in those directories needs a commercial license. n8n: Sustainable Use License (fair-code) + n8n Enterprise License for .ee files (Source-available). You may use or modify n8n for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial use. You may not sell it or offer it to others as a paid service. Files with ".ee" in the name need an n8n Enterprise License. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is Activepieces or n8n more actively maintained?
Activepieces: Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. n8n: Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 22, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, Activepieces or n8n?
Activepieces installs via Docker (single container, embedded DB) (single container); n8n via Docker (single container). Activepieces lists 2 known gotchas and n8n lists 2; see each app page.
Related
Sources
- Activepieces GitHub repository: github.com/activepieces/activepieces
- Activepieces documentation, Activepieces hardware requirements, Activepieces deploy instructions: www.activepieces.com/docs/install/options/docker
- Activepieces license: github.com/activepieces/activepieces/blob/main/LICENSE
- n8n GitHub repository: github.com/n8n-io/n8n
- n8n documentation, n8n deploy instructions: docs.n8n.io/deploy/host-n8n/install-options/install-with-docker
- n8n license: github.com/n8n-io/n8n/blob/master/LICENSE.md
- n8n hardware requirements: docs.n8n.io/deploy/host-n8n/configure-n8n/scaling/fix-memory-issues
- Hetzner Cloud pricing used for cost estimates (read 2026-10-22): www.hetzner.com/cloud/regular-performance
- GitHub REST API (stars, commits, releases): docs.github.com/en/rest
Every value is generated from the same verified data as the app pages. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.