Activepieces
Also known as: Activepieces CE
Open-source automation platform with a self-hosted Community Edition and usage-based paid flows for teams.
Activepieces is an open-source, AI-first automation platform, positioned as an alternative to tools like Zapier, Make, and n8n but built around artificial intelligence and the Model Context Protocol rather than treating them as add-ons. Teams use a no-code visual builder to assemble workflows from reusable building blocks the platform calls pieces, each one an integration such as Gmail, Slack, or a database, connected into flows that start from a trigger like an incoming email or a schedule and run a series of actions, with branching and data transformations along the way.
The pieces themselves are written in TypeScript and published as open-source packages, and a large share of them come from the community rather than the core team, which keeps the integration library growing and fully inspectable. On top of this foundation, Activepieces adds genuine AI capabilities: native steps that call language models, an AI assistant that helps build flows, and AI agents that can sense their environment, plan a sequence of steps, and act by using pieces as tools, moving a workflow from fixed rules toward something more autonomous.
Its most distinctive bet is on the Model Context Protocol. Every integration in Activepieces is automatically exposed as an MCP server, which turns its whole library into tools that external AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, or other MCP-compatible clients can call directly, so an AI agent can send an email, update a CRM, or edit a spreadsheet through Activepieces without a custom workflow for each case. The company describes this as one of the largest open-source MCP toolkits available.
Because it is open source under a permissive license, Activepieces can be self-hosted entirely within an organization's own network, including air-gapped environments, which appeals to teams with strict requirements, and it is also offered as a managed cloud with regional data options. Human oversight is treated as a first-class part of the design, with approval and delay steps and audit trails, and enterprise editions add governance features like single sign-on, user provisioning, and role-based access. The result is a platform that suits both non-technical builders and developers who want to extend it.
Vendor details
Canonical URL
https://www.activepieces.com/
Category
Agent builder
Company status
independent
Use cases & customers
Target customers
Deployment options
In practice
You want to move off expensive per-task automation and keep your data in-house. Activepieces is open source and self-hostable, even air-gapped, and replaces Zapier-style workflows while letting you inspect and extend every integration.
You want your AI assistant to actually do things in your apps. Activepieces exposes every integration as an MCP server, so Claude or Cursor can send email, update your CRM, or edit sheets through it directly.
Your workflow needs to make judgment calls, not just follow fixed rules. Activepieces lets you drop AI agents into a flow that sense, plan, and act using your connected pieces, with approval steps to keep humans in control.
Agentic Index coverage score
10.0 / 14 capabilities · 71%
| Integrations & Tool CallingAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Full |
|---|---|
| Workflow OrchestrationAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Full |
| Knowledge Grounding & RAGAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Unable to verify |
| Human Oversight & GuardrailsAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Full |
| Security, Identity & GovernanceAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Full |
| Observability & AuditabilityAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Full |
| Memory & State PersistenceAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Full |
| Deployment & Data ResidencyAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Full |
| Prebuilt Agents, Templates & PacksAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Unable to verify |
| Triggers & Channel CoverageAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Partial |
| Model Flexibility & RoutingAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Partial |
| APIs, SDKs & MCP ExtensibilityAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Full |
| Testing, Debugging & OptimizationAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Partial |
| Browser & Computer UseAgentic AI Index Expansion Evidence Report | Partial |
The Agentic Index coverage score grades every vendor Full, Partial or Unable to verify against the same 14 buyer facing capabilities, from public evidence only. Each capability links to how all vendors in the index score on it. How this evidence is graded
Recent platform changes
Activepieces release 0.85.4 added AI-ready metadata across hundreds of pieces, tagged non-agent actions with audience='human', and updated builder docs to require AI metadata on new actions and triggers.
Bears on: MCP / tool calling / API
View sourceActivepieces release 0.85.4 shipped broader runtime visibility improvements, including evlog-wide events replacing OpenTelemetry + pino, date ranges for queue health metrics, and worker/sandbox state and RAM visibility.
Bears on: Observability / auditability
View sourceActivepieces release 0.85.4 added error handlers to steps in flows.
Bears on: Workflow orchestration
View sourcePricing
$5/active flow/mo · free 10 flows
flat
Included quota
Self-hosted Community Edition (free, MIT): unlimited active flows + runs, full piece library, custom JS/TS code, webhooks, multi-environment - minus enterprise governance. Cloud Standard (free): first 10 active flows, unlimited runs, AI agents, Tables, MCP servers, email support, cloud hosting (EU or US region). Beyond 10 flows: $5/active flow/mo. Ultimate/Enterprise (custom, annual): unlimited flows, SSO (SAML 2.0), SCIM provisioning, custom RBAC, audit logging, Git sync, management APIs, custom AI model support, dedicated support. Embed (~$30K/year): white-label automation builder embedded in your own product (custom branding, private pieces, enterprise deployment).
What is public
Activepieces (activepieces.com - MIT-licensed open-source no-code automation, 700+ 'pieces'/integrations (747+ as of June 2026), native MCP + AI agents) self-hosts free (Community Edition, unlimited flows/runs, full product). Cloud uses a 'flipped' flat model: the Standard tier is free for the first 10 active flows with UNLIMITED runs, then $5 per active flow/month beyond that; the top Ultimate/Enterprise tier is custom-priced on an annual contract (SSO/SAML 2.0, SCIM, RBAC, audit logs). An Embed plan starts at ~$30K/year (white-label automation in your own product). AI agents are available on every plan, including free. (The alternate Free / Plus $25 / Business $150 tier structure some sources still show is OUTDATED - superseded by the current Standard + $5/active-flow + Ultimate model after a mid-2025 change.)
Billing mechanics
Per ACTIVE FLOW, not per task/run - you pay $5/month for each active flow beyond the first 10 (which are free), and runs/executions are UNLIMITED at any flow count. This 'doesn't punish scaling': a flow that fires a million times costs the same as one that fires twice (e.g., 100 active flows = $450/mo, $5 x 90 paid + 10 free). Self-hosting the MIT Community Edition removes all caps (you pay only your own infra). AI features draw on per-tier AI credits. Enterprise features (SSO/SCIM/RBAC/audit) require the paid Ultimate/Enterprise tier.
Cost watchouts
Smaller integration library (~700 pieces vs Zapier 9,000 / Make 3,000) - niche/legacy apps may be missing or have incomplete trigger/action coverage; cloud execution is slower than n8n (sandboxed process isolation); enterprise governance (SSO/SCIM/audit) and Embed (~$30K/yr) are gated to the top tiers; self-hosting shifts ops/maintenance to you; pricing changed mid-2025 (AppSumo lifetime-deal holders felt shortchanged) and tier representations still vary across sources
Variable cost rationale
Largely fixed and scaling-friendly - cost is driven by the NUMBER of active flows ($5 each beyond 10), not by execution volume (runs are unlimited), so high-frequency automations don't inflate the bill; AI usage is the main variable (per-tier AI credits)
Additional watchouts
Thinner integration catalog and template library than Zapier/Make/n8n (start-from-scratch more often); cloud execution slower than n8n; younger/smaller community (less Google signal for troubleshooting); enterprise governance is top-tier-only; pricing has shifted and varies across sources; AI-agent depth is newer than the incumbents'
Overage / add-ons
No run/task overages - runs are unlimited; cost only grows as you activate more flows ($5 each beyond the first 10). AI usage draws on per-tier AI credits. Self-hosted has no caps at all.
Sales call required
Mixed (some tiers require a call)
Free / trial
Free (Standard plan)
Lowest paid plan
$5/active flow/mo (after 10 free)
Commercial notes
Founded 2022 (Mohammad AbuAboud, Ashraf Samhouri), YC-backed; MIT-licensed (truly permissive - unlike n8n's Sustainable-Use/fair-code license); cleaner/simpler UI than n8n, closer to Zapier UX; AI-agent layer with native Model Context Protocol ('largest open-source MCP toolkit'); 22,000+ GitHub stars (smaller than n8n's 190,000+); ~4.8/5 on G2; positions as the open-source, scaling-friendly alternative to Zapier/Make; strong fit for privacy/compliance-conscious teams wanting self-hosting
Key ambiguities
Resolved: the current model (June 2026) is Standard free (10 flows) + $5/active flow + custom Ultimate; the Free / Plus $25 / Business $150 structure some sources still show is OUTDATED. Embed starts at ~$30K/year (the '~$800/mo' figure was the old 'Embed light'). AI-credit allotments per tier still vary.
Cancellation / refund
Self-hosted CE is free (MIT, no contract); Cloud Standard is free for 10 flows, then self-serve $5/active flow/mo; Ultimate/Enterprise is custom-contracted; managed-host resellers (e.g., Elestio) bill infra hourly
Support SLA / resale
Community support (CE/free); priority support on higher tiers; Ultimate/Enterprise adds SSO/SAML, SCIM, custom RBAC, audit logs, custom AI model support, and dedicated support; SOC 2 Type II + GDPR/HIPAA on managed cloud (EU or US regions); embed SDK for white-label automation in your product; native MCP support
Missing data
Resolved: the current model is Standard free (10 flows) + $5/active flow + custom Ultimate; the Free/Plus $25/Business $150 structure is OUTDATED. Embed starts at ~$30K/year (not the old ~$800/mo 'Embed light'). Seed '$5/active flow/mo; Standard free w/ 10 flows; OSS CE free self-host' is accurate and matches the current model; runs are unlimited.
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Alternatives to Activepieces
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Similarity is computed from each vendor's Agentic Index coverage score evidence, axis by axis, not from the totals. How this evidence is graded