head to head · open source
ActivePieces vs Ethora
ActivePieces has 24,584 GitHub stars, 4,214 forks, 573 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Ethora has 546 stars, 111 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. ActivePieces leads on adoption by 4,403% (24,584 vs 546 stars). ActivePieces is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Ethora is written in JavaScript under Apache-2.0. ActivePieces has attracted 17% as many forks as stars, Ethora 20%. Ethora was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (mcp), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| ActivePieces | Ethora | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 25K | ★ 546 |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.2K | ⑂ 111 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick ActivePieces if
- You weight community size — 25K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Ethora if
- You want the Ethora feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and Ethora fits your workflow better
About ActivePieces
ActivePieces is an open source, TypeScript based no code automation platform for building AI workflows and exposing integrations as MCP servers, aimed at both technical and non technical users who want Zapier style automation while keeping control of their own data.
read the full ActivePieces overview →
About Ethora
Ethora is an Apache 2.0 licensed chat, AI and messaging SDK monorepo that adds real time messaging, prebuilt chat UI, bots and backend services to web, iOS and Android applications, and it is aimed at product teams that would rather integrate a messaging layer than assemble one.
read the full Ethora overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is ActivePieces or Ethora more popular?
ActivePieces has 24,584 GitHub stars and Ethora has 546. ActivePieces has the larger community by that measure.
Are ActivePieces and Ethora free?
Both are open source. ActivePieces has no licence declared in this registry, and Ethora is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between ActivePieces and Ethora?
ActivePieces is written in TypeScript and Ethora in JavaScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, ActivePieces or Ethora?
Choose ActivePieces if you want the larger community (24,584 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Ethora if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.