head to head · open source
n8n vs ActivePieces
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars, 61,361 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. ActivePieces has 25,343 stars, 4,422 forks, 573 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 726% (209,375 vs 25,343 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; ActivePieces is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. n8n has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, ActivePieces 17%. ActivePieces 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
| n8n | ActivePieces | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 209K | ★ 25K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 4.4K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick n8n if
- You weight community size — 209K 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 ActivePieces if
- You want the ActivePieces feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and ActivePieces fits your workflow better
About n8n
n8n – The Platform for AI Agents and Workflow Automation Fair code platform to build and deploy AI agents and workflows. Combine a visual canvas with custom code, run it self hosted or in the cloud, and connect to 1500+ integrations. AI automation you can trust with real work, from prototype to production. Key Capabilities AI Native Automation Platform : Build and operationalize AI workflows and multi step agents using your own data, models, and tools Model Flexibility, No Lock In : Connect to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or open source models and switch providers without changing your architecture From Prototype…
About ActivePieces
An open source replacement for Zapier Documentation 🌪️ Create a Piece 🖉 Deploy 🔥 Join Discord 🤯 Welcome to Activepieces All in one AI automation designed to be extensible through a type safe pieces framework written in TypeScript . When you contribute pieces to Activepieces they become automatically available as MCP servers that you can use with LLMs through Claude Desktop, Cursor or Windsurf! 🔥 Why Activepieces is Different: 💖 Loved by Everyone : Intuitive interface and great experience for both technical and non technical users with a quick learning curve. 🌐 Open Ecosystem: All pieces are open source…
read the full ActivePieces overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or ActivePieces more popular?
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars and ActivePieces has 25,343. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and ActivePieces free?
Neither n8n nor ActivePieces declares a licence in this registry, so check each project's own repository before relying on either for a commercial use. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and ActivePieces?
n8n is written in TypeScript and ActivePieces in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, n8n or ActivePieces?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (209,375 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose ActivePieces if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.