head to head · open source
n8n vs ActivePieces
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars, 60,739 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. ActivePieces has 24,522 stars, 4,201 forks, 573 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 736% (204,887 vs 24,522 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 30% as many forks as stars, ActivePieces 17%. n8n 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 | ★ 205K | ★ 25K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 4.2K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick n8n if
- You weight community size — 205K 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 is a visual workflow automation platform built in TypeScript that combines a drag and drop editor with custom code execution. It lives in the integration and automation ecosystem, positioned as an open alternative to proprietary services like Zapier. Users design multi step workflows—called “n8n flows”—that connect apps, services, and custom logic to automate repetitive tasks.
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or ActivePieces more popular?
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars and ActivePieces has 24,522. 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 (204,887 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose ActivePieces if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.