head to head
Zapier vs n8n
n8n is the open source alternative to Zapier — no-code workflow automation between apps. Here is the honest comparison.
Yes — n8n is a viable free replacement for Zapier. n8n is open source under its own open-source terms, written in TypeScript, with 204,887 GitHub stars, 60,739 forks and 1,143 open issues; it was last pushed 3 hours ago. Zapier costs from $29, while self-hosting n8n carries no licence fee — the trade is your operational time instead of a subscription. 3 other open source Zapier alternatives are tracked here, led by ActivePieces at 24,522 stars. n8n ranks #1 of 4 tracked open source Zapier alternatives by stars. The tracked set, by adoption: ActivePieces (24,522 stars), Windmill (17,957 stars), Automatisch (13,970 stars). Replacement criteria on this page: 4 reasons to move to n8n and 3 reasons to stay on Zapier.
choose n8n if
- Your Zapier bill is growing with seats or usage
- You need your data in a format and server you control
- Your compliance posture requires auditing the code that touches sensitive data
- You have (or can rent) a server and basic Docker comfort
stick with Zapier if
- You need the polished onboarding and support SLAs of a commercial vendor
- Your team has zero capacity to operate software, even self-hosted-simple
- You depend on a Zapier integration ecosystem that the OSS alternatives have not replicated
Side by side
| n8n (open source) | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (self-hosted) | $29.99-$103.50/month |
| License | Custom / other | Proprietary |
| Source code | Public, auditable | Closed |
| Self-hosting | Yes — n8n-io/n8n | Cloud only |
| Data ownership | Your server, your format | Vendor's cloud |
| Community | ★ 205K · ⑂ 61K | — |
| Built with | TypeScript | — |
Why people look for a Zapier alternative
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.
Other open source alternatives to Zapier
last updated nightly · ranking method: github stars, live-tracked
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n a good replacement for Zapier?
n8n is an open source alternative to Zapier (No-code workflow automation between apps). It is written in TypeScript and licensed under its own terms, with 204,887 GitHub stars.
Is n8n free compared to Zapier?
Yes. n8n is open source — there is no licence fee, and you can self-host it. Zapier is typically a paid subscription, so the trade-off is licence cost against the operational work of running it yourself.
How do I migrate from Zapier to n8n?
Migration effort depends on the data formats involved. Check n8n's documentation for import options, and compare the feature table above to confirm the capabilities you depend on are covered before switching.