Activepieces
Open-source Zapier alternative with AI agents, MCP and human-in-the-loop steps.
Quick answer
Activepieces is an open-source Zapier alternative with AI agents, MCP and human-in-the-loop steps, listed under Workflow automation with AI. A typical small-business use: approval flows where an AI drafts and a person approves before sending. The project publishes no official RAM figure, so we do not estimate a monthly server cost. License: MIT (core) + Activepieces Enterprise License (ee directories), which allows internal business use.
Last updated · facts verified against official docs on · sources
Activity data comes from GitHub and was last refreshed Oct 22, 2026.
What is Activepieces?
Activepieces is a no-code automation builder with hundreds of integrations ("pieces") and AI steps. Pieces are written in TypeScript, so developers can add their own. The core is MIT licensed, and enterprise features are under a separate license.
Where it fits in a 10–200 person business
- Approval flows where an AI drafts and a person approves before sending
- Sync form submissions to a CRM with AI-generated summaries
- Expose business actions to AI assistants through MCP
These use cases are our editorial suggestions, not claims made by the project.
Can a business use Activepieces? (license)
| License | MIT (core) + Activepieces Enterprise License (ee directories) |
|---|---|
| Type | Open core: Core is MIT/Apache; enterprise folders need a paid license. |
| Internal business use | Allowed under the license text |
| What to watch | Everything outside packages/ee and packages/server/api/src/app/ee is MIT. Code in those directories needs a commercial license. |
This is a plain-English summary of the license text, not legal advice. Third-party models you run with it have their own licenses.
What hardware does Activepieces need?
The project does not publish a minimum CPU/RAM figure, so we leave it blank rather than guess.
No official hardware figures on the install page. The single-container setup needs only Docker.
How much does it cost to host Activepieces per month?
The project publishes no RAM figure we could verify, so we do not estimate a cost.
How to deploy Activepieces
Method: Docker (single container, embedded DB)
docker run -d --name activepieces -p 8080:80 \
-v ~/.activepieces:/root/.activepieces \
-e AP_DB_TYPE=PGLITE -e AP_REDIS_TYPE=MEMORY \
-e AP_FRONTEND_URL="http://localhost:8080" \
activepieces/activepieces:latestFrom the official instructions: www.activepieces.com/docs/install/options/docker. Always check the source for the current version before you run it.
Known gotchas when self-hosting Activepieces
Alternatives in Workflow automation with AI
- n8n Workflow automation with 1,500+ integrations and built-in AI agent nodes. Compare Activepieces vs n8n
Activepieces FAQ
How much RAM does Activepieces need?
Activepieces does not publish an official RAM figure, so we do not state one. The single-container setup needs only Docker.
How much does it cost to self-host Activepieces?
The software is free to download. The project publishes no official RAM figure, so we do not estimate a monthly server cost.
Is Activepieces free for commercial use?
Activepieces is licensed under MIT (core) + Activepieces Enterprise License (ee directories) (Open core). Internal business use is allowed under the license text. Everything outside packages/ee and packages/server/api/src/app/ee is MIT. Code in those directories needs a commercial license. This is a summary, not legal advice.
What are common problems when self-hosting Activepieces?
The single-container (PGLite) setup cannot scale or be upgraded to Enterprise; moving off it means starting over. Use the PostgreSQL + Redis setup for production. Webhooks and app triggers need a publicly reachable AP_FRONTEND_URL.
Is Activepieces still maintained?
Yes, it is actively developed. Last commit: Oct 22, 2026. Latest release: 0.92.3 (Oct 12, 2026). Checked Oct 22, 2026.
How do I install Activepieces?
The official method is Docker (single container, embedded DB). The exact commands are in the "How to deploy" section above and in the official instructions: https://www.activepieces.com/docs/install/options/docker
What are self-hosted alternatives to Activepieces?
Other apps in Workflow automation with AI: n8n.
Sources
- GitHub repository: github.com/activepieces/activepieces
- Official documentation, Hardware requirements, Deploy instructions, Gotcha 1, Gotcha 2: www.activepieces.com/docs/install/options/docker
- License text: github.com/activepieces/activepieces/blob/main/LICENSE
- Hetzner Cloud pricing (cost estimate): www.hetzner.com/cloud/regular-performance
- GitHub stars, commits and releases: GitHub REST API, fetched
Facts on this page were checked against the project's own repository and docs on 2026-10-22. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.