# Activepieces vs n8n: self-hosted automation

Pick Activepieces if the people building flows are marketers or ops staff: the builder reads like Zapier, the code is MIT-licensed, and the free cloud plan gives you 1,000 credits a month with unlimited flows. Pick n8n if a developer will own your automations, since its nodes take JavaScript or Python, its AI agent nodes go deeper, and its cloud plans charge per execution however long the workflow is. Both run on your own server for free. The choice comes down to who builds the flows.

- **[Activepieces](https://suiteintent.com/t/activepieces?m=GB)**: Open-source workflow automation with AI agents. · Best for: A cheaper, self-hostable Zapier alternative · Free plan

- **[n8n](https://suiteintent.com/t/n8n?m=GB)**: Workflow automation you can self-host. · Best for: Long workflows with many steps per run · Pricing on request · 50%

## Activepieces

Activepieces suits a team without developers that wants its data in-house, a permissive MIT licence it can fork, and a builder that colleagues pick up in an afternoon.

## n8n

n8n suits a team with someone technical who wants code steps inside workflows, complex AI agents and a large library of community nodes and templates.

## Questions

### Do I pay anything to self-host either one?

No licence fee is due for the community editions: Activepieces publishes its core under MIT and n8n offers a free Community Edition on GitHub. You still pay for the server and your own time keeping it updated. Paid features such as SSO and audit logs need a paid licence on both.

### How do their cloud prices compare?

Activepieces has a free cloud plan with 1,000 credits a month, and Plus costs $20 a month for 10,000 credits and up to five users. n8n Cloud starts at €20 a month for 2,500 workflow executions, with Pro at €50 for 10,000. A long n8n workflow counts as one execution, so step-heavy flows favour n8n.

### Is the licence the same?

No. Activepieces uses the MIT licence for its community edition, so you can modify and redistribute it with few conditions. n8n is source-available under its own fair-code licence, which allows internal use but limits reselling it as a service. Agencies that host automations for clients should read the n8n terms first.

### Can a non-technical colleague build flows in n8n?

They can, with templates and patience. The canvas shows data as JSON between nodes, and most guides assume you are comfortable with expressions. Activepieces hides more of that, so a marketer or office manager usually ships a first flow faster there.

### Do both handle AI agents and MCP?

Activepieces includes agents, tables and MCP servers on every plan, including the free one. n8n has dedicated AI agent nodes that connect models, memory and tools, and it can act as an MCP client or server. For a multi-step agent with custom logic, n8n gives a developer more control.