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n8n alternatives

Compare Zapier, Make, Activepieces, Windmill, and Gumloop as n8n alternatives by hosting, billing unit, and how much code you want to write.

What do you need to change?

People usually look past n8n for one of three reasons: they no longer want to run a server, the workflows need to be easier for non-developers to edit, or the work is turning into AI agents. Name your reason first. Zapier and Make remove hosting entirely, Activepieces and Windmill keep a self-hosted option, and Gumloop is built around agents rather than step-by-step workflows.

A focused editorial selection based on the linked official documentation. Fit notes are our judgment, rather than firsthand benchmark results or a universal ranking. How we select and verify information.

n8n alternatives at a glance

n8n and its alternatives: main focus and free option
ToolBest forFree option
n8n (current)Multi-step automations and AI agents you can inspect step by step, on n8n Cloud or your own servers.Free to self-host; Cloud trial
ZapierConnecting common business apps quickly, without managing servers or writing code.Free plan, 100 tasks a month
MakeVisual, branching scenarios with data mapping, routers, and error handling, run in Make's cloud.Free plan, 1,000 credits a month
ActivepiecesA visual flow builder for technical and non-technical teams, with the option to run it on your own servers.Free plan; free to self-host
WindmillCode-first automation: write steps as scripts and chain them into flows with triggers, schedules, and permissions.Free to self-host
GumloopAI agents that research, write, and update records across your tools, rather than fixed step-by-step workflows.14-day free trial

Five alternatives to consider

Automation tools

Zapier

Consider Zapier when the priority is connecting mainstream business apps quickly and handing automations to non-technical teammates, and you do not need to self-host.

No-code automation connecting more than 9,000 apps through Zaps, with Tables, Forms, and AI features in the same account.

Pricing model
A free plan covers two-step Zaps with 100 tasks a month. Paid plans add multi-step Zaps, premium apps, and webhooks. Each successful action step uses a task.
Before choosing
Every successful action step counts as a task, so a long Zap on a busy trigger uses its allowance quickly; estimate tasks per run.
Zapier alternativesZapier profile
Automation tools

Make

Consider Make for a visual, cloud-only canvas with routers, data mapping, and error handling, once you have modelled your credit usage per module.

A visual automation platform where you build scenarios that move and transform data between apps on a canvas.

Pricing model
A free plan includes 1,000 credits a month. Most module actions use one credit, so one scenario run can use anywhere from two to thousands of credits.
Before choosing
Credits are counted per module action, not per run; model a realistic run, including loops over many items, before choosing a tier.
Make profile
Automation tools

Activepieces

Consider Activepieces when you want to keep a self-hosted option under an MIT-licensed core, with a builder aimed at non-developers as well as developers.

Automation with flows, AI agents, tables, and MCP servers, built on an MIT-licensed core and available in the cloud or self-hosted.

Pricing model
A free cloud plan with a credit allowance for up to five users, flat-priced paid plans with larger allowances and pay-as-you-go overage, and custom enterprise pricing.
Before choosing
Enterprise features such as SSO, audit logs, and Git sync sit outside the MIT-licensed core; confirm which ones you need before self-hosting.
Automation tools

Windmill

Consider Windmill when your team would rather write steps in code and wants an open-source platform with unlimited executions when self-hosted.

An open-source developer platform that turns scripts into flows, internal apps, and scheduled jobs, self-hosted or in the cloud.

Pricing model
The self-hosted open-source edition is free with unlimited executions and up to 10 users with SSO. Enterprise is priced per builder and per non-builder user.
Before choosing
It is built for people who write code; check whether the people who will maintain the flows are comfortable doing so.
Automation tools

Gumloop

Consider Gumloop when most of what you automate is becoming AI agents that work across tools, rather than fixed workflows.

A platform for building AI agents that work across connected business tools, with a choice of models and team controls.

Pricing model
A paid plan with a 14-day free trial and a monthly credit allowance for AI usage, plus custom enterprise pricing.
Before choosing
Its pricing page lists step-by-step workflows as legacy; if you mainly need deterministic automations, test that path first.

When n8n may still fit

Keep n8n on the shortlist when self-hosting matters, your workflows have many steps, or you want to inspect each step an AI agent takes. Its Cloud plans count a complete workflow run as one execution however many steps it has, which can cost less than per-step billing for long workflows.

Count executions for your busiest workflows, and decide who will update, monitor, and back up a self-hosted instance.

Before you switch

  1. List your workflows by run volume and number of steps, then estimate the cost under each candidate's billing unit: executions, tasks, or credits.
  2. Check that every app your busiest workflow uses has an equivalent integration, including webhooks and custom HTTP requests.
  3. Rebuild one important workflow with its error handling, and run both versions side by side before switching n8n off.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free alternative to n8n?

Activepieces and Windmill can both be self-hosted for free, as can the n8n Community Edition itself. Zapier and Make have free cloud plans with small monthly allowances: 100 tasks on Zapier and 1,000 credits on Make.

Which n8n alternative is easiest for non-developers?

In our judgment, Zapier: you build by choosing a trigger app and actions rather than wiring nodes together. Make is also visual but exposes more data mapping, which suits people who are comfortable with that detail.

Which n8n alternatives can I self-host?

Activepieces, which installs with Docker on an MIT-licensed core, and Windmill, whose open-source edition has unlimited executions when self-hosted. Zapier, Make, and Gumloop run as cloud services.

How does n8n pricing compare with Zapier and Make?

n8n Cloud counts one execution per complete workflow run, however many steps it has. Zapier uses a task for each successful action step, and Make uses credits for most module actions. Long workflows therefore tend to cost relatively less on n8n; check each provider's current plans against your own run volumes.

n8n vs Zapier

n8n vs Zapier: compare self-hosting, ease of use, and billing by executions or tasks, using each provider's official pricing and documentation.

Read the guide

n8n vs Make

n8n vs Make: compare two visual automation builders by hosting, billing per run or per module action, and day-to-day editing.

Read the guide

Sources and check dates

Provider documentation supports the product and billing descriptions. Confirm current limits and terms before choosing a plan.

n8n

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Zapier

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Make

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Activepieces

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Windmill

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Gumloop

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ShowMeYourSaaS also offers commercial product coverage. These guides follow our editorial selection criteria; placement is not a purchased ranking. Send a correction with the page and a supporting source.