n8n
Open sourceFree
Connects apps and automates work; also builds AI agents.
What sets it apart: Free and unlimited if you self-host it; hundreds of ready integrations.
For: Businesses that want to automate repetitive tasks.
AI Guide · Free Alternatives
Setup with usWe can set up the open-source option for youServer, updates and security maintenance included. The guide stays free.CategoryAll Automation & Agents tools
Make Alternatives: Free and Open-Source Options
Make: a limited free tier; full use is paid. The 2 options below are free to start or open source; for each one, what you gain and what you lose is written from its official sources.
Output quality is not compared here. The differences come from each tool's own pages: setup, hardware, license, free limits, commercial use. To see which one suits you, try both on the same task. How tools are selected
Side by side
| Makepaid | n8n | Activepieces | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access | Free tier | Free | Open source |
| Where it runs | In the browser / app (cloud) | On your own computer or server | On your own computer or server |
| Free limit | 1,000 credits per month, up to 2 active scenarios, at least 15 minutes between runs; no time limit | Free; no limit stated | The software is free |
| Price | Core (10k credits): $10.59/month (billed monthly); $9/month billed annually | The Community edition is free on your own server. Cloud Starter: €20/month (billed annually), 2,500 executions | The Community edition is free on your own server. Cloud: Plus $20/month; there are also Team and Ultimate (custom pricing) plans. Pricing is credit-based: on Plus and Team, runs do not stop when credits run out, and overage is $0.007 per credit |
| Info as of | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 1, 2026 |
— : not checked. Details are in the cards below.
Alternatives and how they differ
Difference: The Community edition is free on your own server; the source code is open but not OSI-approved (Sustainable Use License). Updates and security are on you.
Best for: Businesses that want to keep data on their own server and can manage one
Difference: The MIT-licensed Community edition is free on your own server; Turkish is not among the interface language files.
Best for: Teams looking for an open-source license that can set up a server
Activepieces
Open sourceFree · open sourceAn open-source automation tool; a free alternative to Zapier.
What sets it apart: More than 280 integrations, AI agents and MCP support; open source.
For: People who want to run automations on their own server.
Make (paid)
Make
AppFree + paid
Connects more than 3,000 apps with visual flows.
What sets it apart: Drag and drop; no installation needed, runs in the browser.
For: Businesses that want to build automations without code.