7 best n8n alternatives
This page compares seven workflow automation and AI agent tools people use in place of n8n, including hosted no-code builders, enterprise platforms and open source projects you can run yourself. Free plans, starting prices and usage allowances were taken from each vendor's official pricing page on October 12, 2026. All research for this page was done with Firecrawl Alexandria.
n8n alternatives compared
Starting prices as each vendor lists them on its pricing page, checked October 12, 2026.
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | Non-technical teams that want a hosted, no-code tool | Yes (free plan) | Professional starts from $19.99/month | No (open source) |
| Make | Visual multi-step workflows on a low monthly budget | Yes (free plan) | Core from $12/month for 10,000 credits per month | No (open source) |
| Activepieces | Open source automation you can self-host | Yes (free plan) | Plus at $20/month flat, billed monthly, for 10,000 credits per month | Yes (open source) |
| Windmill | Developers who want scripts, flows and internal apps | Yes (free plan) | Free Community Edition with unlimited executions; Enterprise from $120/month | Yes (open source) |
| Node-RED | IoT, hardware and home automation flows | Yes (free plan) | Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license | Yes (open source) |
| Gumloop | AI agents that work across business tools | No (free plan) | Pro starts at $37/month with 20,000 credits per month | No (open source) |
| Microsoft Power Automate | Organizations standardized on Microsoft 365 | No (free plan) | Power Automate Premium at $15.00/user/month, paid yearly | No (open source) |
| n8n(for reference) | Workflow automation | Yes (free plan) | Starter at $20/month, billed annually, for 2,500 workflow executionsn8n pricing | See vendor |
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Why people look for n8n alternatives
The license limits commercial use
n8n's Sustainable Use License allows use only for internal business purposes or non-commercial and personal use. Offering n8n to your own customers, for example letting them connect their accounts and build workflows, needs a separate commercial agreement, and n8n says it does not call itself open source for this reason.
A large price gap between Pro and Business
Pro costs $50/month billed annually, while Business costs $800/month billed annually. Business adds SSO, Git version control, multiple environments and queue mode, and n8n lists it as available for self-hosted instances only.
Source: n8n pricing
A steep learning curve for non-technical users
G2 reviewers say the learning curve gets steep as workflows grow, especially once users have to work with APIs, expressions, JSON and error handling. Several also say some integrations need extra configuration or custom API work.
Source: G2: n8n reviews
Debugging large workflows takes time
Reviewers on TrustRadius list debugging and pricing among their cons. One notes that an error in a single node fails the whole workflow, and another calls the tool complex for non-technical users without guides.
Source: TrustRadius: n8n reviews
The 7 best n8n alternatives in detail
1. Zapier
Visit siteBest for Non-technical teams that want a hosted, no-code tool
Zapier connects web apps through trigger and action workflows called Zaps and also offers Tables, Forms, AI agents and an MCP server. Billing is based on tasks drawn from a shared monthly pool, and each action step in a Zap uses at least one task.
Strengths
- Large catalog of app integrations
- Builder suited to people who do not write code
- Tables and Forms included on every plan
Watch out for
Zapier bills per action step, so long workflows that run often can cost more than n8n's per-execution pricing, and it cannot be self-hosted.
- Starting price
- Professional starts from $19.99/month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Note
- The Free plan is $0/month with 100 tasks per month and two-step Zaps only. The Professional price rises with the task tier you pick, and Team starts from $69/month.
- Source
- Zapier pricing
2. Make
Visit siteBest for Visual multi-step workflows on a low monthly budget
Make builds automations as visual scenarios with routers, filters and iterators on a drag-and-drop canvas. It bills in credits, and most module actions use one credit.
Strengths
- Visual canvas shows branching and data flow
- 10,000 credits on the entry paid plan
- Router and error handler modules use no credits
Watch out for
Make charges credits per module action, so a scenario with many steps uses more of the allowance than the same workflow would under n8n's per-run billing.
- Starting price
- Core from $12/month for 10,000 credits per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Note
- The Free plan includes 1,000 credits per month with a 15-minute minimum interval between runs. Pro is $21/month and Teams is $38/month at the 10,000-credit tier. The pricing page did not show annual prices for these tiers.
- Source
- Make pricing
3. Activepieces
Visit siteBest for Open source automation you can self-host
Activepieces is a no-code automation builder with an MIT-licensed core that runs on its hosted cloud or on your own servers. A flow run counts as one credit however many steps it has, and AI steps cost extra credits.
Strengths
- MIT-licensed core for self-hosting
- One credit per run regardless of step count
- Own AI provider keys drop AI steps to 1 credit
Watch out for
Enterprise features such as access controls and audit logs sit in a separately licensed edition, so the free self-hosted build covers the automation core only.
- Starting price
- Plus at $20/month flat, billed monthly, for 10,000 credits per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Note
- The Free plan includes 1,000 credits a month, and runs past the quota wait for credits to refresh. Paid plans charge $0.007 per extra credit. Team is $200/month for 50,000 credits, and annual billing saves two months. The self-hosted Community Edition is free.
- Source
- Activepieces pricing
4. Windmill
Visit siteBest for Developers who want scripts, flows and internal apps
Windmill turns scripts in Python, TypeScript, Go, SQL and other languages into workflows, scheduled jobs and internal apps. It runs on Windmill's cloud or on your own infrastructure, and pricing is based on seats and compute units.
Strengths
- AGPLv3 open source core
- Unlimited executions on the free edition
- Builds internal apps as well as workflows
Watch out for
Windmill expects users to write code, so it suits engineering teams better than people looking for a drag-and-drop builder.
- Starting price
- Free Community Edition with unlimited executions; Enterprise from $120/month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Note
- The free self-hosted edition allows up to 50 users, 3 workspaces and SSO for up to 10 users. Paid plans charge per developer seat and per worker, and the pricing page's default example for one developer and two workers came to $170/month.
- Source
- Windmill pricing
5. Node-RED
Visit siteBest for IoT, hardware and home automation flows
Node-RED is a flow-based, low-code programming tool first built at IBM and now part of the OpenJS Foundation. It runs on Node.js, from a Raspberry Pi at the edge of a network to a cloud server.
Strengths
- Apache 2.0 license with no paid tier
- Runs on low-cost hardware like a Raspberry Pi
- Built for home automation and industrial control
Watch out for
The project offers no hosted plan or vendor support, so you install, secure and update it yourself.
- Starting price
- Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license
- Free plan
- Yes
- Note
- The Node-RED project has no paid plans. You run it on your own hardware or server, and hosted or managed options come from third-party companies.
- Source
- Node-RED
6. Gumloop
Visit siteBest for AI agents that work across business tools
Gumloop is an AI agent builder whose agents can use 35+ models and connectors to work across company tools, and workflows remain available as a legacy feature. Usage is metered in credits, and you can bring your own model API keys.
Strengths
- Agent-first design with 35+ models
- Unlimited seats on Pro
- Bring your own API keys
Watch out for
Credit costs vary with the models and tools an agent calls, so monthly spend is harder to predict than a fixed per-execution price.
- Starting price
- Pro starts at $37/month with 20,000 credits per month
- Free plan
- No
- Note
- Pro includes a 14-day free trial, unlimited agents, unlimited seats and an 8% orchestration fee. Enterprise is custom pricing.
- Source
- Gumloop pricing
7. Microsoft Power Automate
Visit siteBest for Organizations standardized on Microsoft 365
Power Automate builds cloud flows across Microsoft 365, Dynamics and third-party connectors, and adds desktop flows for robotic process automation. It is licensed per user or per bot.
Strengths
- Native connectors for Microsoft 365 and Dynamics
- Desktop flows for RPA on legacy apps
- Per-user or per-bot licensing
Watch out for
Licensing across users, bots and premium connectors takes time to work out, and the product fits best inside a Microsoft tenant.
- Starting price
- Power Automate Premium at $15.00/user/month, paid yearly
- Free plan
- No
- Note
- A 30-day free trial is available. Process licenses are $150.00/bot/month and Hosted Process licenses are $215.00/bot/month, both paid yearly.
- Source
- Power Automate pricing
How this page is built
Every price on this page comes from the vendor's own pricing page, read with Firecrawl and checked on October 12, 2026. Each figure links to the page it came from.
To run the same research yourself, connect Firecrawl to ChatGPT and ask it to compare any tool's alternatives. It reads live pricing pages and pulls data from Firecrawl Alexandria providers such as AlternativeTo. Developers can make the same calls through the API.
Try these prompts in ChatGPT
“Compare the current starting prices of n8n, Zapier and Make from their official pricing pages.”
“Which n8n alternatives have a free plan, and what are the limits?”
“Find open source or self-hosted alternatives to n8n and list their licenses.”
“Read n8n's pricing page and explain what each plan includes.”
n8n alternatives FAQ
- Is n8n open source?
- No. n8n's source code is public, but it uses the Sustainable Use License, which limits use to internal business, personal and non-commercial purposes. n8n describes this model as fair-code and says it does not call itself open source because the Open Source Initiative does not allow limits on use.
- What is the best open source alternative to n8n?
- Activepieces is the closest match for a visual, no-code builder, with an MIT-licensed core and a free self-hosted Community Edition. Windmill, licensed under AGPLv3, suits teams that prefer writing scripts. Node-RED, licensed under Apache 2.0, fits IoT and hardware projects.
- Is there a free alternative to n8n?
- Yes. Node-RED is free with no paid tier, and Activepieces and Windmill offer free self-hosted editions. On hosted plans, Zapier's Free plan includes 100 tasks per month, Make's Free plan includes 1,000 credits per month and Activepieces' Free plan includes 1,000 credits a month.
- Is n8n cheaper than Zapier?
- It depends on how many steps your workflows have. n8n Starter costs $20 per month billed annually for 2,500 executions, and each execution counts once regardless of step count. Zapier Professional starts from $19.99 per month, but every action step uses a task, so multi-step workflows use up a Zapier plan faster.
- Can I self-host an n8n alternative?
- Yes. Activepieces, Windmill and Node-RED can all run on your own servers. Zapier, Make, Gumloop and Power Automate cloud flows run as hosted services.