---
title: "n8n vs Activepieces: Which Is Better in 2026?"
description: "n8n vs Activepieces compared: plans, prices and 8 key differences from each vendor's own pages, checked Oct 17, 2026."
path: /compare/n8n-vs-activepieces
family: versus
updated: 2026-10-17
html: /compare/n8n-vs-activepieces
sources:
  - "https://n8n.io/pricing/"
  - "https://n8n.io"
  - "https://docs.n8n.io/choose-how-to-use-n8n/"
  - "https://docs.n8n.io/deploy/use-n8n-cloud/start-your-free-trial/"
  - "https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.code/"
  - "https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.httprequest/"
  - "https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/app-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.hubspot/"
  - "https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/app-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.salesforce/"
  - "https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/app-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.gmail/"
  - "https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/app-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.microsoftoutlook/"
  - "https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/app-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.linkedin/"
  - "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/blob/master/LICENSE.md"
  - "https://www.activepieces.com/pricing"
  - "https://www.activepieces.com/pieces"
  - "https://www.activepieces.com/docs/about/license"
  - "https://www.activepieces.com/docs/install/overview"
  - "https://www.activepieces.com/docs/agents/in-flows"
  - "https://www.activepieces.com/resources/automation-use-cases/automation-for-javascript-developers"
  - "https://github.com/activepieces/activepieces"
  - "https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/hubspot"
  - "https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/salesforce"
  - "https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/gmail"
  - "https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/microsoft-outlook"
  - "https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/linkedin"
  - "https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/http"
  - "https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/webhook"
facts:
  category: "Workflow automation tool"
  a_lowest_paid_plan: "Starter, $24 a month ($20 billed yearly)"
  b_lowest_paid_plan: "Plus, $20 a month ($16 billed yearly)"
  a_free_plan: "Free self-hosted Community Edition; 14-day cloud trial, no card"
  b_free_plan: "Free plan: 1,000 credits a month, up to 5 users, no card"
  prices_checked: "Oct 17, 2026"
---

# n8n vs Activepieces: Which Is Better in 2026?

Both bill per run and both self-host. Pick n8n for unlimited users on every plan and Python code steps; pick Activepieces for an MIT-licensed core, a free cloud plan for up to 5 users and a lower cloud entry price.

**Disclosure:** Ken is our product. Every fact about other tools comes from their public pages on the date shown.

## The Verdict

### Verdict

**n8n or Activepieces?**

Ken's view, from each vendor's public pages checked Oct 17, 2026.

**Pick n8n if:**

- Many people need access, since every n8n plan includes unlimited users.
- You write Python as well as JavaScript in code steps.

**Pick Activepieces if:**

- You want an MIT-licensed core rather than n8n's Sustainable Use License, which limits use to internal business, non-commercial or personal purposes.
- You want a free cloud plan with 1,000 credits a month for up to 5 users and no card.
- You want 10,000 credits a month in the cloud for $16 a month billed yearly, at 1 credit per run without AI steps.
- You want to embed a white-label flow builder in your own product.

## At a Glance

**In short:** Of the 9 features below, n8n has 7 and Activepieces has 7 in full, from each vendor's public pages checked Oct 17, 2026.

**n8n vs Activepieces at a glance**

| Feature | n8n | Activepieces |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free plan | Yes - self-hosted Community Edition; cloud is a 14-day trial | Yes - 1,000 credits a month, up to 5 users |
| Prebuilt app integrations | Yes - 500+ integrations, every integration on every plan | Yes - 768 open-source pieces on every plan |
| HTTP requests and webhooks | Yes - HTTP Request node and webhook triggers on every plan | Yes - HTTP and Webhook pieces on every plan |
| AI steps and agents | Yes - AI Agent node and MCP on every plan | Yes - AI steps from 2 credits each; agents on every plan |
| Built-in B2B contact data and email finding | No - through connected apps only | No - through connected apps only |
| Native email and LinkedIn sending | Partial - email through a connected Gmail or Outlook account; LinkedIn node only posts | Partial - email through a connected Gmail or Outlook account; LinkedIn piece only posts |
| CRM steps (HubSpot, Salesforce) | Yes - HubSpot and Salesforce nodes on every plan | Yes - HubSpot and Salesforce pieces on every plan |
| Custom code steps (JavaScript or Python) | Yes - JavaScript and Python on every plan; no Python libraries on Cloud | Yes - JavaScript or TypeScript with npm packages |
| Self-hosting | Yes - free Community Edition under the Sustainable Use License | Yes - free MIT-licensed Community Edition; paid plans self-host too |

Rows are the features buyers compare in workflow automation tools. Sources are listed at the end of the page.

## How Much Do n8n and Activepieces Cost?

**In short:** n8n's lowest paid plan is Starter, $24 a month ($20 billed yearly). Activepieces's lowest paid plan is Plus, $20 a month ($16 billed yearly).

**n8n and Activepieces plans and prices**

| Tool | Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly (per month) | Unit | Includes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [n8n](https://n8n.io/pricing/) | Community Edition | $0 | $0 | Flat | Self-hosted on your own servers; Code steps, HTTP requests, webhooks and AI agent nodes; No SSO, Git version control or shared projects |
| [n8n](https://n8n.io/pricing/) | Starter | $24 | $20 | Flat | 2,500 workflow executions a month; Hosted by n8n; 5 concurrent executions; 1 shared project; 1,600 Assistant credits a month |
| [n8n](https://n8n.io/pricing/) | Pro | $60 | $50 | Flat | 10,000 workflow executions a month; Hosted by n8n; 20 concurrent executions; 3 shared projects and admin roles; Workflow history and 7 days of insights |
| [n8n](https://n8n.io/pricing/) | Business | $960 | $800 | Flat | 40,000 workflow executions a month; Self-hosted only; SSO and LDAP; Git version control and multiple environments; 6 shared projects |
| [n8n](https://n8n.io/pricing/) | Enterprise | Contact sales | Contact sales | Custom | Hosted by n8n or self-hosted; 200+ concurrent executions; Log streaming and external secret store; Dedicated support with SLA |
| [Activepieces](https://www.activepieces.com/pricing) | Free | $0 | $0 | Flat | 1,000 credits a month; Unlimited flows; Up to 5 users; Flows, agents, tables and MCP |
| [Activepieces](https://www.activepieces.com/pricing) | Plus | $20 | $16 | Flat | 10,000 credits a month; Up to 5 users; Bring your own AI keys; $0.007 per extra credit |
| [Activepieces](https://www.activepieces.com/pricing) | Team | $200 | $166 | Flat | 50,000 credits a month; 25 users included; Unlimited projects; SSO and standard roles; Email support |
| [Activepieces](https://www.activepieces.com/pricing) | Ultimate | Contact sales | Contact sales | Custom | Yearly credit pool sized to you; Dedicated workers and execution priority; SCIM, custom roles and audit logs; Releases and Git Sync |
| [Activepieces](https://www.activepieces.com/pricing) | Embed | Contact sales | Contact sales | Custom | From $36,000 a year; White-label flow builder inside your product; One SDK |
| [Activepieces](https://www.activepieces.com/pricing) | Enterprise control | Contact sales | Contact sales | Custom | Self-hosted or air-gapped; SSO, SCIM and custom RBAC; Audit logs and secret managers |

Prices in USD from each vendor's pricing page: n8n checked Oct 17, 2026, Activepieces checked Oct 17, 2026.

- n8n: n8n bills per workflow execution. In its words: "An execution is a single run of your entire workflow. It doesn't matter how many steps are in the workflow or how much data it processes."
- n8n: Prices are the USD prices n8n shows US visitors. Visitors in Europe see euros instead: Starter €20, Pro €50 and Business €667 a month billed yearly.
- n8n: Pro also comes with 50,000 executions a month at $144 a month, or $120 a month billed yearly, with 50 concurrent executions.
- Activepieces: A run costs 1 credit however many steps it has. AI steps cost 2 credits on a fast model, 10 on a smart model and 20 on a frontier model; agentic actions cost 1 credit each.
- Activepieces: On Plus and up, your own AI provider keys drop every AI step to 1 credit.
- Activepieces: Going over: Plus and Team keep running at $0.007 per extra credit. On Free, runs past the quota wait until credits refresh.

## What Are the Key Differences Between n8n and Activepieces?

**In short:** 8 differences that change which tool fits, each from the vendors' own pages.

**Key differences between n8n and Activepieces**

| Topic | n8n | Activepieces |
| --- | --- | --- |
| License | Sustainable Use License, limited to internal business, non-commercial or personal use | MIT license for the Community Edition core |
| Free cloud plan | None; a 14-day cloud trial with 1,000 executions and no card | 1,000 credits a month for up to 5 users, no card |
| Entry paid plan | Starter, $24 a month or $20 billed yearly, for 2,500 executions | Plus, $20 a month or $16 billed yearly, for 10,000 credits |
| Cost of a run | 1 execution per run, however many steps | 1 credit per run; AI steps cost 2 to 20 credits each |
| Users | Unlimited on every plan | Up to 5 on Free and Plus, 25 on Team |
| Integrations | 500+ integrations | 768 open-source pieces |
| Code steps | JavaScript and Python; Python on n8n Cloud cannot import libraries | JavaScript or TypeScript with npm packages |
| SSO | From Business, $800 a month billed yearly, self-hosted only | From Team, $166 a month billed yearly |

## n8n vs Activepieces FAQ

### Is Activepieces cheaper than n8n?

In the cloud, usually. Activepieces Plus is $16 a month billed yearly for 10,000 credits, and a run costs 1 credit unless it has AI steps. n8n Starter is $20 a month billed yearly for 2,500 executions.

### Can you self-host n8n and Activepieces?

Yes. n8n's free Community Edition runs under the Sustainable Use License. The Activepieces core is MIT-licensed and self-hosts with Docker Compose or a Kubernetes Helm chart.

### Which has more integrations?

Activepieces lists 768 open-source pieces and n8n lists 500+ integrations. Both include HubSpot and Salesforce steps on every plan.

## Related

- [All comparisons](/compare)
- [Zapier vs n8n](/compare/zapier-vs-n8n)
- [n8n vs Make](/compare/n8n-vs-make)
- [n8n vs Gumloop](/compare/n8n-vs-gumloop)
- [n8n vs Workato](/compare/n8n-vs-workato)
- [n8n pricing](/compare/n8n/pricing)
- [n8n review](/reviews/n8n)
- [What is workflow automation?](/glossary/workflow-automation)
- [What is a webhook?](/glossary/webhook)
- [What is an AI agent builder?](/glossary/ai-agent-builder)

## Sources

| Source | URL | Checked |
| --- | --- | --- |
| n8n pricing | https://n8n.io/pricing/ | 2026-10-17 |
| n8n homepage | https://n8n.io | 2026-10-17 |
| n8n docs: choose how to use n8n | https://docs.n8n.io/choose-how-to-use-n8n/ | 2026-10-17 |
| n8n docs: try free then choose a plan | https://docs.n8n.io/deploy/use-n8n-cloud/start-your-free-trial/ | 2026-10-17 |
| n8n docs: Code node | https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.code/ | 2026-10-17 |
| n8n docs: HTTP Request node | https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.httprequest/ | 2026-10-17 |
| n8n docs: HubSpot node | https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/app-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.hubspot/ | 2026-10-17 |
| n8n docs: Salesforce node | https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/app-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.salesforce/ | 2026-10-17 |
| n8n docs: Gmail node | https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/app-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.gmail/ | 2026-10-17 |
| n8n docs: Microsoft Outlook node | https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/app-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.microsoftoutlook/ | 2026-10-17 |
| n8n docs: LinkedIn node | https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/app-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.linkedin/ | 2026-10-17 |
| n8n license (Sustainable Use License) | https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/blob/master/LICENSE.md | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces pricing | https://www.activepieces.com/pricing | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces pieces directory | https://www.activepieces.com/pieces | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces docs: license | https://www.activepieces.com/docs/about/license | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces docs: install options | https://www.activepieces.com/docs/install/overview | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces docs: agents in flows | https://www.activepieces.com/docs/agents/in-flows | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces: automation for JavaScript developers | https://www.activepieces.com/resources/automation-use-cases/automation-for-javascript-developers | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces GitHub README | https://github.com/activepieces/activepieces | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces HubSpot piece | https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/hubspot | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces Salesforce piece | https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/salesforce | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces Gmail piece | https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/gmail | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces Microsoft Outlook piece | https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/microsoft-outlook | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces LinkedIn piece | https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/linkedin | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces HTTP piece | https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/http | 2026-10-17 |
| Activepieces Webhook piece | https://www.activepieces.com/pieces/webhook | 2026-10-17 |

## Changelog

- 2026-10-17: Page published.
