Activepieces vs Zapier: Open-Source Challenger Takes on the Incumbent
Activepieces
Open-source workflow automation with credit-based cloud pricing
Zapier
The no-code automation platform with 9,000+ app integrations.
Verdicts by Task
Activepieces is "Open source at the core" and states that "Every plan runs on our cloud or your own servers, at the same price", with a free Community Edition as "the automation core on its own". Zapier's pricing page publishes no self-hosted or on-premise option at any tier.
Read the 2026 wording carefully: self-hosting Activepieces decides where it runs, not what it costs, so it is a residency and control decision rather than a way to avoid the subscription. You also supply the Docker and ops work.
Zapier's profile highlights 'Simple trigger-action automations' and 'Connecting popular SaaS apps with no code' as core strengths. Activepieces lists 'Non-technical teams with no developer support' as not_good_for.
Zapier gets a non-technical user running in minutes. Activepieces is approachable but still expects some technical comfort.
Activepieces' profile highlights 'Teams that want to write custom integrations in TypeScript' as a core strength. Zapier lists 'Custom API integrations without pre-built connectors' as not_good_for.
Activepieces' TypeScript piece framework is designed for extensibility. Zapier's Code by Zapier is a stopgap, not a first-class development experience.
Zapier advertises "9,000+ apps" against the "760+ integrations" Activepieces prints on its own pricing page. That is more than a tenfold gap, and it covers the long tail of niche SaaS.
Counts are vendor-published and not audited, and the two are not counting identically. The gap is wide enough that the methodology does not change the answer.
Zapier's price is indexed directly to task volume, climbing from $29.99/mo at 750 tasks to $193.50/mo at 10,000 and $733.50/mo at 100,000 on monthly billing. Activepieces publishes three flat tiers, topping out at Team at "$166" a month billed yearly before custom pricing.
The meters differ: Activepieces bills credits, Zapier bills tasks, and one task is not one credit. The flat-tier structure still means Activepieces' cost stops rising where Zapier's keeps going, but map your own workload to credits before assuming a specific saving.
Zapier's Enterprise tier includes SAML SSO, advanced admin controls, and audit-ready infrastructure. Activepieces' profile lists 'Complex enterprise workflows with advanced governance' as not_good_for.
Activepieces' Ultimate tier is custom-priced and publishes SCIM, custom roles, audit logs and secrets, but it is less proven than Zapier's enterprise maturity.
Feature Comparison
| Dimension | Activepieces | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| AI-native | AI-Powered | AI-Powered |
| Deployment | "Open source at the core." Every plan runs on Activepieces cloud or your own servers, and the vendor states it is "at the same price"; a free Community Edition is "the automation core on its own" | Cloud only. The pricing page publishes no self-hosted or on-premise option |
| Pricing Model | Free forever, no card ("100 credits a day", "Unlimited flows"); Plus "$16" a month billed yearly; Team "$166" a month billed yearly; Ultimate custom | Free at "100 tasks/mo" with two-step Zaps; Professional from $29.99/mo monthly ($19.99 billed annually) at 750 tasks; Team from $103.50/mo monthly ($69.00 annually) at 2,000 tasks; Enterprise via sales |
| What you are billed for | Credits, refreshed daily on the free plan and monthly on Plus and Team; flows themselves are unlimited on every tier | Tasks, counted per month; Zap workflows, Tables and Forms are unlimited even on the free plan |
| Integration Count | "760+ integrations", the figure the pricing page prints in its Embed section | "9,000+ apps" |
| Custom Code | TypeScript pieces — write and publish custom integrations | Code by Zapier (limited JavaScript/Python steps) |
| AI Capabilities | Agents, MCPs, API access and "Chat to automation" are all listed on the free tier; Plus adds "Bring your own AI keys" | AI-powered workflow builder + AI actions |
| Ease of Use | Medium — no-code builder but TypeScript for custom pieces | Low — simplest on-ramp in the category |
| Verdict | Conditional — strong DX, maturing ecosystem | Conditional — integration king, pricey at scale |
Activepieces, for anyone with a data-residency or air-gap requirement. Note the 2026 wording: self-hosting changes where it runs, not what it costs.
Activepieces has the lower and flatter entry price. Zapier's price is indexed to volume and climbs continuously with it.
Different meters, so headline prices are not directly comparable. Model your own workload against both before choosing on price.
Zapier, by more than an order of magnitude. This remains the incumbent's clearest structural advantage.
Closer than it was. Activepieces now ships agents and MCP support at $0, which its own earlier positioning as a thin-AI platform no longer reflects.
Still deciding between these two?
Choosing is the easy part. Getting it running inside your business, on your data, with your team using it, is the work. We do both.
The conversation runs on Gnosari, one of the tools in this directory. A real conversation, not a sales script.