Activepieces vs Zapier
A side-by-side look at 2 AI & ML tools for 2026 — the verdict, pricing, ratings, features, and what readers think.
activepieces.com
Best for teams wanting open-source, self-hostable automation with AI agents
Open-source workflow automation and AI agents your whole team can build, with self-hosting on every plan.
Visit Activepieces
zapier.com
Best for non-developer teams that want to connect many apps and automate workflows without writing code
Connect your apps and automate workflows.
Visit ZapierPricing compared
Activepieces
$20/mo
Zapier
$19.99/mo
Head to head
| Activepieces | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $20/mo | $19.99/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Free plan, no card; 1,000 credits per month | 14-day Professional trial, no credit card required |
| Platforms | Web · Self-hosted · API | Web · API |
| Founded | — | 2011 |
| HQ | — | San Francisco, USA |
Pros & cons
Activepieces
Pros
- Open-source MIT core that can be self-hosted with Docker or Kubernetes.
- Unlimited flows on every plan; a run is one credit however many steps it has.
- 770+ open-source integrations plus HTTP and webhook pieces for any API.
- Agents, chat, flows and tables share one workspace, with MCP server support.
- Approval steps let you gate actions that touch money, customers or production.
Cons
- AI steps cost 2, 10 or 20 credits unless you bring your own AI keys on Plus or above.
- Free plan is limited to 1,000 credits and 5 users.
- SSO and standard roles start at the USD 200/month Team plan.
- The company says its SOC 2 program is still in progress, with no certification claimed.
Zapier
Pros
- Connects 9,000+ apps, so most tools in a business stack are covered.
- Free plan includes unlimited Zaps, Tables and Forms with 100 tasks per month.
- Failed actions, triggers, filters and formatter steps do not count as tasks.
- Team plan adds SAML SSO, shared Zaps and shared app connections for up to 25 users.
- Zapier MCP and AI steps let AI assistants and agents act inside connected apps.
Cons
- Costs scale with task volume, so busy workflows can get expensive.
- Free plan limits Zaps to two steps and 100 tasks a month.
- Hitting the limit pauses Zaps unless pay-per-task billing is enabled, at a higher per-task rate.
- Team and Enterprise trials require contacting sales.
- Prices shown are starting-from figures for the lowest task tier.