Open source Internal tools & automation

Kestra

100 · Healthy

Event-driven orchestration platform that runs workflows declared in YAML, with a UI, scheduling and hundreds of plugins.

Free to useApache-2.0★ 29kLast commit yesterday

Trigger.dev

95 · Healthy

Platform for background jobs, workflows and AI agents written in TypeScript, with retries, queues and run history.

Free to useApache-2.0★ 17kLast commit yesterday

ToolJet

93 · Healthy

Low-code platform for internal tools and workflows with many data-source connectors.

Free core, paid extrasAGPL-3.0Relicensed 2021★ 41kLast commit 3 days ago

Appsmith

91 · Healthy

Low-code builder for admin panels, dashboards and internal CRUD apps.

Free to useApache-2.0★ 41kLast commit yesterday

Activepieces

91 · Healthy

Workflow automation with a visual builder and TypeScript-based integration pieces.

Free core, paid extrasMIT★ 25kLast commit yesterday

Budibase

88 · Healthy

Low-code platform for forms, portals and approval apps on top of your databases.

Free core, paid extrasGPL-3.0★ 28kLast commit yesterday

Mathesar

86 · Healthy

Spreadsheet-like interface for viewing, editing and querying data directly in your Postgres database.

GPL-3.0★ 5.1kLast commit 3 months ago

Windmill

85 · Healthy

Developer platform that turns scripts into workflows, internal UIs and scheduled jobs.

Free core, paid extrasAGPL-3.0★ 18kLast commit yesterday

Baserow

83 · Healthy

No-code database and app builder with a spreadsheet interface.

Free core, paid extrasMIT★ 6.1kLast commit yesterday

Refine

81 · Healthy

React framework for building admin panels, dashboards and internal tools on top of any backend.

Free to useMIT★ 36kLast commit 29 days ago

Grist

78 · Stable

Relational spreadsheet with Python formulas, custom widgets and fine-grained access rules.

Free to useApache-2.0★ 12kLast commit 2 days ago

APITable

74 · Stable

Visual database with grid, kanban and gallery views, forms and an API-first design.

AGPL-3.0★ 16kLast commit 34 days ago

Teable

62 · Stable

Spreadsheet-style database on Postgres with views, forms, automations and real-time collaboration.

AGPL-3.0★ 22kLast commit 39 days ago

Automatisch

36 · At risk

Workflow automation that connects apps through triggers and actions, self-hosted so data stays on your servers.

Free core, paid extrasAGPL-3.0★ 14kLast commit 9 months ago

Source-available and unverified licenses

The code for these is public, but the license is not an OSI open source license, or we have not verified it yet. Check the license notes on each project before relying on it.

n8n

100 · Healthy

Node-based workflow automation with hundreds of integrations and code steps.

Internal use onlySustainable Use License 1.0Relicensed 2022★ 207kLast commit yesterday

NocoBase

99 · Healthy

Plugin-based no-code platform for building internal business systems on your own data model, with AI assistants.

Free, no resellingApache-2.0 + extra terms★ 25kLast commit yesterday

Directus

97 · Healthy

Data platform that puts an admin app and REST/GraphQL APIs on top of any SQL database.

Free, no resellingMonospace Sustainable Core License 1.0Relicensed 2026★ 38kLast commit yesterday

NocoDB

91 · Healthy

Spreadsheet-style interface over SQL databases, positioned as an Airtable replacement.

Internal use onlySustainable Use License 1.0Relicensed 2026★ 65kLast commit yesterday

n8n

Node-based workflow automation with hundreds of integrations and code steps.

GitHub n8n.io

Alternative to

Zapier Make Pipedream Workato Relay.app Zoho Flow Lindy Relevance AI

Will it still be around?

Healthy

Score 100/100

Details

Can a business use it freely?

Internal use only

Sustainable Use License 1.0 · source-available, not open source · relicensed stricter in 2022

Details

Features compared

Has the featureshas,Doesn't have themdoesn't4 features

10/14 Zapier features free in n8n

✕ doesn't have it · ◐ partly · $ higher plan or paid editionBoth have 10

Headline Zapier features on the Team plan, and whether n8n has each in its free, self-hosted edition.

Zapier and n8n, feature by feature
Feature	ZapierTeam plan	n8n10 of 14 free
Zapier has, n8n doesn't4
Prebuilt app integrations	Included8,000+ apps	Partly500+ apps, plus HTTP and community nodes
Shared team workspace	Included	Paid editionSharing and projects are paid
SAML single sign-on	Included	Paid editionSAML and LDAP are paid
Version history	Included	PartlyLast 24 hours free
Both have10
Multi-step workflows	Included	Yes
Branching and filters	IncludedPaths and Filter	YesIf, Switch and Filter nodes
Webhook triggers	Included	Yes
Custom code steps	IncludedJavaScript and Python	YesJavaScript and Python
AI steps and agents	Included	YesAI Agent and LangChain nodes
Loops over lists	Included	Yes
Error handling and retries	IncludedAutoreplay	YesRetries and error workflows
Scheduled runs	Included	Yes
Built-in data tables	IncludedZapier Tables	YesData tables, 200 MiB by default
Forms and interfaces	IncludedZapier Interfaces	YesForm trigger

Sources

Zapier, checked 2026-10-09: zapier.com
n8n, checked 2026-10-09: docs.n8n.io, docs.n8n.io, docs.n8n.io, docs.n8n.io

Compare every Zapier alternative

Flat Rate Deploy

Monthly cost

n8n on OpenTools: $15
Zapier: ~~$69~~

You save each month

$54/mo

78% less than today

Saving from month one

You save

Over 3 years: $1,944
In year one: $648

List price checked 8 Oct 2026 · Source · Disclaimer

Bespoke

We set up n8n for you. You pay once.

Worth it from 50,000 tasks a month

You pay $69 a month for Zapier. Setup is $1,200, paid once, and after that n8n runs for about $162 a month (your server, about $12, plus about $150 of maintenance), so at this size it takes more than 12 months to pay back.

Worth it from: 50,000tasks a monthpays back within 12 months
Setup, paid once: $1,200fixed price, agreed up front
Maintenance: $150/houronly when you ask for it

What we do

Data migrationRecords, files and history moved from Zapier, with a test run before the cut-over
ConfigurationWorkflows, custom fields, roles, permissions and SSO set up for your team
IntegrationsConnected to your CRM, Slack, accounting tools and APIs
MaintenanceUpdates, fixes and admin help when you ask, at $150 an hour
Paid editionsThe vendor's paid features, enabled, with the licence at cost
ComplianceData residency, audit logs, data processing agreements, security questionnaires
TrainingAn admin walkthrough, a runbook and sessions for your team

Total spent, month by monthZapierBespoke n8n

Show as a table

Month	Zapier	Bespoke	Saved so far
Today	$0	$1,200	–
Month 3	$207	$1,686	–
Month 6	$414	$2,172	–
Month 9	$621	$2,658	–
Month 12	$828	$3,144	–
Month 18	$1,242	$4,116	–
Month 24	$1,656	$5,088	–
Month 30	$2,070	$6,060	–
Month 36	$2,484	$7,032	–

Servers run on your own cloud account, paid to your provider. Running cost counts about 1 hours of maintenance a month; you're billed only for hours you ask for. Migration and the other activities are quoted with the setup.

Get a fixed quote

Health score: 100/100

Healthy · activity, bus factor and issue responsiveness, from GitHub

Score v2 · How it works

Activity

45% weight

100/100

Last commit yesterday (100/100).
9663 commits in the past 12 months (100/100).
50+ releases in the past 12 months (100/100).

Bus factor

30% weight

100/100

Top contributor wrote 8% of the last 90 commits (past 12 months).
46 people authored those commits.

Responsiveness

25% weight

100/100

97% of all issues are closed (362 open, 10111 closed) (100/100).
30 of 30 recent issues got a reply or were closed (100/100).

License

Internal use only

Sustainable Use License 1.0 · Source-available, not open sourceRelicensed 2022

What you need to do

Free for use inside your own company. Hosting it for customers, selling it or building it into a product you sell needs a commercial license.

For n8n

Allowed only for internal business, personal or non-commercial use. You can't sell it or offer it to others as a service, and files marked .ee need a paid n8n Enterprise License.

Sustainable Use License 1.0 (+ n8n Enterprise License for .ee files) · Source-available, not open source. The code is public, but the license restricts how you can use it, usually by banning competing hosted services or capping production use. Not open source.

License text checked 2026-10-07 · Read it

License history

2022-03-17Apache-2.0 with Commons Clause → Sustainable Use License · Fair-code license limited to internal business and non-commercial use. · commit

GitHub activity

Stars: 207k
Forks: 61k
Commits, 12 mo: 9.7k; last yesterday
Releases, 12 mo: 50+; last 2 days ago
Contributors: 429; 46 in last 90 commits
Open issues: 362; 10k closed

Snapshot from 2026-10-08

Top contributors

Points for pull requests merged into n8n and reviews of them since 10 October 2025. Building something another user asked for earns more. 381 people have points on n8n in all.

Bespoke · we set it up$1,200once Flat Rate Deploy$15/mo