Activepieces vs Zapier

Activepieces

• Teams that want open-source automation they can host themselves
• Small teams that prefer a flat price to per-seat billing
• Building AI agents alongside trigger-and-action flows

Zapier

• Connecting a wide range of cloud apps, including less common ones
• Solo users with light needs who can stay within 100 tasks a month
• Teams that want shared workflows with single sign-on and admin controls

Activepieces

• The Free cloud plan covers a single user and 1,000 credits a month; runs beyond the quota do not go through until credits refresh.
• AI steps cost 2, 10 or 20 credits depending on the model. Connecting your own AI keys, on Plus and above, brings each AI step down to 1 credit.
• The self-hosted Community edition leaves out Agents and Chat and MCPs. SSO starts on Team, and SCIM and audit logs need Ultimate.
• Activepieces says its SOC 2 program is still in progress and that it does not yet hold the certification.

Zapier

• The Free plan is limited to 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps, and checks for new data only every 15 minutes.
• Free and Professional include a single user; sharing workflows with colleagues needs the Team plan.
• Cost rises with volume: Professional runs from $19.99 a month for 750 tasks to $3,389 a month for 2 million, billed annually.
• Tasks beyond the plan limit are billed at 2.5x the base rate on monthly plans and 1.25x on annual plans.

Activepieces

Flow builder

A visual builder with branching, retries, waitpoints, subflows, error handling and human approvals. TypeScript can be written inline for a step that needs code.

AI agents and chat

An agent takes a task described in plain words and chooses tools from connected apps and MCP servers, with approval gates on the steps you pick. Chat drafts flows from a description.

Pieces

The integration directory lists 762 pieces, all open source under the MIT license. An HTTP piece reaches any REST or GraphQL API that does not have a piece yet.

Tables and knowledge base

Tables hold data that every flow and agent can read and write, and a knowledge base makes your documents searchable by agents.

MCP server

Tools built in Activepieces can be served over MCP, so assistants such as Claude and Cursor can run them. MCPs are part of the cloud plans, not the Community edition.

Cloud, self-hosted or air-gapped

Activepieces Cloud runs in Frankfurt. The same software can be installed on your own infrastructure with Docker or Kubernetes, including with no outbound network.

Zapier

Zaps

Workflows that start from a trigger and run one or more actions. Free accounts are limited to two-step Zaps; Professional adds multi-step Zaps, filters, paths and webhooks.

App directory

Zapier connects more than 9,000 apps, including Google Sheets, Gmail, Slack and HubSpot. Premium apps are unlimited from the Professional plan.

Task-based billing

A task is counted when a Zap completes a unit of work; triggers, polling and built-in data tools are not counted. Extra tasks are billed at 1.25x the base rate on annual plans and 2.5x on monthly plans.

Tables, Forms and Canvas

Tables store the data that workflows read and write, Forms collect it, and Canvas maps out a process. Tables and Forms are unlimited on every plan, including Free.

Agents, Chatbots and MCP

AI agents take actions across connected apps, and Zapier MCP gives assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT access to them. Agents and Chatbots are optional add-ons with free tiers.

Team and admin controls

Team covers 25 users with shared Zaps, folders and app connections plus SAML SSO. Enterprise adds SCIM provisioning, app controls and custom data retention.

Activepieces

• Free$0

  Activepieces Cloud for one user: 1,000 credits a month, unlimited flows, and agents, chat, tables, MCP and API access. No card needed.

• Community$0

  Self-hosted open-source edition: credits are not metered and users are unlimited, but Agents and Chat and MCPs are not included.

• Plus$16

  flat per month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly)

  10,000 credits a month, then $0.007 per credit. Up to 5 users, and you can connect your own AI provider keys.

• Team$166

  flat per month, billed yearly ($200 billed monthly)

  50,000 credits a month, 25 users, unlimited projects, SSO, standard roles, global connections and email support.

• UltimateCustom

  Yearly credit pool sized to the customer, dedicated workers, execution priority, SCIM, custom roles, Git Sync, audit logs and dedicated support.

• EmbedFrom $36k

  per year

  White-label flow builder, AI agents and the integration library placed inside your own product through one SDK. Sold through sales.

Zapier

• Free$0

  100 tasks a month for 1 user, limited to two-step Zaps, with unlimited Zaps, Tables and Forms and 15-minute polling.

• Professional$19.99

  per month, billed annually, for 750 tasks ($29.99 monthly)

  1 user. Multi-step Zaps, unlimited premium apps, webhooks, filters and paths, AI by Zapier and 2-minute polling. Task tiers run up to 2 million a month.

• Team$69

  per month, billed annually, for 2,000 tasks ($103.50 monthly)

  25 users, shared Zaps, folders and app connections, SAML single sign-on, priority support and 1-minute polling.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Unlimited users, advanced admin and app controls, SCIM provisioning, custom data retention and annual task limits.

Activepieces

• Annual discount

  Save 2 months with annual billing

  The pricing page's Annual option is labeled as saving 2 months: Plus is $16 a month billed yearly instead of $20, and Team is $166 instead of $200.

Zapier

• Annual discount

  33% off with annual billing

  Zapier's pricing page says annual subscriptions are billed yearly at 33% off the monthly rate: Professional is $19.99 a month instead of $29.99, and Team $69 instead of $103.50.

• Nonprofit

  Extra 15% off for nonprofits

  The pricing page lists an additional 15% discount for non-profit organizations. It does not apply to pay-per-task charges.