Workflow automation
Open-source alternatives to Zapier, priced
3 open-source tools that can replace Zapier, each shown with what it would actually cost to run for a team of 10 people. Zapier on the Professional tier costs $29.99 a month at that size.
The cheapest way to replace Zapier here is n8n, at $121 a month against $29.99, with your own time already counted.
| Tool | Server only | With your time | vs Zapier | Operational weight | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n8n | $8.04 | $121 | -$3,710 | medium | source-available |
| Activepieces | $8.04 | $121 | -$3,710 | medium | source-available |
| Windmill | $8.04 | $121 | -$3,710 | medium | source-available |
The final column is the 36-month difference: positive means self-hosting is cheaper.
Which one to pick
n8n 204,061 stars
The base figure covers a single main process with SQLite. Heavy workflow volume wants PostgreSQL and queue mode with separate workers, which roughly doubles the floor.
At 10 people it needs 1.5 GB of memory and 11 GB of disk, which fits the CX23 (cost-optimized) at Hetzner Cloud for $6.70 a month. Setting it up is roughly 6 hours of work, then 1.5 hours a month to keep it healthy. Licence note: Source-available under the Sustainable Use Licence, not a classic open-source licence. Internal business use is permitted; reselling n8n as a service is not.
Full Zapier versus n8n breakdown · n8n at every team size
Activepieces 24,409 stars
Application, PostgreSQL and Redis. Isolated sandboxes for code steps are what push the memory floor above n8n's.
At 10 people it needs 2.7 GB of memory and 11 GB of disk, which fits the CX23 (cost-optimized) at Hetzner Cloud for $6.70 a month. Setting it up is roughly 6 hours of work, then 1.5 hours a month to keep it healthy.
Full Zapier versus Activepieces breakdown · Activepieces at every team size
Windmill 17,901 stars
Rust server with PostgreSQL and one or more workers. Faster per job than the Node-based options, which matters if the workflow count is high.
At 10 people it needs 2.6 GB of memory and 16 GB of disk, which fits the CX23 (cost-optimized) at Hetzner Cloud for $6.70 a month. Setting it up is roughly 6 hours of work, then 1.5 hours a month to keep it healthy.
Full Zapier versus Windmill breakdown · Windmill at every team size
How the pricing was established
Zapier pricing was read from its own pricing page on 2026-09-12. Server prices come from the providers listed on the hosting page. The sizing model and the cost of your time are set out in full on the methodology page.
Related
- All workflow automation compared
- Alternatives to Make
- Where to host it
What you would be running
| Tool | Licence | Written in | Setup | Upkeep | GitHub stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n8n | Other | TypeScript | 6 h | 1.5 h a month | 204,061 |
| Activepieces | Other | TypeScript | 6 h | 1.5 h a month | 24,409 |
| Windmill | Other | Rust | 6 h | 1.5 h a month | 17,901 |
Questions people actually ask
Is there a free open-source alternative to Zapier?
There are 3 on this page. 0 of them are open source, published under no standard open-source licence, with no licence to buy. n8n, Activepieces, Windmill ships its source under its own licence rather than a standard open-source one, so check its terms before commercial use. None of them is free to run: the cheapest, n8n, costs $121 a month at 10 people once the server, backups and the time to look after it are counted.
How much does Zapier cost?
Zapier Professional costs $29.99 a month at 10 people: USD 29.99 per month. That figure was read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-09-12.
What does it cost to self-host n8n?
$121 a month at 10 people. That is $6.70 for the CX23 (cost-optimized) at Hetzner Cloud, plus backups, plus 1.5 hours a month of your own time priced at the published hourly rate.
How long before n8n is cheaper than Zapier?
Never, counting $450 of first-time setup. Over 36 months the difference is $3,710.
Which Zapier alternative is the easiest to run?
N8n, rated medium: about 6 hours to set up and 1.5 hours afterwards.