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n8n alternatives: 7 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave n8n: fair-code licence restricts commercial resale, and less friendly for non-technical users. We ranked 7 alternatives by how directly each one replaces n8n, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Activepieces currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Node-RED logoNode-REDOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted, Windows +24 of 457.2
  1. Node-RED logo

    1. Node-REDTop pick

    Best for: Tinkerers and engineers wiring up IoT devices, APIs and home automation

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted, Windows, macOS, Linux

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from n8n

    Fully open-source (Apache 2.0) flow tool, strong for IoT and event handling.

    Pros

    • Free and Apache 2.0 licensed
    • Runs on tiny hardware like a Raspberry Pi
    • Thousands of community nodes

    Cons

    • You host and secure it yourself
    • No managed one-click app logins
    • Needs some JavaScript for anything non-trivial
    Visit Node-RED Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Node-RED a good n8n alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    Apache 2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026nodered.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Origin
    IBM, now OpenJS Foundation
    Checked Oct 25, 2026nodered.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Community nodes
    5,000+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026nodered.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Runs on
    Local computer, Raspberry Pi, Docker, cloud
    Checked Oct 25, 2026nodered.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best n8n alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Activepieces logo

Best n8n alternative for most people

Activepieces

MIT-licensed integrations and a simpler builder, also self-hostable.

Node-RED logo

Best n8n alternative for a free option

Node-RED

Fully open-source (Apache 2.0) flow tool, strong for IoT and event handling.

Make logo

Best n8n alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Make

Hosted visual builder that non-technical teammates find easier.

Automatisch logo

Best n8n alternative for open source

Automatisch

Open-source Zapier alternative focused on simple self-hosted flows.

Windmill logo

Best n8n alternative for self-hosting

Windmill

Code-first, self-hosted alternative that adds internal UIs on top of workflows.

Node-RED logo

Best n8n alternative for Mac

Node-RED

Fully open-source (Apache 2.0) flow tool, strong for IoT and event handling.

Node-RED logo

Best n8n alternative for Windows

Node-RED

Fully open-source (Apache 2.0) flow tool, strong for IoT and event handling.

Node-RED logo

Best n8n alternative for Linux

Node-RED

Fully open-source (Apache 2.0) flow tool, strong for IoT and event handling.

Zapier logo

Best n8n alternative for working in the browser

Zapier

Far more prebuilt app integrations and no servers to manage.

n8n alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to n8n?

Activepieces ranks first right now. MIT-licensed integrations and a simpler builder, also self-hostable. Make and Zapier follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to n8n?

Yes. Activepieces (open source), Make (free plan + paid), Zapier (free plan + paid) and Node-RED (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to n8n?

Yes: Activepieces, Node-RED, Automatisch and Windmill. Activepieces, Node-RED and Automatisch can also be self-hosted.

Which n8n alternatives work on Linux?

Node-RED runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from n8n?

The complaints we hear most: fair-code licence restricts commercial resale; less friendly for non-technical users; SSO and version control need paid editions.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces n8n, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.