Is Activepieces Open Source? Full Answer & Hosting

Yes, Activepieces is open source. The core platform is licensed under the MIT License, which means you can download it, modify it, and self-host it completely for free. But there is a paid Enterprise tier with features like single sign-on and audit logs. The distinction is clear: the code is open, the extras cost money. Whether that matters for you depends on where you plan to run Activepieces and what you actually need.

The Direct Answer: Yes, Activepieces Is Open Source (MIT License)

Activepieces is licensed under the MIT License, one of the most permissive open-source licenses available. The MIT License lets you use, copy, modify, and distribute the code freely, with no restrictions except that you acknowledge the original authors. The full source code lives on GitHub at https://github.com/activepieces/activepieces, where the project has 25,100 stars and 4,300 forks. There are 356+ contributors shipping code weekly. This is a genuinely active, community-backed project.

The core automation engine, workflow builder, integrations library, and self-hosting capability are all open source. You can run Activepieces on your own hardware or a rented server at no cost to Activepieces. The company does not charge for the code itself. The revenue model is different: Activepieces sells a managed cloud version and enterprise features that sit on top of the open-source core.

The key difference from some "open-core" projects: Activepieces does not lock critical features behind a proprietary license. The Community Edition (free, self-hosted) includes unlimited workflow runs, unlimited users, and access to 280+ integrations out of the box. You are not paying to unlock basic functionality. You are paying for convenience: a cloud host managed for you, advanced analytics, audit logs, and single sign-on if you deploy Activepieces for a team.

What "Open Source" Actually Means for Activepieces

Open source means three things: the code is public, it is free to use, and you can modify it. For Activepieces specifically, here is what that breaks down to.

First, the code is public. Anyone can read every line of the automation engine, see exactly how integrations work, and audit the codebase for security issues. This transparency is a strength. If you are moving sensitive business processes to Activepieces, you can inspect the code yourself or hire a security firm to do it. You are not trusting a black box.

Second, the code is free to use. You can download Activepieces and run it on your own server without paying Activepieces a single dollar. You pay only for infrastructure: a cloud server, database, and backups. This is what differentiates Activepieces from Zapier or Make, both of which are proprietary and charge per-task or per-user.

Third, the code is free to modify. If you need a custom integration that Activepieces does not ship, you can build it. If you want to change how the UI works or add logging, you can fork the code and customize it. The MIT License does not require you to contribute changes back upstream. You can run a private fork if you need to. This is powerful if you have engineering resources.

But here is what "open source" does not mean: it does not mean free infrastructure. Running Activepieces yourself means you own the responsibility for uptime, security, backups, and scaling. You own the risk. This is why we distinguish between "open-source code" (free) and "managed open-source" (free code plus someone else manages the infrastructure).

The Community Edition vs. Enterprise: What's Free, What's Not

Activepieces offers two tiers: Community Edition and Enterprise. The confusion around "open source" often stems from not knowing where the line is. Here it is.

Community Edition (free, open source):

• Unlimited workflow runs
• Unlimited users on the same instance
• 280+ integrations (and more added weekly with each Monday release)
• All core automation features
• Self-hosting on your own server
• No seat-based pricing

You own the infrastructure, which means you also own the work of running it: setting up the server, upgrading the database, backing up data, monitoring uptime, and patching security updates.

Enterprise (paid):

• Everything in Community Edition
• Single sign-on (SSO) with SAML or OIDC
• Audit logging and compliance reports
• Advanced branding and customization
• Priority support
• Managed hosting (Activepieces runs the infrastructure for you)

Enterprise pricing is custom; Activepieces quotes it per organization. For a managed hosting setup without the full Enterprise tier, Activepieces also offers a Cloud plan. The Cloud plan is their official managed product: Activepieces runs the servers, handles backups and scaling, and charges per-user or per-task.

For detailed pricing and what is included in each tier, see our guide on Activepieces pricing.

The practical question: do you need Enterprise features? SSO is important if you have 5 or more team members using the same instance and you want to control login via your company directory (Azure AD, Google Workspace, etc.). Audit logging matters if you need to show compliance auditors exactly who ran which workflow and when. If you are running Activepieces for a small team or solo, Community Edition has everything you need.

Can You Really Self-Host It for Free?

Yes, you can self-host the Community Edition code at zero cost to Activepieces. But "free" is misleading. Self-hosting still costs money in infrastructure and labor.

A basic Activepieces self-hosted setup requires:

1. A server (cloud VPS, Raspberry Pi, or home hardware): $3-$10/month for a budget VPS that handles 5-10 concurrent users. That is $36-$120 per year.

2. A database (PostgreSQL): Usually bundled in a VPS or lightweight enough to run on the same box. No additional cost if you use managed PostgreSQL from your provider.

3. Backups: Daily backups to cloud storage (AWS S3, Backblaze B2) or a second server. Budget $5-$20/month if you back up to the cloud. That is $60-$240 per year.

4. TLS/SSL certificates: Free via Let's Encrypt. You set it up once and renew every 90 days automatically.

5. Labor: This is the big one. You are responsible for patching Activepieces when security updates land (usually weekly on Mondays per their release schedule). You must monitor the server for outages. If the database fills up or the server runs out of memory, you fix it. If a backup fails silently, you catch it before disaster. A rough estimate: 5-10 hours per year of maintenance for a solo or small-team setup. If you value your time at $50/hour, that is $250-$500 per year.

Total realistic cost for self-hosted: $350-$700 per year for a small team, plus your labor.

Compare this to paying for managed hosting or Activepieces Cloud, where the company handles patching, backups, scaling, and uptime. See our self-hosted Activepieces guide for step-by-step infrastructure setup. For a closer look at self-hosted versus managed, see our Activepieces as a Service comparison.

How Open-Source Activepieces Compares to Closed-Source Competitors

Zapier, Make, and Integromat are the household names. None of them publish source code. Here is how they compare.

Zapier: Proprietary code, closed source. You pay $19-$99/month per account depending on usage tier. Zapier owns all data and code. No customization available. Widely integrated (5,000 plus apps) and very polished. Good if you want a turn-key solution and trust Zapier with your data and workflows.

Make (formerly Integromat): Proprietary code, closed source. You pay $9.99-$29.99/month per user or organization depending on tier. Similar to Zapier in features and approach. Good for teams that already know Make.

n8n: Open source (fair-source license, not MIT, but still public code). Similar feature set to Activepieces. You can self-host or use n8n Cloud. Open-source projects tend to have smaller, more engaged communities. n8n charges for cloud hosting; self-hosting is free code plus your infrastructure cost.

The open-source advantage: You can audit the code, self-host it, modify it if needed, and not pay per-user or per-task. You pay only for infrastructure. The open-source disadvantage: You manage the infrastructure yourself. If Activepieces has a bug, you wait for the community to fix it. If you need support, community forums and GitHub issues are free; paid support is extra.

For most small teams, the closed-source convenience of Zapier or Make is worth the monthly cost. For teams with engineering capacity or strict data-residency rules, open-source Activepieces offers flexibility and cost savings at scale. See managed Activepieces hosting for a middle ground: open-source code managed by a third party.

What This Means for Your Hosting Decision

Knowing that Activepieces is open source answers the licensing question, but it does not answer your real problem: where should I run it?

You have four options:

1. Self-host on your own server (VPS, Raspberry Pi, or home hardware). Cost: $350-$700/year infrastructure plus your labor. Best for: Engineering teams with spare DevOps capacity, organizations with strict data-residency requirements, projects where you need to customize the code. You own everything. You manage everything.

2. Use Activepieces Cloud (their managed offering). Cost: Varies by tier, but typically $5-$30/month per organization or user. Best for: Teams that want the open-source flexibility without infrastructure responsibility. Activepieces handles patching, backups, and uptime. You pay for convenience.

3. Use a managed provider like Opsily that hosts Activepieces for you. Cost: Flat rate, typically $30-$50/month depending on usage. Best for: Teams that want managed hosting of open-source code, without vendor lock-in to Activepieces' cloud. You get the benefits of open source (code you can audit, no per-task pricing) plus managed infrastructure (backups, patching, uptime guarantees). See our managed Activepieces hosting for details.

4. Use a closed-source alternative like Zapier or Make. Cost: $19-$99/month per user. Best for: Non-technical teams or teams that prioritize turn-key simplicity over cost. Zapier is more mature and better integrated. You cannot audit or modify the code. You pay per-task or per-user, which gets expensive at scale.

For a 5-person team running simple workflows, Activepieces Cloud at $20-$30/month is hard to beat. For a 20-person team running complex automations, a managed Activepieces host at $40/month plus self-hosted infrastructure at $50/month beats Zapier's $1,900+/month by a landslide. The open-source model wins on cost at scale, especially if you use a third-party managed provider rather than managing the infrastructure yourself. Visit our Activepieces hosting hub for more comparisons and setup guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Activepieces free to use?

The open-source code is free. You can download and run it without paying Activepieces. But hosting it costs money: a server ($36-$120/year), database ($0-$100/year), and backups ($60-$240/year), plus your labor to manage it. For managed hosting, Activepieces Cloud charges $5-$30/month depending on the plan. Most teams pay for hosting in some form.

Can I self-host Activepieces without paying?

Yes, the code is free to use and modify. But self-hosting still incurs infrastructure costs ($350-$700/year) and your labor (5-10 hours per year at minimum). If you want to avoid labor entirely, you pay for managed hosting or Activepieces Cloud. See our self-hosted Activepieces guide for setup and cost details.

Is Activepieces still open source?

Yes. As of 2026, Activepieces remains under the MIT License. The core code is public on GitHub. The company offers paid Enterprise and Cloud tiers, but does not close-source the Community Edition code. This open-core model is stable and common (n8n, ownCloud, and others use it).

What integrations does open-source Activepieces include?

The Community Edition ships with 280+ integrations out of the box. This includes Slack, Google Sheets, Discord, Zapier, GitHub, Stripe, and hundreds more. New integrations (called "Pieces" in Activepieces terminology) are added weekly. If you need a custom integration, you can build it using the open-source framework.

What is the difference between Activepieces Community Edition and Enterprise?

Community Edition is unlimited runs, unlimited users, and 280+ integrations, all free if you self-host. Enterprise adds SSO, audit logging, advanced branding, and managed hosting by Activepieces. Enterprise pricing is custom; contact Activepieces for a quote. Most small teams need only Community Edition.

Why would I pay for Activepieces if it is open source?

You pay to avoid labor. Self-hosting is free code plus $350-$700/year infrastructure plus your time managing it. Paying Activepieces or a managed host saves you 5-10 hours per year and eliminates the risk of outages, failed backups, or missed patches. If your time is worth $50+/hour, paying for hosting makes financial sense.

Can I modify open-source Activepieces?

Yes. The MIT License allows you to modify the code, redistribute it, and use it privately. You do not need to contribute changes back to the project or publish your fork. This is useful if you need a custom integration or want to change the UI. You will be responsible for maintaining your fork and merging updates from upstream.

The Bottom Line

Activepieces is genuinely open source under the MIT License. The code is free, public, and modifiable. This means you can self-host it or use a managed provider without paying Activepieces for the software itself. But open source does not mean free hosting. You pay for infrastructure or you pay for managed hosting or Activepieces Cloud. The cost comparison depends on your team size and engineering capacity. For most small teams, managed hosting at $40-$50/month beats self-hosting labor costs and delivers better uptime guarantees. Explore managed Activepieces hosting to evaluate providers and pricing.