Best Open Source Automation Platforms 2026

Our curated ranking of the top open-source workflow automation platforms for teams that want transparency, self-hosting capabilities, and community-driven development.

Rank	Tool	Score	Best For	Evaluated
1	n8n n8n leads the open-source automation space with the most mature platform, largest community, and richest integration ecosystem. Its Sustainable Use License enables free self-hosting with unlimited workflows, making it the go-to choice for teams wanting full control.	92.0	Best for: technical teams wanting the most complete open-source automation platform	Feb 3, 2026
2	ActivePieces ActivePieces has emerged as the fastest-growing open-source alternative with a clean modern UI, MIT license, and rapidly expanding integration library. Its no-code approach makes it the most accessible open-source option for non-technical teams.	87.0	Best for: teams wanting a truly open (MIT-licensed) automation platform with a modern interface	Feb 3, 2026
3	Windmill Windmill brings a unique code-first approach where scripts automatically become UIs, workflows, and scheduled jobs. It is the strongest choice for engineering teams who think in code and want a platform that respects that.	84.0	Best for: engineering teams who prefer code-first automation and internal tool building	Feb 3, 2026
4	Huginn Huginn is the veteran of self-hosted automation with 44K+ GitHub stars and a loyal following. Its agent-based architecture is unique and powerful for monitoring and event-driven automation, though its Ruby on Rails stack shows its age.	79.0	Best for: developers wanting an agent-based system for web monitoring and event processing	Feb 3, 2026
5	Automatisch Automatisch offers the simplest path to self-hosted automation with a familiar Zapier-like interface. While its integration library is smaller, it covers common services and is the easiest open-source tool to get running.	75.0	Best for: small teams wanting the simplest possible self-hosted automation with a familiar interface	Feb 3, 2026

Methodology

Rankings are based on community health, feature completeness, self-hosting ease, integration ecosystem, and documentation quality. Each criterion is weighted and scored on a 100-point scale.

Read full methodology

Full Methodology

We evaluate each open-source automation platform across five criteria:

Community Health (25%) - GitHub stars, contributor count, commit frequency, issue response time, and community forum activity. A healthy community ensures long-term viability and rapid bug fixes.
Feature Completeness (25%) - Range of automation capabilities including visual workflow building, code execution, conditional logic, error handling, scheduling, and webhook support.
Self-Hosting Ease (20%) - Time from zero to running instance, Docker support, documentation quality for self-hosting, resource requirements, and upgrade process.
Integration Ecosystem (15%) - Number and depth of built-in integrations, ability to create custom integrations, and HTTP/webhook support for connecting to any API.
Documentation Quality (15%) - Completeness, accuracy, searchability, and availability of tutorials, examples, and getting-started guides.

Each tool is installed from scratch by our evaluation team, tested with real-world automation scenarios over a minimum of two weeks, and scored independently by two reviewers. Scores are normalized to a 100-point scale.

Common Questions

IFTTT vs Zapier: Which automation platform should you choose in 2026?

IFTTT excels at consumer and IoT automation with 800+ services and very affordable pricing starting at $3.49/month. Zapier dominates business automation with 7,000+ apps, multi-step workflows, and team features starting at $19.99/month. Choose IFTTT for smart home; choose Zapier for business processes.

What are the key differences between Zapier and Make?

Zapier is easier to use with 7,000+ app connections and a linear workflow builder, while Make offers better pricing, a visual canvas for complex logic, and stronger data transformation capabilities. Zapier is best for simple automations; Make excels at complex, data-heavy workflows.

What are the best open-source workflow automation tools?

The best open-source automation tools are n8n (most mature, 400+ integrations), ActivePieces (modern UI, MIT license), Windmill (code-first for developers), Huginn (agent-based monitoring), and Automatisch (simplest Zapier alternative). All can be self-hosted for free.

What are the best self-hosted automation tools for privacy-conscious teams?

The best self-hosted automation tools are n8n (most mature, 400+ integrations), ActivePieces (MIT license, modern UI), Windmill (code-first for developers), Huginn (agent-based monitoring), and Automatisch (simplest setup). All support Docker deployment and keep your data on your own infrastructure.

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