Activepieces vs Apache Airflow
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Activepieces
Open-source no-code business automation
VS
Apache Airflow
Programmatically author, schedule and monitor workflows
| Feature | Activepieces | Apache Airflow |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 23,620 | ★ 46,409 |
| First released | 2022 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Zapier, Make | AWS Step Functions, Azure Data Factory |
Why pick each one
Choose Activepieces if…
- Truly open-source license
- Friendly no-code UI
- Active development
Frequently asked questions
Is Activepieces or Apache Airflow better?
Neither is universally better. Apache Airflow has the larger community, while Activepieces is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Activepieces and Apache Airflow free and open-source?
Yes. Activepieces is licensed under MIT and Apache Airflow under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Activepieces and Apache Airflow with Docker?
Activepieces: yes. Apache Airflow: yes.