Make alternatives: 5 open-source picks
Make costs $12/mo — $144 a year. These 5 alternatives replace it for $0, led by Activepieces Community Edition, Automatisch and n8n. All 5 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
A polished visual workflow builder with hundreds of connectors and one Docker command.
licenseMIT
runsyour server
installRun one Docker container for personal/testing use, or Docker Compose with PostgreSQL and Redis for production.
enginesAI pieces connect to providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Google Gemini using user-supplied credentials.
dataSingle-container mode stores data under ~/.activepieces; production uses PostgreSQL and Redis, with files/logs optionally in S3-compatible storage.
the catch vs MakeActivepieces is less mature for Make-style complex mapping, branching and run inspection, and production use still needs infrastructure.
setupRequires Docker; public webhooks need a reachable HTTPS URL, while production also needs PostgreSQL, Redis and managed secrets.
facts verified 2026-08-10
A cleaner, smaller automation canvas when your scenarios do not need Make's long tail.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour server
installClone the repository and run Docker Compose.
dataApplication and credential data stays on the user's server in PostgreSQL, with Redis for queues/cache; credentials are encrypted.
the catch vs MakeAutomatisch's connector catalog and transformation canvas are far narrower than Make's long-tail scenario system.
setupRequires Docker, PostgreSQL/Redis configuration and secret management; the default sample login must be changed immediately.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Node-based workflow automation with 400+ integrations, AI agent nodes, and code steps, self-hosted via Docker
licenseSustainable Use License
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Turns Python/TypeScript/Go/SQL scripts into workflows, cron jobs, and internal apps with a low-code UI builder
licenseAGPL-3.0 (+EE)
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Open-source background jobs and durable workflows for TypeScript with retries, queues, and observability
licenseApache-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: Activepieces Community Edition · Automatisch · n8n · Windmill · Trigger.dev
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
how to choose a Make alternative
Easiest to get running
n8n — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
n8n, with 130,000 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 5, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
what you give up by leaving Make
- visual scenario builder
- app modules
- scheduling
- operations history
- error handling
- team governance
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Make alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activepieces Community Edition | MIT | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 23,604 | 2026-08 |
| Automatisch | AGPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 13,923 | 2026-01 |
| n8n | Sustainable Use License | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 130,000 | 2026-08 |
| Windmill | AGPL-3.0 (+EE) | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 15,000 | 2026-08 |
| Trigger.dev | Apache-2.0 | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 12,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Make
They pay because workflows evolve and break; a maintained builder reduces the upkeep. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $144 a year.
questions about switching from Make
Is there an open-source alternative to Make?
Yes: Activepieces Community Edition, Automatisch, n8n and 2 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Make?
Our verdict is YES. n8n (130k stars), Activepieces Community Edition (24k stars), Windmill (15k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Make — self-host in one command and stop paying $12/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/make.
What is the easiest open-source Make alternative to set up?
n8n — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Make alternative?
By GitHub stars, n8n (130,000). Activepieces Community Edition is next with 23,604.
