Fair-code workflow automation platform with 400+ nodes and native AI agents
CATEGORY MATRIX // 6 VERIFIED PROJECTS
Best Open-Source & Self-Hosted Workflow & Automation Software
No-code workflow pipelines, webhooks, and integrations Compare GitHub star velocity, open-source licenses, self-hosting difficulty, and deploy with 1-click Docker Compose templates.
Commercial Workflow & Automation SaaS You Can Replace Today
Workflow & Automation Open-Source Comparison Matrix (2026)
| Open-Source Project | Replaces SaaS | GitHub Stars | License | Tech Stack | Difficulty | Deploy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n8n | Zapier | ★ 207,127 | Sustainable Use License | TypeScript, Node.js, Vue | Easy | Docker |
| Huginn | Zapier | ★ 50,053 | MIT | Ruby on Rails, MySQL / PostgreSQL, Docker | Easy | Docker |
| Kestra | Zapier | ★ 29,528 | Apache-2.0 | Java, Micronaut, Vue.js, PostgreSQL | Easy | Docker |
| Activepieces | Zapier | ★ 25,023 | MIT | TypeScript, Fastify, Angular, PostgreSQL | Easy | Docker |
| Windmill | Zapier | ★ 18,168 | AGPL-3.0 | Rust, TypeScript, Svelte, PostgreSQL | Easy | Docker |
| Trigger.dev | Zapier | ★ 16,528 | Apache-2.0 | TypeScript, Node.js, Remix, PostgreSQL, Redis | Medium | Docker |
All Verified Workflow & Automation Projects (6)
Self-hosted autonomous agents that monitor the web and act on your behalf
Event-driven declarative orchestration and workflow automation platform
Your friendliest open source all-in-one business automation tool
Developer platform to turn scripts into workflows and internal UIs
Open-source background jobs and long-running AI/API workflow engine
1-Click Docker Compose Generator for Workflow & Automation
Select any workflow & automation service below to customize ports, volumes, and environment secrets:
1-Click Docker Compose Generator
Generate production-ready container definitions with customizable ports and volumes.
n8nSustainable Use License
Fair-code workflow automation platform with 400+ nodes and native AI agents
Difficulty: Easy207,127 ⭐
Configure Parameters
docker-compose.n8n.yml
version: "3.8"
services:
n8n:
image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n:latest
container_name: n8n
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "${PORT:-5678}:5678"
environment:
- N8N_HOST=${DOMAIN:-localhost}
- N8N_PORT=5678
- N8N_PROTOCOL=http
- WEBHOOK_URL=http://${DOMAIN:-localhost}:${PORT:-5678}/
- DB_TYPE=postgresdb
- DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=postgres
- DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432
- DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n
- DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n
- DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=${DB_PASSWORD:-n8n_secure_pass}
volumes:
- n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
depends_on:
- postgres
postgres:
image: postgres:15-alpine
container_name: n8n-postgres
restart: unless-stopped
environment:
POSTGRES_USER: n8n
POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD:-n8n_secure_pass}
POSTGRES_DB: n8n
volumes:
- n8n_pg_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
volumes:
n8n_data:
n8n_pg_data:Frequently Asked Questions: Self-Hosted Workflow & Automation
What is the best open-source Workflow & Automation software to self-host in 2026?
Based on community adoption and GitHub velocity, n8n (207,127 GitHub stars) is the leading open-source workflow & automation solution. It replaces Zapier and is distributed under the Sustainable Use License license.
Can I deploy self-hosted Workflow & Automation tools using Docker Compose?
Yes. All 6 open-source workflow & automation projects listed on this page include production-tested Docker Compose configurations with persistent volume mounts and environment variable customization.
Which commercial SaaS products in Workflow & Automation can be replaced with open source?
You can replace proprietary tools including Zapier with self-hosted open-source equivalents, eliminating per-seat subscription costs while retaining 100% data sovereignty.
What server specs are needed to self-host Workflow & Automation software?
Most workflow & automation applications run smoothly on a standard Linux VPS with 2 vCPU and 2GB–4GB RAM ($6–$12/month on Hetzner, DigitalOcean, or Linode).