The best Zapier alternatives in 2026, honestly compared.
Most alternatives pages are an advert with a table attached. This one names the case where each option — including staying exactly where you are — is the right answer, because you will work that out in week two anyway.
Disclosure: we build AGNT, which is on this list. Every other entry is described from its maker’s own documentation and pricing page, linked below, and each one says who should pick it over us.
What are you actually trying to fix?
Each reason points at a different tool. Picking by the reason, not the brand, is how you avoid migrating twice.
| If the reason is… | Look at |
|---|---|
| The task bill grows every time automation succeeds | Self-hosted — AGNT or n8n; or flat plans at Activepieces |
| The work needs local files, private repos or internal systems | AGNT |
| You need reasoning, not a fixed trigger chain | AGNT, or n8n’s AI Agent node |
| Data cannot leave your infrastructure | AGNT or self-hosted n8n |
| You want deeper branching, still fully hosted | Make |
| You want a personal agent rather than automations | Hermes Agent, OpenClaw, Vellum or Meta Muse |
| A specific connector is missing | Check catalogues first — you may not need to move |
How we compared them
No invented scores. Each option is described on the six questions that decide whether it fits, and every price is quoted from the vendor’s own page on 23 September 2026.
- Where the work runs. Your machine, your server, or a vendor’s cloud — and whether local files and private networks are reachable.
- How it is priced. Flat, per execution, per step or task, or per credit. The unit decides what success costs you.
- What the AI can do. A single AI step, an agent inside a workflow, or agents, goals and memory as first-class objects.
- Model freedom. One vendor’s models, several, or any provider plus local models.
- Control and evidence. Approval gates before consequential actions, and a record of what ran and why.
- Openness. Licence and whether you can self-host, inspect and leave.
10 serious options
1. AGNT
Our productPeople and teams who want AI to run recurring operations on their own hardware, across any model, with approvals and a receipt for every run.
- Runs
- Desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux), web and mobile via QR pairing; optional dedicated cloud instance
- Pricing
- Free with unlimited local runs; Personal Cloud $29/mo; Business $99/mo with 3 seats
- Licence
- Source available
- AI capability
- Agents, workflows, autonomous goals, memory, skills, MCP; delegates to Codex, Claude Code and Hermes
- Watch out for
- Smaller connector catalogue than the big hosted tools and a younger community — and you run the software yourself, or pay for Personal Cloud.
2. n8n
Best forTechnical teams who want a mature, self-hostable workflow engine with an AI Agent node, priced per full execution rather than per step.
- Runs
- Self-hosted Community Edition, or n8n Cloud
- Pricing
- Self-hosted free; Cloud Starter $20/mo and Pro $50/mo billed annually; Business $800/mo
- Licence
- Fair-code (Sustainable Use Licence)
- AI capability
- First-party AI Agent node inside workflows
- Watch out for
- Server-first; you patch, back up and scale it yourself when self-hosting. The licence restricts reselling it as a service.
3. Make
Best forBuilders who want the most expressive hosted visual canvas — routers, iterators and aggregators — without running anything.
- Runs
- Hosted only (AWS, EU or North America)
- Pricing
- Free (1,000 credits/mo); Core $12/mo, Pro $21/mo, Teams $38/mo for 10k credits
- Licence
- Proprietary
- AI capability
- Make AI Agents (beta), Maia, MCP server
- Watch out for
- Each module action consumes credits, and credits expire at the end of the term. Cloud only.
4. Activepieces
Best forTeams who want a Zapier-style builder they can also self-host, with flat monthly plans.
- Runs
- Cloud or on-prem
- Pricing
- Free (100 credits/day); Plus $20/mo; Team $200/mo
- Licence
- Source on GitHub (self-hostable)
- AI capability
- Flows, agents and tables with MCP support
- Watch out for
- Smaller catalogue and community than Zapier or n8n; heavier use moves to pay-as-you-go credits.
5. Gumloop
Best forBusiness teams building AI agents and flows in a hosted, no-code canvas.
- Runs
- Hosted only
- Pricing
- Pro from $37/mo with a 14-day trial; Enterprise custom
- Licence
- Proprietary
- AI capability
- Unlimited agents across 35+ models
- Watch out for
- Cloud only, with no local or offline mode.
6. Hermes Agent
Best forTechnical users who want one personal agent in their chat apps that writes and improves its own skills.
- Runs
- Local, Docker, SSH, VPS or serverless backends
- Pricing
- Free; you pay your model provider (optional Nous Portal subscription)
- Licence
- MIT
- AI capability
- Self-improving agent with a learning loop, memory, cron and a messaging gateway
- Watch out for
- Terminal-first, single operator, no visual workflow builder.
7. OpenClaw
Best forAnyone who wants an assistant they can message from WhatsApp, iMessage, Telegram or Slack, running on their own hardware.
- Runs
- Your own computer; native apps on macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux
- Pricing
- Free — no paid tier
- Licence
- MIT, stewarded by a non-profit foundation
- AI capability
- Personal assistant reachable from 20+ messaging channels
- Watch out for
- Tools run on the host unless you configure sandboxing; no workflow canvas or graded goals.
8. Meta Muse
Best forPeople in the US who want a personal agent for everyday life with zero setup.
- Runs
- Meta-operated Muse Secure VM; iOS, Android, Mac, WhatsApp, web
- Pricing
- Free with a usage limit; paid plans for more
- Licence
- Proprietary
- AI capability
- Consumer personal agent with goals, approvals, audit trail and agent checkout
- Watch out for
- One model (Muse Spark), runs in Meta’s cloud, US-only rollout for adults.
9. Vellum
Best forIndividuals who want one assistant that knows them and follows them across every device.
- Runs
- Local, or Vellum Cloud
- Pricing
- Free locally; Vellum Cloud $30, $100 or $200/mo
- Licence
- Open source
- AI capability
- Personal AI assistant with long-term memory and permissions
- Watch out for
- Personal-first: one assistant rather than a system of agents and workflows.
10. Claude Cowork
Best forClaude subscribers who want finished documents, spreadsheets and research with no setup.
- Runs
- Anthropic cloud sessions; desktop, web and mobile
- Pricing
- Paid Claude plans (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise)
- Licence
- Proprietary
- AI capability
- Agentic knowledge-work tasks with scheduling and sub-agents
- Watch out for
- Claude models only; being merged into Claude itself.
Every option in one table
| Option | Runs | Pricing | Licence | AI capability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGNT | Desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux), web and mobile via QR pairing; optional dedicated cloud instance | Free with unlimited local runs; Personal Cloud $29/mo; Business $99/mo with 3 seats | Source available | Agents, workflows, autonomous goals, memory, skills, MCP; delegates to Codex, Claude Code and Hermes |
| n8n | Self-hosted Community Edition, or n8n Cloud | Self-hosted free; Cloud Starter $20/mo and Pro $50/mo billed annually; Business $800/mo | Fair-code (Sustainable Use Licence) | First-party AI Agent node inside workflows |
| Make | Hosted only (AWS, EU or North America) | Free (1,000 credits/mo); Core $12/mo, Pro $21/mo, Teams $38/mo for 10k credits | Proprietary | Make AI Agents (beta), Maia, MCP server |
| Activepieces | Cloud or on-prem | Free (100 credits/day); Plus $20/mo; Team $200/mo | Source on GitHub (self-hostable) | Flows, agents and tables with MCP support |
| Gumloop | Hosted only | Pro from $37/mo with a 14-day trial; Enterprise custom | Proprietary | Unlimited agents across 35+ models |
| Hermes Agent | Local, Docker, SSH, VPS or serverless backends | Free; you pay your model provider (optional Nous Portal subscription) | MIT | Self-improving agent with a learning loop, memory, cron and a messaging gateway |
| OpenClaw | Your own computer; native apps on macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux | Free — no paid tier | MIT, stewarded by a non-profit foundation | Personal assistant reachable from 20+ messaging channels |
| Meta Muse | Meta-operated Muse Secure VM; iOS, Android, Mac, WhatsApp, web | Free with a usage limit; paid plans for more | Proprietary | Consumer personal agent with goals, approvals, audit trail and agent checkout |
| Vellum | Local, or Vellum Cloud | Free locally; Vellum Cloud $30, $100 or $200/mo | Open source | Personal AI assistant with long-term memory and permissions |
| Claude Cowork | Anthropic cloud sessions; desktop, web and mobile | Paid Claude plans (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise) | Proprietary | Agentic knowledge-work tasks with scheduling and sub-agents |
Prices as listed by each vendor on 23 September 2026; plans that bill annually are marked as such.
When staying on Zapier is the right answer
If your automation is entirely SaaS-to-SaaS, your volume fits a plan comfortably and nobody wants to run software, migrating costs more than it saves. Zapier connects 9,000+ apps, needs no infrastructure, is accessible to non-technical teams, and now includes Agents and an MCP server. AGNT also integrates with Zapier, so an existing Zap can hand the steps that need local files or real reasoning to AGNT without a rebuild.
Reviewed 23 September 2026 against Zapier’s official pricing page. Every product here ships often — verify current capabilities, prices and licence terms before you choose.
Frequently asked
What is the best Zapier alternative?
For unmetered AI automation on your own hardware, AGNT. For self-hosted workflow automation, n8n. For a richer hosted canvas, Make. For flat pricing with a self-host option, Activepieces.
Is there a free Zapier alternative?
AGNT Community Core and self-hosted n8n are free to run without per-task metering. Make, Activepieces and Zapier itself have free tiers with limits.
Why is Zapier expensive at scale?
Every successful action uses a task, and AI steps, code and MCP calls draw from the same pool, so cost scales with how much your automation does.
Can I keep my Zaps and add AGNT?
Yes. AGNT integrates with Zapier, so existing Zaps can trigger AGNT for the steps that need local access or reasoning.