n8n vs Zapier (2026): SUL Self-Host or Hosted?

n8n official website Open Graph artwork used to identify the automation product — n8n.io official OG. Source · License: n8n product image.

Zapier homepage Open Graph image used to identify the commercial automation product — Zapier official OG. Source · License: Zapier product image.

Verdict. n8n is a widely starred source-available automator (208,008 stars, [email protected], pushed 2026-10-19) under the Sustainable Use License — not OSI. Zapier is the commercial hosted product. If you need an OSI-approved core, use Activepieces (MIT) or Automatisch (AGPL-3.0) on the Zapier hub. No workflow-quality bake-off.

Compare n8n and Zapier.

Dimension	n8n	Zapier	Source
License	Sustainable Use License v1.0 (ee/ files separately licensed)	Proprietary hosted service	n8n LICENSE.md (2026-10-19); Zapier legal
OSI-approved?	No	Not open source	LICENSE.md; this site’s Zapier hub
Stars / activity	208,008 stars, 61,192 forks, last push 2026-10-19, release [email protected]	Not a public GitHub product in this check	GitHub API n8n-io/n8n
Self-host	Yes, within SUL limits (internal / personal; competing hosted service restricted)	Hosted SaaS	LICENSE.md; n8n.io
OSI alternatives on this site	Activepieces (MIT core, 24,955 stars as of 2026-10-17 hub check)	—	Zapier alternatives
Automation quality	Not independently tested	Not independently tested	n/a

When to choose which

Hosted, no servers: Zapier — Commercial product. Not a quality score.
Self-host and you accept SUL (not OSI): n8n — 208K stars, same-day push. Read LICENSE.md.
OSI-approved MIT core: Activepieces — See Zapier alternatives. Not re-verified in this vs table.
OSI-approved AGPL community edition: Automatisch — See Zapier alternatives.

Read n8n and Zapier. OSI table: Zapier alternatives. Related: Dev & Coding, GitHub Copilot alternatives.

FAQ

n8n vs Zapier — is n8n open source?

The code is public. The license is Sustainable Use License, not MIT/Apache/GPL. This site does not call that OSI open source.

Can I offer n8n as a competing cloud?

LICENSE.md restricts that. Not legal advice.

Why does the Zapier hub prefer Activepieces?

Activepieces publishes an MIT core. That matches this site’s OSI bar. n8n is listed with a SUL caveat and this vs page.

Does n8n beat Zapier on connectors?

We have no sourced bake-off. n8n’s README says 400+ integrations. Untested here.

Sources & verification

Last verified 2026-10-19 · Last updated 2026-10-19· Edited by forkalt editors · Editorial policy

License notes are not legal advice. Read the original LICENSE. Trademark & disclaimer.