Self-host Activepieces

updated Sep 2026deployed by usprices checked · Jul 2026Install verified on Ubuntu 26.04 · Sep 2026 · how we test

We earn commissions when you shop through the links below. Full disclosure →

A no-code automation builder positioned as an open-source replacement for Zapier: a visual flow editor, a large library of 'pieces' (connectors) written in TypeScript, and MCP servers in the open core (its AI agents and Chat are paid-layer features). The Community Edition core is MIT-licensed; access control, audit logs, Git sync and multi-project features are sold as paid editions. Runs as one container for hobby use or a four-service compose stack for production.

Key facts

CategoryWorkflow automation

LicenseMIT

StackTypeScript, Node.js, PostgreSQL, Redis

Min RAM4096 MB

Official imageyes

Measured idle RAM858 MB

Difficulty

Sourcegithub.com/activepieces/activepieces

Websiteactivepieces.com

Our recommendation

Pick Activepieces when the license has to be OSI open source — its Community Edition is MIT — or when MCP servers in the open core are the point of the automation — its own AI agents and Chat are paid-layer features. It is the most Zapier-like builder in this hub after n8n itself, with a visual editor and a large TypeScript 'pieces' library. Decide the install shape up front: the single-container hobbyist install cannot be migrated to the compose stack (app, worker, Postgres, Redis) later, so anything that will matter goes straight onto compose.

What you need

Any VPS with at least 4096 MB of RAM
A domain you control — most self-hosted setups need HTTPS in front of them
Under an hour if you've used Docker before

Where to host itaffiliate disclosure

Hetzner Cloudrun it on

From $23.59/mo · 2 vCPU / 4 GB / 80 GB · EU + US

Get Hetzner Cloud

Kamaterafree trial

From $4/mo · 1 vCPU / 1 GB / 20 GB · US + EU + Asia

Start free on Kamatera →

DigitalOceanalso works on

From $6/mo · 1 vCPU / 1 GB / 25 GB · US + EU + Asia

Deploy on DigitalOcean →

Paid link — we earn a commission if you shop through it.

Install

Run these commands on your server:

# Activepieces — the docs' single-container 'hobbyist' install: embedded database (PGLite) + in-memory queue.
# Upstream: this shape cannot scale, cannot move to the paid edition, and moving off it means starting over. Production = the compose stack (2 vCPU / 4 GB).
docker run -d --name activepieces --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 8080:80 \
  -v ~/.activepieces:/root/.activepieces \
  -e AP_DB_TYPE=PGLITE \
  -e AP_REDIS_TYPE=MEMORY \
  -e AP_FRONTEND_URL="http://SERVER_IP:8080" \
  activepieces/activepieces:latest
# open http://SERVER_IP:8080 — the first account you create becomes the administrator

vps picksBest VPS for self-hostingbenchmarked quarterly · re-priced monthly

What you take on

Activepieces is easy to start and honest about its edges. Three of them come straight from its own documentation:

non-negotiableThe single-container install (embedded PGLite database + in-memory queue) is what the docs call the hobbyist shape, and they state it cannot scale, cannot be moved to the paid edition, and that moving off it means starting over. Production is the four-service compose stack with a documented minimum of 2 vCPU and 4 GB RAM — that figure is the one on this page.

non-negotiableThe compose install needs secrets you generate yourself: AP_ENCRYPTION_KEY (openssl rand -hex 16) and AP_JWT_SECRET (openssl rand -hex 32). Lose the encryption key and stored connections can no longer be decrypted, so back it up with the database.

non-negotiableIt is open-core. The MIT core is the automation engine; SSO and SCIM, custom RBAC, audit logs, Git sync and releases, multiple projects, private pieces, secret managers and branding are paid-edition features even when self-hosted.

non-negotiableReleases are still pre-1.0 and frequent. Read the release notes before pulling a new image; breaking changes are a real possibility until 1.0.