# Activepieces

> Open-source Zapier alternative with type-safe TypeScript pieces and AI agents

- Category: Agents & Automation / Workflow Automation
- Language: TypeScript
- Licence: MIT
- Repository: https://github.com/activepieces/activepieces
- Website: https://www.activepieces.com
- Canonical page: https://ai-tldr.dev/tools/activepieces/

## In short

Activepieces is an open-source workflow automation tool and a self-hostable alternative to Zapier. You build automations visually in a no-code flow builder, connecting triggers and actions across services like Google Sheets, OpenAI, Discord, and 280+ other integrations. It sits in the Workflow Automation category of the Agents & Automation tools and is open-source, written in TypeScript and licensed MIT.

## Overview

Activepieces is an open-source workflow automation tool and a self-hostable alternative to Zapier. You build automations visually in a no-code flow builder, connecting triggers and actions across services like Google Sheets, OpenAI, Discord, and 280+ other integrations.

Each integration is a "piece" — an npm package written in TypeScript. Developers can extend the platform by writing their own pieces with full type safety and hot reloading for local development, while non-technical teammates use the resulting building blocks in the visual builder.

It fits the low-code / no-code corner of workflow automation: developers set up tools and pieces, and the rest of the organization assembles flows without writing code. Because it's self-hosted, your data stays inside your own network, and every piece is also exposed as an MCP server for use with LLM clients like Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

## What it does

- 280+ open-source integrations ("pieces"), with around 60% contributed by the community
- Pieces are TypeScript npm packages with type safety and hot reloading for local development
- Visual no-code builder with loops, branches, auto retries, HTTP, and versioned flows
- Native AI pieces and an AI SDK for building agents directly inside flows
- Every piece is available as an MCP server for use with Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf
- Self-hosted and network-gapped, so your data stays under your own control

## Getting started

The fastest way to try Activepieces is to run it locally with Docker. This single-container setup uses an embedded database and in-memory queue, so it is meant for personal use or testing rather than production.

1. Run Activepieces with Docker

   Start a local instance with the official image. It uses an embedded PostgreSQL (PGLite) and an in-memory queue, so no extra services are required.

```bash
docker run -d -p 8080:80 -v ~/.activepieces:/root/.activepieces -e AP_REDIS_TYPE=MEMORY -e AP_DB_TYPE=PGLITE -e AP_FRONTEND_URL="http://localhost:8080" activepieces/activepieces:latest
```

2. Open the builder

   Once the container is running, open the URL below in your browser to create your first flow.

```text
http://localhost:8080
```

3. Go to production

   For production, use a Docker Compose setup backed by PostgreSQL and Redis instead of the single-container quickstart. See the official deployment docs for the full configuration.

## When to use it

- Replace Zapier with a self-hosted automation tool so sensitive data never leaves your network
- Let non-technical teammates assemble no-code flows from pieces that developers set up
- Build and ship custom integrations as TypeScript pieces for internal services
- Expose your automations as MCP servers and drive them from LLM clients like Claude Desktop or Cursor