Alternatives · prices checked 5 November 2026
n8n alternatives worth trying in 2026
n8n is a strong tool, especially if you want to self-host and write code. These alternatives are better at other things: easier setup, more apps, AI agents, or local payments.
Quick answer
For most small businesses, CiraIQ: hosted, so nothing to set up or maintain, with M-Pesa, WhatsApp AI agents and approvals built in, from $20 a month with unlimited workflows. Pick n8n only if you need to self-host.
The 6 alternatives
1. CiraIQ
Our product- Best for
- Businesses in Kenya and Africa that run on M-Pesa and WhatsApp, and anyone who wants AI agents that ask before they act.
- Not great for
- Teams that need thousands of niche app integrations, or must self-host on their own servers.
- Free
- 3 multi-step workflows, free forever
- Paid from
- $20/month (Basic): unlimited workflows, 14-day free trial
Self-host for free: no · M-Pesa, WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail, Sheets, Shopify, WooCommerce, Paystack and more · pricing checked 5 November 2026
2. Zapier
- Best for
- Connecting the widest range of SaaS apps, with the least learning.
- Not great for
- High volumes on a small budget: price rises steeply with tasks.
- Free
- 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps only
- Paid from
- $19.99/month billed annually, or $29.99 monthly (Pro, 750 tasks)
Self-host for free: no · 9,000+ apps · pricing checked 5 November 2026
3. Make
- Best for
- Visual, branching scenarios across many SaaS apps.
- Not great for
- Teams that must self-host on their own servers.
- Free
- 1,000 credits a month
- Paid from
- $9/month (Core, 10,000 credits)
Self-host for free: no · 3,000+ apps · pricing checked 5 November 2026
4. Activepieces
- Best for
- An open-source, self-hostable alternative with a simple editor.
- Not great for
- Larger teams on a budget: the Team plan is $200 a month.
- Free
- 1,000 credits a month, plus a free self-hosted Community Edition
- Paid from
- $20/month (Plus, 10,000 credits)
Self-host for free: yes · pricing checked 5 November 2026
5. Gumloop
- Best for
- AI-heavy workflows for operations and marketing teams.
- Not great for
- Teams that must self-host on their own servers.
- Paid from
- See current pricing
Self-host for free: no · pricing checked 5 November 2026
6. Lindy
- Best for
- AI assistants for email, meetings and scheduling.
- Not great for
- Cost-sensitive teams: billing is per active user.
- Free
- $50 of credits for 7 days, no card
- Paid from
- $49.99/month per user (Team, 5,000 credits)
Self-host for free: no · pricing checked 5 November 2026
n8n next to the alternatives
| Fact | n8n | CiraIQ | Zapier | Make |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free self-hosted Community Edition; cloud trial with no card | 3 multi-step workflows, free forever | 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps only | 1,000 credits a month |
| Paid plans from | €20/month billed annually (Starter, 2,500 executions) | $20/month (Basic): unlimited workflows, 14-day free trial | $19.99/month billed annually, or $29.99 monthly (Pro, 750 tasks) | $9/month (Core, 10,000 credits) |
| Self-host for free | Yes | No | No | No |
| Apps | See their app directory | M-Pesa, WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail, Sheets, Shopify, WooCommerce, Paystack and more | 9,000+ apps | 3,000+ apps |
| Best for | Technical teams who want to self-host and write code inside workflows. | Businesses in Kenya and Africa that run on M-Pesa and WhatsApp, and anyone who wants AI agents that ask before they act. | Connecting the widest range of SaaS apps, with the least learning. | Visual, branching scenarios across many SaaS apps. |
| Not great for | Non-technical owners who want ready-made business flows and local payments without setup. | Teams that need thousands of niche app integrations, or must self-host on their own servers. | High volumes on a small budget: price rises steeply with tasks. | Teams that must self-host on their own servers. |
Where n8n is the better choice
n8n is the better choice if you want to self-host on your own servers for free and are comfortable writing code in your workflows.
What CiraIQ adds
- M-Pesa built in. STK push, Paybill and Till payment triggers, B2C payouts and reversals, with your own Daraja keys. Paystack and Stripe too.
- AI agents on WhatsApp and Telegram. Agents with long-term memory that people talk to, by text or voice.
- Approval before anything irreversible. Sending, posting and spending wait for a person, approved from the app, Telegram or WhatsApp.
- Spend caps and broken-workflow alerts. Set a monthly AI budget per workflow, and workflows that fail 5 times in a row stop and tell you why.
- A marketplace that pays creators. Sell your workflows and keep 70% of each sale, paid to M-Pesa or a bank.
See the apps CiraIQ connects to and ready-made templates.
Questions
- Is there a free n8n alternative?
- Yes. Zapier, Make and Activepieces have free plans, and CiraIQ has a free plan with 3 workflows. Activepieces also has a free self-hosted edition.
- Which n8n alternative can I self-host?
- Activepieces has a free self-hosted Community Edition. CiraIQ, Zapier, Make, Lindy and Gumloop are cloud services.
- Which alternative works with M-Pesa?
- CiraIQ has M-Pesa built in: STK push, payment triggers, payouts and reversals.
Competitor prices and plans were read from each company's own pricing page on 5 November 2026 and can change; follow the links for today's figures. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
Try CiraIQ on your own workflow
Start free with 3 workflows. No card needed. Install a template or build your own on the canvas.