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10 top picks · 3 audience rankings

Best open source workflow automation tools

The best open source workflow automation tool is Apache Airflow, with 47,062 GitHub stars, the Apache-2.0 license and a Docker image; Kestra and changedetection.io are strong alternatives. n8n ranks higher on these signals but is source-available, not open source. This page also breaks the picks down by team size and use: Apache Airflow leads for startups, small business, enterprise and solo developers. The overall ranking weighs GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits across the 31 apps in the automation & workflows category of the appsgit catalog.

Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed nightly

Top picks

  1. Rank 1:

    n8n

    n8n-io/n8n

    Free node based Workflow Automation Tool. Easily automate tasks across different services.

    FeaturedSource-availableAutomation & WorkflowsTypeScriptDocker

    n8n has 206,738 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Sustainable Use License 1.0 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 9,029 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier and IFTTT.

  2. Rank 2:

    Apache Airflow

    apache/airflow

    Platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows.

    Automation & WorkflowsPythonDocker

    Apache Airflow has 47,062 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 7,745 commits in the last year.

  3. Rank 3:

    Kestra

    kestra-io/kestra

    Event-driven, language-agnostic platform to create, schedule, and monitor workflows. In code. Coordinate data pipelines and tasks such as ETL and ELT.

    Automation & WorkflowsJavaDocker

    Kestra has 29,274 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 4,392 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier.

1 of 4 · 10 picks

Top picks

10 of the 31 apps in the automation & workflows category, ranked on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits.

  1. 1

    n8n

    Free node based Workflow Automation Tool. Easily automate tasks across different services.

    n8n has 206,738 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Sustainable Use License 1.0 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 9,029 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier and IFTTT.

  2. 2

    Apache Airflow

    Platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows.

    Apache Airflow has 47,062 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 7,745 commits in the last year.

  3. 3

    Kestra

    Event-driven, language-agnostic platform to create, schedule, and monitor workflows. In code. Coordinate data pipelines and tasks such as ETL and ELT.

    Kestra has 29,274 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 4,392 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier.

  4. 4

    changedetection.io

    Stay up-to-date with web-site content changes.

    changedetection.io has 34,796 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 557 commits in the last year.

  5. 5

    Activepieces

    No-code business automation tool like Zapier or Tray. For example, you can send a Slack notification for each new Trello card.

    AI-nativeActivepieces has 24,913 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 5,647 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier and IFTTT.

  6. 6

    Temporal

    Durable execution platform for reliable workflows and background jobs.

    Temporal has 23,487 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 2,022 commits in the last year.

  7. 7

    Huginn

    Build agents that monitor and act on your behalf.

    Huginn has 50,023 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 375 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier and IFTTT.

  8. 8

    Windmill

    Fast workflow engine and internal tool builder that turns scripts into UIs and automations.

    Windmill has 18,108 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 4,452 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier.

  9. 9

    Gotenberg

    Developer-friendly API to interact with powerful tools like Chromium and LibreOffice for converting numerous document formats (HTML, Markdown, Word, Excel, etc.) into PDF files, and more.

    Gotenberg has 13,228 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 366 commits in the last year; it replaces Adobe Acrobat.

  10. 10

    Leon

    Personal assistant who can live on your server.

    AI-nativeLeon has 17,555 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 824 commits in the last year.

2 of 4 · 5 picks

Best for startups

Ranked for startups on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses, project websites and recent commits.

  1. 1

    Apache Airflow

    Platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows.

    Apache Airflow has 47,062 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 7,745 commits in the last year. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, a permissive license (Apache-2.0), a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.

  2. 2

    n8n

    Free node based Workflow Automation Tool. Easily automate tasks across different services.

    n8n has 206,738 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Sustainable Use License 1.0 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 9,029 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier and IFTTT. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.

  3. 3

    Kestra

    Event-driven, language-agnostic platform to create, schedule, and monitor workflows. In code. Coordinate data pipelines and tasks such as ETL and ELT.

    Kestra has 29,274 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 4,392 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, a permissive license (Apache-2.0), a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.

  4. 4

    changedetection.io

    Stay up-to-date with web-site content changes.

    changedetection.io has 34,796 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 557 commits in the last year. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, a permissive license (Apache-2.0), a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.

  5. 5

    Activepieces

    No-code business automation tool like Zapier or Tray. For example, you can send a Slack notification for each new Trello card.

    AI-nativeActivepieces has 24,913 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 5,647 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier and IFTTT. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, a permissive license (MIT), a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.

3 of 4 · 5 picks

Best for small business and solo developers

Ranked for small business and solo developers (the same order for each) on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits.

  1. 1

    n8n

    Free node based Workflow Automation Tool. Easily automate tasks across different services.

    n8n has 206,738 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Sustainable Use License 1.0 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 9,029 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier and IFTTT, and appsgit has a step-by-step deploy guide for it. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, a project website, a commit in the last 90 days and an appsgit deploy guide.

  2. 2

    Apache Airflow

    Platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows.

    Apache Airflow has 47,062 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 7,745 commits in the last year; appsgit has a step-by-step deploy guide for it. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website, a commit in the last 90 days and an appsgit deploy guide.

  3. 3

    Kestra

    Event-driven, language-agnostic platform to create, schedule, and monitor workflows. In code. Coordinate data pipelines and tasks such as ETL and ELT.

    Kestra has 29,274 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 4,392 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.

  4. 4

    changedetection.io

    Stay up-to-date with web-site content changes.

    changedetection.io has 34,796 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 557 commits in the last year. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.

  5. 5

    Activepieces

    No-code business automation tool like Zapier or Tray. For example, you can send a Slack notification for each new Trello card.

    AI-nativeActivepieces has 24,913 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 5,647 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier and IFTTT. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days.

4 of 4 · 5 picks

Best for enterprise

Ranked for enterprise on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, open-source licenses and recent commits.

  1. 1

    n8n

    Free node based Workflow Automation Tool. Easily automate tasks across different services.

    n8n has 206,738 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Sustainable Use License 1.0 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 9,029 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier and IFTTT. For enterprise it also scores on a commit in the last 90 days.

  2. 2

    Apache Airflow

    Platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows.

    Apache Airflow has 47,062 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 7,745 commits in the last year. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days.

  3. 3

    Huginn

    Build agents that monitor and act on your behalf.

    Huginn has 50,023 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 375 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier and IFTTT. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days.

  4. 4

    changedetection.io

    Stay up-to-date with web-site content changes.

    changedetection.io has 34,796 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 557 commits in the last year. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days.

  5. 5

    Kestra

    Event-driven, language-agnostic platform to create, schedule, and monitor workflows. In code. Coordinate data pipelines and tasks such as ETL and ELT.

    Kestra has 29,274 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 4,392 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days.

FAQ

Questions and answers

Still curious? Email info@appsgit.com.

What is the best open source workflow automation tool?

The best open source workflow automation tool is Apache Airflow, with 47,062 GitHub stars, the Apache-2.0 license and a Docker image; Kestra and changedetection.io are strong alternatives. n8n ranks higher on these signals but is source-available, not open source. This page also breaks the picks down by team size and use: Apache Airflow leads for startups, small business, enterprise and solo developers. The overall ranking weighs GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits across the 31 apps in the automation & workflows category of the appsgit catalog.

Is n8n free?

Not by the OSI definition. n8n is source-available rather than open source: its code is public under the Sustainable Use License 1.0, which is not an OSI-approved open-source license. The Sustainable Use License allows use and changes for your own internal business or personal purposes, but not reselling the software or offering it as a paid hosted service. Check the license in the repository before using it commercially.

Which open source workflow automation tool is best for a startup?

Apache Airflow ranks first for startups, with 47,062 GitHub stars, the Apache-2.0 license and a Docker image; n8n (source-available) and Kestra follow. The startups ranking adds points for Docker images, permissive licenses, project websites and recent commits on top of stars and activity.

Which open source workflow automation tool is best for a small business?

Apache Airflow ranks first for small business, with 47,062 GitHub stars, the Apache-2.0 license and a Docker image; n8n (source-available) and Kestra follow. The small business ranking adds points for Docker images, open-source licenses, project websites, recent commits and deploy guides on top of stars and activity.

Can I self-host these workflow automation tools with Docker?

Yes, 8 of the 10 picks. n8n, Apache Airflow and Kestra publish Docker images, so you can run them on a VPS or home server with Docker Compose. The others install from their own packages or source; follow each project's install guide.

Are all of these workflow automation tools open source?

9 of the 10 apps on this list are open source; 1 is source-available. Source-available licenses add conditions, such as limits on hosted or commercial use, so read them before you deploy.

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