How much RAM does Activepieces need?

The stack (app + PostgreSQL + Redis) uses about 1.5 GB at idle. Plan for 2 GB minimum; 4 GB is comfortable for production with dozens of active flows and concurrent executions.

Why is AP_FRONTEND_URL critical?

Activepieces embeds this URL in every webhook it generates. If it points to localhost or an internal address, external services (GitHub, Stripe, WhatsApp…) cannot reach your webhook endpoints. Always set it to your public HTTPS domain before creating flows.

Is Activepieces compatible with n8n flows?

Activepieces and n8n are not directly import-compatible — they use different flow formats. However, most n8n workflows can be recreated in Activepieces in minutes using equivalent pieces. Both cover the same integrations; the choice is about the visual builder you prefer.

What are MCP servers in Activepieces?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers expose tools — web search, code execution, browser automation, file access — that AI models can call during a flow step. Activepieces ships with 400+ MCP server integrations, letting you build AI agent workflows without a separate orchestration layer.

Can I migrate from Zapier to Activepieces?

Yes. Activepieces covers most Zapier integrations via its 280+ pieces. Start by listing your active Zaps, then recreate them one by one in Activepieces — the visual builder is similar enough that the mapping is direct. Run both in parallel for a week before cancelling Zapier.

Automate business processes.

Activepieces

Self-hosted Zapier alternative with 280+ integrations and an AI agent hub — unlimited flows, zero per-task billing.

4 GB (2 GB minimum) RAM 2 vCPU Port 8080 Available

Source code

Tech stack

DockerNode.jsPostgreSQLRedis

Minimum RAM4 GB (2 GB minimum)

Minimum CPU2 vCPU

Default port8080

Compatible OSubuntu-24.04

Activepieces is an MIT-licensed workflow automation platform that replaces Zapier and Make on your own infrastructure. With 280+ integrations (pieces), a visual flow builder, and built-in support for AI agents and 400+ MCP servers, it covers everything from simple webhook-to-Slack pipelines to multi-step AI agentic workflows — all without usage-based billing.

Deployed on a ServOrbit VPS, Activepieces runs on a single Docker Compose stack (app + PostgreSQL + Redis). Your automation credentials, webhook payloads, and flow logic stay on your server. At a fixed monthly VPS cost, you can run thousands of automations that would cost hundreds of dollars on cloud platforms.

Key features

280+ connectors (pieces) — Slack, Gmail, HubSpot, Notion, WhatsApp, MySQL, HTTP…

Visual flow builder with branches, loops, filters, and custom code steps in TypeScript

AI agent automation: 400+ MCP servers wired to your flows as native steps

Webhook receiver with a stable URL on your domain — no ngrok tunnels needed

TypeScript code steps run inside the application container (AP_EXECUTION_MODE=UNSANDBOXED): fast, but reserve them for code whose origin you control.

Unlimited flows and executions at a fixed VPS cost — no per-task billing

MIT-licensed core, self-hosted data, version-pinned updates under your control

When to use this solution?

1

Agency automation hub

Run client automation flows on your VPS instead of paying per-task. Handle webhook ingestion, CRM syncs, and WhatsApp notifications for every client at a flat monthly cost.

2

AI agentic workflows

Wire MCP servers (browser automation, code runners, web search) into your flows. Build reliable multi-step AI agents without writing a dedicated backend.

3

Replacing Zapier / Make

Migrate your existing automations flow by flow. Each of the 280+ pieces maps directly to a Zapier app or Make module — no rebuild from scratch.

Deploy Activepieces on your VPS

Guide optimized for ServOrbit Cloud VPS.

01

Order a ServOrbit VPS (4 GB RAM recommended)

The full stack — the application, PostgreSQL and Redis — uses about 1.5 GB at rest: plan for 2 GB of RAM and 2 vCPU at the very least, and 4 GB for comfortable production use with several dozen active flows. Plan the domain name that will carry your webhooks too: external services must be able to reach your instance over HTTPS.

02

Deploy Activepieces from the Marketplace

In your ServOrbit client area: Marketplace → Automation → Activepieces → Deploy. The three containers start together — the application, PostgreSQL 16 and Redis 7 — and the instance secrets (AP_ENCRYPTION_KEY, AP_JWT_SECRET, the database credentials) are generated at deployment time. Your flows, your connections and the execution history live in the ap_data, ap_db and ap_redis volumes.

03

Sign in for the first time

Open your instance address as soon as the installation finishes: Activepieces shows a sign-up screen where you create your own account (email address and password), and this first account is the one of the platform administrator. Until it exists, sign-up is open to anyone who reaches the address — do not put this off. With a domain attached, the instance is at https://<your-domain>; without a domain it has no public address at all: open an SSH tunnel with ssh -L 8080:127.0.0.1:8080 root@<your-vps-ip>, then go to http://localhost:8080 — 8080 is the catalogue port, use the one shown on your app's card in the client area.

04

Check the public URL (AP_FRONTEND_URL)

Activepieces writes the value of AP_FRONTEND_URL into every webhook URL it generates. If it does not match the real public address of your instance, GitHub, Stripe or WhatsApp will call an address that leads nowhere and your triggers will stay silent. ServOrbit fills this variable in from the domain attached to the application: before you build your flows, check that the URL shown in the settings does match the domain you actually use.

05

Attach the domain that will carry your webhooks

Attach your domain — flows.example.com, say — to the application from your client area. ServOrbit installs the nginx vhost and the TLS certificate, then renews them on its own: there is no reverse proxy to install and no certificate to request. Once the domain is live, the webhook URLs generated by Activepieces are reachable by your external services. Changing the domain later changes those URLs: you will have to update them with every calling service.

06

Create your first flow

In the interface, create a flow and start from the “Webhook” trigger: call the URL shown from a terminal or from an external service and check that the run does appear in the history — that is the test that validates your public URL. Then chain a Slack or email step, and go through Settings → Connections to store the credentials of your first integrations. One security point worth knowing: on this instance the Code steps run with AP_EXECUTION_MODE set to UNSANDBOXED, so your custom TypeScript executes without an isolation sandbox — only run code you trust.

Frequently asked questions

Activepieces is an open-source (MIT) workflow automation platform. It lets you connect 280+ apps with a visual flow builder — similar to Zapier or Make, but self-hosted on your own VPS with no per-execution billing.

Embed the deploy button

Maintaining a project that uses Activepieces? This button lets your readers deploy it on a VPS in one click, without reading Docker documentation.

Markdown

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HTML

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The button points to a VPS order with the template preselected. The image is served from servorbit.com — nothing to host on your side.

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Automation & Workflows

Activate Activepieces on your infrastructure.

Dedicated Cloud VPS — IPv4 included, European datacenter, support included. Your data never leaves your server.

Recommended configuration: 4 GB (2 GB minimum) RAM · 2 vCPU