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Head-to-head · Ai Automation

Kestra vs Activepieces

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 1 check side by side
Higher score Kestra #4 in Ai Automation 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Kestra
Activepieces #5 in Ai Automation 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Activepieces

Kestra leads on 0 checks, Activepieces on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreKestra · 8.8/10
  • Free planboth

Kestra scores higher on our rubric for ai automation: 8.8 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #5.

Kestra is the better fit for teams that want observable, open-source workflows. Activepieces is the better fit for teams seeking self-hosted automation and broad connectors.

  • Kestra fits best

    Teams that want observable, open-source workflows

  • Activepieces fits best

    Teams seeking self-hosted automation and broad connectors

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Kestra 8.8/10 Visit ↗ Activepieces 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 8.7
Ranking #4 in Ai Automation #5 in Ai Automation
Best for Teams that want observable, open-source workflows Teams seeking self-hosted automation and broad connectors
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Free $20/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web Web
Support Email, Community, Docs · 24/7 Community, Email, Tickets, Docs
Compliance SOC 2 SOC 2, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Integrations 2,000+ integrations 764+ integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Kestra 0/3 · Activepieces 0/3
AI agents Not checked yet Not checked yet
Self-hosted option Not checked yet Not checked yet
Human approval steps Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Workflow builder Not checked yet Not checked yet
AI model options Not checked yet Not checked yet
Included executions Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Build workflows in YAML or a no-code editor, with topology views
  • Retries, replay, alerts, and detailed execution histories aid troubleshooting
  • Open-source and managed-cloud options support different deployment needs
  • Free plan includes 100 credits a day and unlimited flows
  • Workflow controls include branching, retries, approvals, and error handling
  • Supports self-hosted and air-gapped deployment options
Cons
  • AI is supported but less central than general workflow orchestration
  • Enterprise Edition requires sales contact and annual commitment
  • Kestra Cloud requires an access request and scales by usage
  • Free-plan usage is limited to 100 credits a day
  • Plus includes up to 5 users and 10,000 credits a month
  • Team costs $200 per month, compared with Plus at $20 per month
Our verdict

Kestra is a declarative workflow orchestration platform for data engineers, software engineers, and platform teams. Workflows can be defined in YAML or a no-code editor, then started by schedules, webhooks, polling, realtime events, APIs,…

Read the review →

Activepieces connects business applications, APIs, webhooks, and AI tools through a visual workflow builder. It is suited to teams that want to automate multi-step processes and need options ranging from a free cloud tier to self-hosted or…

Read the review →
  1. KestraAi Automation 8.8Free plan
  2. ActivepiecesAi Automation 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Kestra — where it wins

    • Build workflows in YAML or a no-code editor, with topology views
    • Retries, replay, alerts, and detailed execution histories aid troubleshooting
    • Open-source and managed-cloud options support different deployment needs

    Where it doesn't

    • AI is supported but less central than general workflow orchestration
    • Enterprise Edition requires sales contact and annual commitment
    • Kestra Cloud requires an access request and scales by usage

  • Activepieces — where it wins

    • Free plan includes 100 credits a day and unlimited flows
    • Workflow controls include branching, retries, approvals, and error handling
    • Supports self-hosted and air-gapped deployment options

    Where it doesn't

    • Free-plan usage is limited to 100 credits a day
    • Plus includes up to 5 users and 10,000 credits a month
    • Team costs $200 per month, compared with Plus at $20 per month

More comparisons

All ai automation comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update