[category: automation][verified alternatives][no votes, no pay-to-list]
Free and open source alternatives for Automation
23 free or open source projects taken from the pages of 22 paid apps in this category. For each one: how many it replaces, how much subscription it cancels, what it costs to run.
- free alternatives
- 23
- $/month replaceable
- 835
- already self-hosted
- 18
- apps covered
- 22
23 alternatives
No alternative matches these filters. Try dropping the set or the category.
The value is the sum of the prices of the apps that project replaces — including outside this category, because a good alternative rarely serves only one.
451 $ /mese
Resume Matcher open source ★ 28k active [hosted] web · self-hosted
Paste a job description, inspect the keyword and section gaps, then generate a truthful tailored copy.
the 8 apps it replaces · 451 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (451 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-06
327 $ /mese
EasySpider open source ★ 44,1k active [1-click] macOS · Windows · Linux
A desktop scraper whose academic-looking workflow editor still gets paginated data out.
the 4 apps it replaces · 327 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (327 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-06
327 $ /mese
Maxun open source ★ 17,1k active [docker] web · self-hosted
Point, click, schedule a robot, and keep the scraper on your own box.
the 4 apps it replaces · 327 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (327 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-06
241 $ /mese
n8n Community Edition free [docker] web · self-hosted
The same workflow engine without the cloud bill; you inherit updates, backups, and uptime.
the 10 apps it replaces · 241 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (241 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
verificata il 2026-08-09
210 $ /mese
Activepieces Community Edition open source ★ 23,7k active [docker] web · self-hosted
A genuinely open-source workflow runner with a simpler one-container path.
the 9 apps it replaces · 210 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (210 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-09
134 $ /mese
Automatisch open source ★ 13,9k stable [docker] web · self-hosted
A smaller AGPL automation server for people who do not need n8n's entire ecosystem.
the 6 apps it replaces · 134 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (134 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-06
56 $ /mese
Gotenberg open source ★ 12,1k active [docker] web · self-hosted · Linux
A single Docker API for screenshots and PDFs; no anti-bot magic included.
the 2 apps it replaces · 56 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (56 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-09
54 $ /mese
Flowise open source ★ 55,3k active [docker] web · self-hosted
A visual agent builder that is happiest when every box contains an LLM.
the 3 apps it replaces · 54 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (54 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-09
39 $ /mese
Cloudinary Free free [hosted] web
Free forever with 25 monthly credits; text and image overlays are URL parameters, which covers product shots and simple cards without a render server.
the 1 app it replaces · 39 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (39 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
verificata il 2026-08-09
39 $ /mese
HTML/CSS to Image Free free [hosted] web
The closest hosted swap on a free tier: 50 images a month across 5 templates, rendered in real Chrome, which is enough for a blog's OG cards.
the 1 app it replaces · 39 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (39 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
verificata il 2026-08-09
39 $ /mese
ImageKit Free free [hosted] web
Forever free at 20 GB bandwidth with all transformations included, so layered text over a base image is a URL rather than a pipeline.
the 1 app it replaces · 39 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (39 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
verificata il 2026-08-09
29 $ /mese
Kestra Community Edition open source ★ 27,6k active [docker] web · self-hosted
Event-triggered code, schedules, retries, logs, and a workflow engine built for keeping receipts.
the 1 app it replaces · 29 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (29 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-06
29 $ /mese
Windmill Community Edition free [docker] web · self-hosted
Pipedream with your own Postgres and no pretence that code has disappeared.
the 1 app it replaces · 29 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (29 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
verificata il 2026-08-06
3 $ /mese
Home Assistant open source ★ 89,8k active [ops] web · self-hosted · iOS · Android
IFTTT for the house, except the house keeps the data and needs an always-on box.
the 1 app it replaces · 3 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (3 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-06
3 $ /mese
Huginn open source ★ 49,8k active [docker] web · self-hosted
IFTTT's paranoid older cousin: ugly, capable, and living on your server.
the 1 app it replaces · 3 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (3 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-06
3 $ /mese
Node-RED open source ★ 23,5k active [docker] web · self-hosted
Visual wiring for events, APIs, and devices; friendly until the payload turns into JavaScript.
the 1 app it replaces · 3 $/month
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying (3 $/month) 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-06
— price not verified
Dify Community Edition free [ops] web · self-hosted
A serious agent canvas with a free Community Edition and a license that keeps one eyebrow raised.
the 2 apps it replaces
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
verificata il 2026-08-06
— price not verified
Langflow open source ★ 152,9k active [1-click] web · self-hosted · macOS · Windows
Drag boxes around an LLM graph until files and APIs become one useful workflow.
the 2 apps it replaces
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-06
— price not verified
UI.Vision RPA open source ★ 2k active [1-click] macOS · Windows · Linux · extension
A visible macro recorder with OCR; the interface escaped from 2009, the automations did not.
the 2 apps it replaces
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-06
— price not verified
Activepieces Free Cloud free [hosted] web
Managed Activepieces with ten free active flows and unlimited runs; team controls still cost money.
the 1 app it replaces
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
verificata il 2026-08-06
— price not verified
Automa free [1-click] extension
A browser flowchart that clicks, fills, scrapes, and runs on a schedule.
the 1 app it replaces
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
verificata il 2026-08-06
— price not verified
KNIME Analytics Platform open source ★ 0 active [1-click] macOS · Windows · Linux
A visual data workbench with hundreds of connectors; scheduled cloud runs are where KNIME starts charging.
the 1 app it replaces
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
source code · verificata il 2026-08-07
— price not verified
Power Automate for desktop free [1-click] Windows
Windows gets a free attended RPA designer; unattended cloud robots still report to accounting.
the 1 app it replaces
Three ways out of the subscription: 1. you keep paying 2. you install this one, free 3. you vibecode it — the prompt is on each of the pages below
verificata il 2026-08-06
Checked by hand: no votes, no buyable positions. Prices in dollars.