Apache Airflow vs n8n
Comparing two open source alternatives to Zapier and Make and IFTTT. Use the comparison below to decide which one fits your needs.
Apache Airflow
Apache-2.0Apache Airflow is a platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor complex workflows. Build pipelines as code and orchestrate your data jobs with rich observability.
n8n
Fair-code workflow automation platform with native AI capabilities. Combine visual building with custom code, self-host or cloud, 400+ integrations.
Side-by-side comparison
| Apache Airflow | n8n | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Apache-2.0 | — |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| GitHub Stars | 46,747 | 203,482 |
| Forks | 17,771 | 60,566 |
| Open Issues | 2,162 | 1,167 |
| Last Commit | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 6, 2026 |
| First Released | Apr 13, 2015 | Jun 22, 2019 |
| Categories | ||
| Tags |
GitHub stars over time
GitHub stars over time
Similar open source alternatives
Kestra
Event-driven workflow orchestration platform with a YAML-based pipeline DSL, 500+ plugins, and a built-in UI editor.
Zapier
Sim
Sim is an open-source workspace to build, deploy, and orchestrate AI agents and agentic workflows. Visually connect LLMs, tools, and data sources without giving up control.
Lindy AI
Flowise
Flowise is an open-source, visual, low-code/no-code tool designed to help users build AI agents and sophisticated LLM-powered workflows through a drag-and-drop interface. It features a Node.js backend and a React frontend, along with modular components for integrations and API documentation—making it accessible to both developers and non-technical users.
Make
Trigger.dev
Open-source platform for building and deploying reliable background jobs, scheduled tasks, and AI workflows in TypeScript.
Zapier
Huginn
Self-hosted automation platform for building agents that monitor and act on your behalf — a hackable, open source alternative to IFTTT and Zapier.
IFTTT
Automatisch
The open source Zapier alternative. Build workflow automation without spending time and money.
Zapier