4 Best Self‑hosted Alternatives to Make or n8n with AI Features
If you’re searching for the best self-hosted alternative to Make or n8n with AI features, you’re not alone. In 2025, more businesses, from solo developers to global enterprises, are rethinking the way they approach workflow automation. Self-hosted automation is no longer just for developers who want control over their environment. It’s becoming the standard for organizations that need compliance-friendly automation tools, stronger data privacy, and freedom from vendor lock-in.
Whether you’re a small startup looking for the best self-hosted automation tools or a CIO evaluating self-hosted enterprise workflow automation software, this blog is for you.
You’ll see why companies now want self hosted workflow automation softwares and the 4 best self‑hosted alternatives to Make or n8n with AI feature
Why Self-hosted Workflow Automation Matters in 2025
- Data Privacy & Flexibility
- Companies of all sizes are realizing that relying solely on cloud platforms creates risks around data privacy, cost management, and uptime.
- A self-hosted automation platform gives teams complete ownership of their infrastructure while unlocking new levels of flexibility.
- Compliance Requirements
- For organizations in regulated industries, compliance-friendly automation tools are no longer optional.
- Frameworks like GDPR and HIPAA demand that sensitive data be stored and processed within strict boundaries.
- A secure automation platform that runs on-premises or in a private cloud ensures compliance and reduces exposure to third-party risks.
- IT departments increasingly prefer on-premise workflow automation and self-hosted software over pure cloud solutions.
- Cost Predictability
- Many businesses scaling automation rapidly face unpredictable bills with cloud-only tools. With self-hosted workflow tools, companies can:
- Eliminate hidden costs.
- Maintain predictable budgets.
- Modify and extend the platform to suit their unique needs.
- Many businesses scaling automation rapidly face unpredictable bills with cloud-only tools. With self-hosted workflow tools, companies can:
- Resilience and Reliability
- Self-hosted workflow automation software ensures operational resilience, especially for enterprises.
- If a cloud-only vendor suffers an outage or changes pricing models, business operations remain unaffected.
This results in a compliance-friendly, secure, and scalable automation environment that works equally well for small teams and global enterprises.
Limitations of Make and n8n for Teams & Enterprises
While Make.com and n8n are popular choices in the automation space, both have significant shortcomings that become more evident as teams and enterprises scale. Understanding these limitations is critical when evaluating an enterprise workflow automation tool.
Limitations of Make (Make.com)
- No self-hosted option: Make is purely cloud-based, which means no on-premise workflow automation. Enterprises with strict data privacy or compliance requirements can’t fully control where sensitive information is stored.
- Make pricing: The platform uses an operation-based billing model. Operation-based billing is not the same as task-based billing. One task can cost more than one operation. This quickly becomes expensive as automations scale.
Limitations of n8n
n8n is a source available (not completely open-source) workflow automation tool. It offers a self-hosted integration platform. However, here are some of its challenges and why people might look for alternatives
- Steep learning curve: Designed primarily for developers, n8n is not intuitive for non-technical teams. This makes adoption across an organization challenging compared to other platforms.
- Setup and maintenance: Hosting n8n on your own infrastructure requires technical expertise, creating overhead that small teams and enterprises may not want.
- Scaling limitations: When companies attempt large-scale deployments, they might face speed issues
Best Self-hosted Alternatives to Make & n8n with AI Features
For teams searching for the best self-hosted Make or n8n alternative with AI features, there are several options. Let’s explore the most notable ones.
Activepieces stands out as the most balanced option for both technical and non-technical teams. Unlike Make and n8n, Activepieces offers a simple, drag-and-drop interface while still being open-source and extendable for developers.
- AI-native design: Activepieces comes with built-in AI steps and AI agents that can work independently, making it more than just a connector of apps.
- Deployment flexibility: Offers both cloud and self-hosted automation platform options, giving enterprises the control they need without sacrificing convenience.
- Affordability: Activepieces' free pricing plans enable 1000 tasks per month, which is more than enough for anyone testing automation. Its paid plans include unlimited tasks, unlike task-based billing models
- Node-RED
Node-RED is one of the oldest open-source workflow automation platforms. It was originally developed by IBM and has found strong adoption in IoT workflows and edge computing.
It includes a library of nodes for integrating devices, APIs, and services. It is also extensible. For example, developers can write custom JavaScript nodes.
However, some limitations of Node-RED include:
- It is not user-friendly for non-developers. The interface and logic often require coding knowledge.
- Focus is heavily on IoT and hardware automation, not business workflows.
Overall, it is a solid option for developers in IoT-heavy environments, but less suited for modern teams or enterprises looking for AI-powered workflow automation.
- Huginn
Huginn is an open-source workflow builder designed around creating “agents” that monitor and respond to events. Huginn is open-source and can run self-hosted. It's good for hobby projects and individual use cases involving monitoring web services, scraping data, and setting up notifications.
Some of the limitations of Huginn include:
- Dated interface that looks and feels old compared to modern automation tools.
- Minimal documentation and limited community support make onboarding difficult.
- It is designed more for rule-based triggers.
Huginn works for enthusiasts who want full control and event-driven automations, but it’s not practical for growing teams or enterprises.
- Windmill.dev
Windmill.dev is a new self-hosted automation platform. It is designed as a developer-first automation tool, requiring scripting to create workflows.
It is great for teams comfortable writing code as it supports Python, JavaScript, Go, and more. It also has Git integration and version control built in, making it friendly for DevOps workflows.
However, some of the limitations of Windmill.dev include.
- It is not beginner-friendly. Adoption requires a technical team.
- Code-first approach makes it less attractive to small businesses or non-technical users.
Windmill.dev is best for highly technical teams that want deep control, but it’s not a fit for organizations that need low-code workflow automation with built-in AI.
Who Should Use a Self-hosted Automation Platform?
Not every team needs a self-hosted automation platform, but for many, it offers advantages that SaaS-only tools can’t match. From developers to enterprises, the reasons for choosing open-source workflow builders vary, but the benefits are clear.
1. Developers
For developers, self-hosting means freedom. Instead of being locked into a vendor’s limits, they can run, extend, and customize workflows as needed. Some of the benefits of self-hosted workflow automation tools include:
- Build custom connectors and extend workflows with code.
- Run automations locally during development and testing.
- Take advantage of automation tools for developers that provide greater flexibility than cloud-only platforms.
2. Startups and Small Businesses
Smaller teams don’t always have large IT budgets, but they need efficient automation to compete. A low-code workflow automation platform that can also be self-hosted gives them the best of both worlds:
- Affordable adoption without scaling costs tied to task-based billing.
- Experimentation with AI automation for startups to speed up processes like lead management or customer support.
- Independence from vendor lock-in automation, ensuring that growth isn’t limited by SaaS restrictions.
3. Enterprises
Enterprises have the most to gain from enterprise-grade automation tools that run on-premises or in private clouds. Their needs go beyond basic workflow building:
- Compliance-friendly automation tools to meet regulations (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2).
- IT governance which is possible with SSO, RBAC, and audit logs.
- Reliable integration with ERPs, CRMs, and legacy applications that cloud-only platforms struggle to connect with.