What is the difference between Activepieces and Bardeen?

Activepieces is best for Teams wanting open-source workflow automation, while Bardeen is best for Non-technical users wanting browser-based automation. Activepieces starts at Free and Bardeen starts at Free.

Is Activepieces or Bardeen cheaper?

Activepieces starts at Free and is free. Bardeen starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Bardeen?

Both Activepieces and Bardeen offer free tiers.

Activepieces vs Bardeen

Activepieces is open-source automation platform with a visual builder, 100+ integrations, and self-hosting option, while Bardeen is AI-powered browser automation for scraping, data entry, and workflow automation. Activepieces is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. Activepieces is built for teams wanting open-source workflow automation, whereas Bardeen targets non-technical users wanting browser-based automation.

At a glance

	Activepieces	Bardeen
Best for	Teams wanting open-source workflow automation	Non-technical users wanting browser-based automation
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
100+ Integrations	✓	—
AI Scraping	—	✓
Browser Automation	—	✓
Code Steps	✓	—
Integrations	—	✓
Self-Hosted	✓	—
Templates	—	✓
Visual Builder	✓	—

Activepieces

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes Visual Builder as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Self-hosting requires Linux admin skills and ongoing server maintenance
Complex automations can break silently if a connected service changes its API

Try Activepieces → Full review

Bardeen

Strengths

Includes Browser Automation as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows
Includes AI Scraping as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows
Free for 100 runs/mo — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes templates alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Developer-oriented tooling may not suit non-technical team members
Complex automations can break silently if a connected service changes its API
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Bardeen → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both Activepieces and Bardeen are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.

Feature gaps: Activepieces offers 100+ Integrations, Code Steps and Self-Hosted that Bardeen lacks. Bardeen brings AI Scraping, Browser Automation and Integrations that Activepieces does not have.

Team fit: Activepieces is geared toward small teams teams, while Bardeen is aimed at individual users and small setups. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Open source: Activepieces is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Bardeen is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Activepieces's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes visual builder as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows. Bardeen's biggest strengths are: includes browser automation as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows. includes ai scraping as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows.

Watch out for: With Activepieces, users commonly note that may lack some advanced features. With Bardeen, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Activepieces if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams wanting open-source workflow automation
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need 100+ Integrations and Code Steps
You care about includes visual builder as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Activepieces is designed for

Choose Bardeen if...

You need a tool built for non-technical users wanting browser-based automation
You specifically need AI Scraping and Browser Automation
You care about includes ai scraping as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows
Your team size fits the individuals profile Bardeen is designed for
The free tier works for you: free for 100 runs/mo