Automatisch: Open Source Alternative to n8n

Automatisch is a minimalistic, self-hosted workflow automation tool built around simple trigger-action automations, closer in scope to Zapier than to n8n's broader feature set. The Community Edition is AGPL-3.0 licensed.

What is Automatisch?

Automatisch deliberately trades integration breadth and configurability for simplicity — around 40+ integrations, a no-code interface, and minimal setup time. It's a fit for teams that need straightforward trigger-action automations (sync a new contact, post a Slack message) without the flow-building complexity that comes with n8n's node-based canvas.

Automatisch is especially useful for:

• teams that find n8n's node-based canvas heavier than what they actually need
• non-developers who want a Zapier-style experience but self-hosted
• teams in regulated industries (healthcare, finance, EU/GDPR) that need to keep automation data on their own infrastructure

Automatisch vs n8n

Feature	Automatisch	n8n
Core license	AGPL-3.0 (Community Edition)	Sustainable Use License (fair-code)
Integrations	~40+	400+
Complexity	Minimal, trigger-action only	Full visual workflow canvas, code nodes
Best for	Simple automations, fast setup	Complex multi-step workflows, AI agents

Choose Automatisch if you want the simplest possible self-hosted Zapier-style tool and don't need n8n's broader integration library or visual canvas.

Choose n8n if you need more integrations, branching logic, or native AI agent support.

At a glance

Attribute	Details
License	AGPL-3.0 (Community Edition), separate license for enterprise-only files
Category	Automation
Stack	JavaScript
Self-hosted	Yes — Docker
Alternatives	n8n, Zapier, Make

FAQ

Is Automatisch fully open source?

The Community Edition is AGPL-3.0 licensed. A small subset of enterprise-only files (marked with ".ee." in the filename) fall under a separate license — the rest of the codebase is fully open source.

What's the difference between Automatisch and n8n?

Automatisch is intentionally simpler — around 40 integrations and trigger-action workflows only, versus n8n's 400+ integrations and full visual canvas with branching logic and code nodes. Automatisch trades breadth for a much faster setup.

Is Automatisch a good fit for complex, multi-step workflows?

Not really — it's built for straightforward trigger-action automations. For multi-step branching workflows or AI agent orchestration, n8n or ActivePieces are a better fit.