Self-hosting Activepieces the easy way
Yulei ChenActivepieces is an all-in-one AI automation platform designed to be extensible through a type-safe pieces framework written in TypeScript. When you contribute pieces to Activepieces they become automatically available as MCP servers that you can use with LLMs through Claude Desktop, Cursor or Windsurf.
Sliplane is a managed container platform that's affordable and straightforward. With one-click deployment, you can get Activepieces up and running in minutes — no server setup, no database management, no infrastructure to maintain.
If you're also considering n8n, check out self-hosting n8n the easy way — both are great automation tools. Activepieces stands out with its modern UI, AI agents, and the ability to run entirely on embedded PGLite and in-memory Redis, so no separate database setup is needed.
Prerequisites
Before deploying, ensure you have a Sliplane account (free tier available).
Quick start
Sliplane provides one-click deployment with presets.
Deploy Activepieces >- Click the deploy button above
- Select a project
- Select a server. If you just signed up you get a 48-hour free trial server
- Click Deploy!
About the preset: It uses PGLite (embedded database) and in-memory Redis — perfect for personal use or small teams. For production with multiple instances, you'll need PostgreSQL and Redis. Good news: Sliplane has presets for both! Deploy PostgreSQL and Redis, then update environment variables of Activepieces to wire them up.
Next steps
Once Activepieces is running on Sliplane:
- Access Activepieces using the domain Sliplane provided (e.g.
activepieces-xxxx.sliplane.app) - Create your first flow. Flow consists of two parts, trigger and actions. See Building Flows for details
- Configure webhooks. Certain apps like Slack and Square only support one webhook per OAuth2 app. This means that manual configuration is required in their developer portal. See How to Setup App Webhooks
- Explore pieces — browse 400+ integrations in the piece library and connect your favorite tools
Comparison to other hosting platforms
Of course you can also self-host Activepieces with other cloud providers. Here is a pricing comparison for the most common ones:
| Provider | vCPU Cores | RAM | Disk | Estimated Monthly Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sliplane | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~€9.5 Flat | charge per server |
| Render | 1 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$25–$40 | VM Small $25/mo; disk extra |
| Fly.io | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$17–$25 | shared-cpu-2x 2GB ~$11/mo + volume ~$6/mo |
| Railway | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$15–$66 | Usage-based; Hobby $5/mo + $20 credits, $66 max* |
* Railway charges for CPU and memory usage by the second. $66 is the Hobby plan maximum; actual cost varies with usage.
FAQ
You got questions? We got answers!
I'm getting a blank page when I first visit the Sliplane-provided domain. What should I do?
With PGLite and in-memory Redis, the first startup can take around 5 minutes. Wait a moment, then refresh the page. If it's still blank, check the service logs in Sliplane for errors or contact our support team.
What can I do with self-hosted Activepieces?
Self-hosted Activepieces gives you access to the full community edition:
- Connect 400+ apps and services (Google, Slack, Notion, etc.)
- Build automation workflows with a visual, drag-and-drop editor
- Use AI agents to automate complex tasks
- Webhooks for triggers from external services
- Full control over your data — nothing leaves your server
Is self-hosted Activepieces different from the cloud version?
The self-hosted community edition has all core features. Activepieces Cloud adds managed hosting, team collaboration features, and priority support. For most personal and small team use cases, self-hosting gives you everything you need.
How do I update the Activepieces version?
If you used a specific version tag (recommended), update by changing the image tag in the Sliplane settings (e.g., from activepieces/activepieces:0.77.8 to a newer version) and redeploying the service. Check Docker Hub for the latest stable version.
Activepieces 0.78.1 warning: As of February 2026, the latest release is 0.78.1. However, the Activepieces team has advised not to upgrade to this version — they've noticed CPU usage spikes every 15 minutes and are working on a fix. The Sliplane preset uses 0.77.8 for stability.
What's the difference between n8n and Activepieces?
Both are open-source automation platforms (Zapier alternatives) with various integrations and visual workflow editors. Activepieces is built on a type-safe pieces framework in TypeScript — when you contribute or use pieces, they automatically become MCP servers you can use with LLMs (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf). It also runs on embedded PGLite and in-memory Redis, so you can get started without setting up a separate database. n8n has a larger community and a slightly different architecture. Both are solid choices; if you want strong AI/LLM integration or prefer a simpler single-container setup, Activepieces is a great fit. See self-hosting n8n the easy way if you want to compare.
