5 Awesome Flowise Alternatives

Flowise is a popular open-source platform for building AI agents visually with a drag-and-drop interface. It's great for creating LLM-based workflows, chatbots, and AI applications. However, Flowise Cloud pricing starts at $35/month for the Starter plan, which might be a bit steep for some users.

The good news? You can actually self-host Flowise for just €9 per month with Sliplane - no server management experience needed! It's literally just a few clicks to get your own Flowise instance up and running.

But if self-hosting still feels like too much of a commitment, or you want to explore what else is out there, you might be looking for an alternative to Flowise. In this blog post we're going to take a look at 5 awesome alternatives to Flowise!

1. n8n

n8n is a powerful, open-source automation platform that combines workflow automation with AI capabilities, making it a versatile alternative to Flowise for building AI-powered automations.

• Features: Visual workflow builder, AI nodes for LLM integration, extensive app integrations (400+), custom JavaScript/TypeScript code execution, webhook triggers, and self-hosting capability.
• Why You Should Use It: Perfect for teams that need both general automation and AI workflows in one platform. The extensive integration library and AI-native features make it ideal for complex, multi-step automations that combine traditional workflows with AI agents.
• Why Not: More complex than Flowise for pure AI agent building, and the interface can feel overwhelming for users who only need simple AI workflows. The learning curve is steeper if you're coming from a pure AI workflow tool.
• Pricing: n8n Cloud starts at €20/month with 2.5k workflow executions, and supports custom pricing:

I'd highly suggest self-hosting n8n, and there're 5 reasons for you. Don't miss the ultimate n8n self-hosting guide. However, if you don't want to deal with all that complex infrastructure, Sliplane which is easy and affordable is the best choice.

2. Langflow

Langflow is a powerful tool to build and deploy AI agents and MCP servers. It comes with batteries included and supports all major LLMs, vector databases and a growing library of AI tools.

• Features: Visual flow builder, Python-based customization, RAG pipeline support, extensive LLM integrations (OpenAI, Anthropic, local models), knowledge base management, and component marketplace.
• Why You Should Use It: Ideal for developers who want more control and Python flexibility compared to Flowise. The focus on RAG applications and agentic workflows makes it perfect for building sophisticated AI applications that require custom logic and data retrieval.
• Why Not: Requires Python knowledge for advanced features, and the learning curve is steeper than Flowise's no-code approach. Less suitable for non-technical users who just want to build simple chatbots.
• Pricing: Completely free and open-source (MIT license). To self-host it, checkout the tutorial to learn how to self-host Langflow on a Ubuntu server. However, if you want an easy way, you can just deploy with Sliplane in 1 click.

3. Dify

Dify is an open-source LLM application development platform that offers both no-code and low-code options for building AI workflows, chatbots, and knowledge-based applications.

• Features: Drag-and-drop workflow builder, knowledge base management, multiple trigger types (schedule, webhook, plugin), LLM node support, code execution nodes, conditional logic, and workflow-to-webapp conversion.
• Why You Should Use It: Great balance between ease of use and functionality. The knowledge base features and multi-trigger support make it excellent for building production-ready AI applications with RAG capabilities. The ability to convert workflows into web apps is a standout feature.
• Why Not: Cloud pricing can get expensive quickly ($59/month for Professional plan), and some advanced features require technical knowledge. The interface, while user-friendly, might feel less polished than Flowise for pure visual workflow building.
• Pricing: Free tier (200 message credits, 5 apps, 50 knowledge documents); Professional plan at $59/month (5,000 credits, 50 apps); Team plan at $159/month (10,000 credits, 200 apps). Dify Community Edition is free to self-host.

4. Activepieces

Activepieces is an AI-first automation platform with a visual drag-and-drop workflow builder that combines general automation with AI capabilities, similar to n8n but with a stronger focus on AI agents.

• Features: Visual workflow builder, AI agents and multi-agent orchestration, 570+ pre-built integrations, unlimited task runs in paid plans, JavaScript steps with npm support, webhook triggers, and embedding capabilities.
• Why You Should Use It: Excellent for teams that need unlimited automation runs without per-task pricing. The AI-first approach and multi-agent orchestration make it powerful for building complex AI workflows. The unlimited tasks in paid plans ($25/month) offer great value compared to competitors.
• Why Not: Smaller community and integration library compared to n8n, and the platform is newer, so some integrations might be less mature. Requires some technical knowledge for advanced AI agent features.
• Pricing: Free tier with 10 active flows, then $5 per active flow per month; Self-hosted Community Edition is free and open-source (MIT licensed).

5. Haystack

Haystack is a comprehensive Python framework for building custom agents and RAG pipelines with Large Language Models, designed for developers who need maximum flexibility and control.

• Features: Python-based framework, flexible pipeline architecture, multiple retriever types, document store integrations, custom component creation, pipeline serialization, and extensive LLM support (OpenAI, Cohere, local models).
• Why You Should Use It: Perfect for developers who want to build production-grade RAG systems and AI agents with full code control. The framework approach allows for maximum customization and integration into existing Python applications. Ideal for teams with strong Python expertise.
• Why Not: Requires significant Python programming knowledge and is not suitable for no-code users. More of a framework than a platform, so you'll need to build your own UI and deployment infrastructure. Steeper learning curve compared to visual workflow builders.
• Pricing: Completely free and open-source (Apache 2.0 license). You'll need to handle your own hosting, LLM API costs, and infrastructure, but the framework itself has no licensing costs.

Conclusion

Each tool caters to different needs: n8n for automation + AI, Langflow for RAG and Python flexibility, Dify for production-ready AI apps, Activepieces for unlimited AI automation, and Haystack for maximum developer control. Choose based on your technical skill, use case, and whether you need pure AI workflows or a combination of automation and AI!