5 Awesome Ways to Deploy Activepieces

Activepieces 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. Choosing the right deployment method depends on your needs for complexity, cost, and control. Here are five ways to deploy Activepieces, from one-click solutions to enterprise setups.

Quick Comparison

1. Sliplane: The Easy Production Way

Sliplane is a managed container platform that makes deploying Activepieces simple. One-click deployment with presets, automatic SSL, and zero server management.

Complexity: ⭐ Very Easy - Click deploy, select a project and server, and you're done. The preset uses PGLite (embedded database) and in-memory Redis—no separate database setup needed. For detailed instructions, see our guide to deploying Activepieces with Sliplane.

Base price: ~€9/month - Pay per server, deploy unlimited containers. Run Activepieces with optional PostgreSQL and Redis for production with multiple instances.

Customizability: ⭐⭐⭐ Good - Full control over environment variables, container config, resource limits, custom domains, and volume mounts.

Best for: Production-ready deployment without DevOps overhead, running multiple services cost-effectively. Ideal for personal use or small teams with the default PGLite setup, or scalable to full PostgreSQL + Redis for larger deployments.

2. Hetzner VPS: The DIY Approach

Deploying Activepieces on a Hetzner VPS gives you complete control at a low cost. You manage everything yourself, from server setup to security updates and Caddy for automatic HTTPS.

Complexity: ⭐⭐⭐ Moderate - Requires provisioning a server, installing Docker, setting up Caddy reverse proxy for SSL, and configuring the compose file. See our detailed guide for step-by-step instructions with the full compose.yml.

Base price: Hetzner offers excellent VPS prices in Europe, starting from €3.49/month for 2 vCPU. You maintain complete control and avoid usage-based charges.

Customizability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Full - Complete control over OS, software, networking, firewall, and monitoring. Run multiple services on one server.

Best for: Cost-conscious developers who want full control and enjoy managing infrastructure.

3. Local Docker: Development & Testing

Running Activepieces locally with Docker is perfect for development, testing, and learning. The official image uses PGLite and in-memory Redis—single command, no database setup.

Complexity: ⭐⭐ Easy - Install Docker, run the container. From the Activepieces Docker docs:

docker run -d -p 8080:80 -v ~/.activepieces:/root/.activepieces \
  -e AP_REDIS_TYPE=MEMORY -e AP_DB_TYPE=PGLITE \
  -e AP_FRONTEND_URL="http://localhost:8080" \
  activepieces/activepieces:latest

For webhooks accessible from the internet, use ngrok (ngrok http 8080) and set AP_FRONTEND_URL to the ngrok URL.

Base price: Free - Uses your own hardware, no hosting fees.

Customizability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High - Modify Docker run params or use Docker Compose, mount volumes, set environment variables, test different versions. Limited by local machine resources.

Best for: Development, testing, learning, and experimentation without public access. Note: PGLite + in-memory Redis supports only a single instance—for production or multi-instance, use Docker Compose with PostgreSQL and Redis.

4. AWS (Pulumi): Infrastructure-as-Code on AWS

Pulumi lets you deploy Activepieces to AWS using Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) with TypeScript. The Activepieces Pulumi template provisions everything from a single stack.

Complexity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Complex - Requires Node.js, Pulumi, AWS CLI, and S3 for state. Optionally provision PostgreSQL RDS, Redis cluster, and Route 53 with SSL. Deploy from Pulumi Cloud or locally:

mkdir deploy-activepieces && cd deploy-activepieces
pulumi new https://github.com/activepieces/activepieces/tree/main/deploy/pulumi
pulumi up

Base price: Variable - Depends on RDS, Redis, load balancer, and EC2/ECS resources. Can start with SQLite3 and in-memory cache to reduce cost.

Customizability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Full - All configuration options are in code. Add availability zones, custom security groups, different Redis versions, or deploy a locally built image.

Best for: Teams already on AWS who want IaC, GitOps-friendly deployments, or to integrate Activepieces into existing AWS infrastructure.

5. Activepieces Cloud: Zero Maintenance

Activepieces Cloud is the official managed service where everything is handled for you. It's the easiest option but comes with usage-based pricing and less customization.

Complexity: ⭐ Very Easy - Sign up and start building. No setup, configuration, or maintenance required.

Base price: Standard plan: Free for 10 active flows, then $5 per active flow per month. Ultimate (enterprise): Contact sales for team projects, SSO, RBAC, audit logs, and compliance features. See Activepieces pricing for current rates.

Customizability: ⭐⭐ Limited - Standard configurations only, no server-level access. Can't modify infrastructure or install custom pieces beyond what's available.

Best for: Zero maintenance, official support, guaranteed uptime. Great for teams who prefer SaaS over self-hosting and are okay with usage-based costs.

Detailed Comparison

Which Option Should You Choose?

Sliplane - Best balance of simplicity, cost, and production-readiness. Perfect for startups and small teams. Default PGLite + in-memory Redis for quick start; add PostgreSQL and Redis presets when you need to scale.

Hetzner VPS - Lowest cost with full control. Great for cost-conscious developers who enjoy managing infrastructure.

Local Docker - Free option for development, testing, and learning. No public access needed (or use ngrok for webhooks).

AWS (Pulumi) - Best for teams on AWS who want IaC and full control over database, Redis, and networking.

Activepieces Cloud - Zero maintenance with official support. Premium for managed service; pricing scales with active flows.

For most users, Sliplane offers the sweet spot: production-ready deployment in minutes with predictable pricing, embedded PGLite so you can skip database setup, and the option to add PostgreSQL and Redis when you outgrow the single-instance setup.

FAQ

Q: Can I migrate between deployment methods? A: Yes! Activepieces data is stored in PGLite (or PostgreSQL if configured). You can back up the data directory and restore it when moving between self-hosted setups.

Q: Which option is most cost-effective for multiple services? A: Sliplane's server-based pricing (~€9/month for unlimited containers) is usually the most cost-effective managed option. A Hetzner VPS (starting from €3.49/month) can be cheaper if you manage it yourself.

Q: Do I need PostgreSQL and Redis for production? A: For a single instance or small team, PGLite and in-memory Redis work fine. For multiple instances, high availability, or scaling workers, use PostgreSQL and Redis. Sliplane has presets for both.

Q: Can I start locally and deploy to production later? A: Absolutely! Start with local Docker for development, then deploy to Sliplane or a VPS when ready. The same Docker image and environment variables work across environments—just update AP_FRONTEND_URL to your public domain.

Q: What's the difference between Activepieces and n8n? A: Both are open-source automation platforms. Activepieces stands out with its type-safe pieces framework, AI agents, MCP server integration (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf), and the ability to run on embedded PGLite with no separate database. See self-hosting n8n the easy way for comparison.