Skip to content
Prices checked Nov 15, 2026

AI agent builders, ranked

n8n leads 13 builders at 9.5/10; the cheapest paid start is Make at $16 a month.

n8n logon8nNo. 1 overall
9.5/10Excellent · our score out of 10

From $24/moWorkflow executions · checked Nov 15, 2026

  • Billed per workflow run, not per step: 2,500 runs for $24 a month
  • AI Agent node, MCP and human approval on every Cloud plan
  • Self-hosted Community Edition if you want your data on your own server
  • The catch: It is low-code, not no-code: expect to read JSON and debug expressions. And the license is fair-code, not open source.
Prices checked Nov 15, 2026Read on official pricing pagesPublic scoring formulaAffiliate links disclosed

Top picks, by what you need

Four ways to read the same formula. Each card shows the price we read on the vendor's page and the thing we would want to know before paying.

n8n logon8nBest overall
9.5/10Excellent · our score out of 10

From $24/moWorkflow executions · checked Nov 15, 2026

  • Billed per workflow run, not per step: 2,500 runs for $24 a month
  • AI Agent node, MCP and human approval on every Cloud plan
  • Self-hosted Community Edition if you want your data on your own server
  • The catch: It is low-code, not no-code: expect to read JSON and debug expressions. And the license is fair-code, not open source.
Make logoMakeLowest paid entry
9.1/10Excellent · our score out of 10

From $16/moCredits · checked Nov 15, 2026

  • Free plan with 1,000 credits a month; Core is $16 a month in the US
  • 3,500+ apps and a canvas that shows the whole scenario
  • Make AI Agents on every plan, with your own LLM key if you prefer
  • The catch: Every module action burns a credit, so a chatty 10-step scenario costs 10 times what it does on a per-run tool. Agents are still labeled beta.
Activepieces logoActivepiecesBest no-code
9.4/10Excellent · our score out of 10

From $20/moCredits (one per run) · checked Nov 15, 2026

  • Free forever plan: 1,000 credits a month, 5 users, no card
  • One credit per run however many steps; $20 buys 10,000
  • Open-source edition you can run on your own servers
  • The catch: The catalog is smaller (770+ apps) and the self-hosted Community Edition leaves out Agents and Chat.
Zapier logoZapierMost integrations
8.9/10Very good · our score out of 10

From $29.99/moTasks (and agent activities) · checked Nov 15, 2026

  • 9,000+ apps, the largest catalog in this comparison
  • Free plan with 100 tasks a month, and a 14-day Professional trial
  • Zapier Agents with a free tier of 400 activities a month
  • The catch: You pay per action, AI steps can use more tasks, and Agents are a separate add-on with their own meter.

The ranking: 13 AI agent builders

Ordered by score. For each tool: who it suits, three strengths, the catch, and the entry price read on November 15, 2026.

1Top pick
n8n logo

n8n

Low-code, source-available

Best for technical small teams that run a lot of automations. One run costs one execution, whether the workflow has 3 steps or 300.

  • Billed per workflow run, not per step: 2,500 runs for $24 a month
  • AI Agent node, MCP and human approval on every Cloud plan
  • Self-hosted Community Edition if you want your data on your own server
  • The catch: It is low-code, not no-code: expect to read JSON and debug expressions. And the license is fair-code, not open source.
9.5/10ExcellentCheck price at n8n

From $24/mo · checked Nov 15, 2026

Read the n8n review
2of 13
Activepieces logo

Activepieces

No-code, open source

Best for small teams that want a free start and a way out to self-hosting. A free plan with agents, a $20 plan, and one credit per run.

  • Free forever plan: 1,000 credits a month, 5 users, no card
  • One credit per run however many steps; $20 buys 10,000
  • Open-source edition you can run on your own servers
  • The catch: The catalog is smaller (770+ apps) and the self-hosted Community Edition leaves out Agents and Chat.
9.4/10ExcellentCheck price at Activepieces

From $20/mo · checked Nov 15, 2026

See Activepieces in the comparison tool
3of 13
Make logo

Make

No-code

Best for visual thinkers on a budget. The cheapest hosted way to wire 3,500 apps together, with agents on every plan.

  • Free plan with 1,000 credits a month; Core is $16 a month in the US
  • 3,500+ apps and a canvas that shows the whole scenario
  • Make AI Agents on every plan, with your own LLM key if you prefer
  • The catch: Every module action burns a credit, so a chatty 10-step scenario costs 10 times what it does on a per-run tool. Agents are still labeled beta.
9.1/10ExcellentCheck price at Make

From $16/mo · checked Nov 15, 2026

Read the Make review
4of 13
Langflow logo

Langflow

Developer tool, open source

Best for developers who want no license bill. Free, MIT-licensed, and every flow becomes an API or an MCP server.

  • Free and open source under the MIT license
  • Any major LLM or vector database, with your own keys
  • Each flow is exposed as an API and an MCP server
  • The catch: It is a Python tool for developers: no hosted paid plan, no app catalog, and you run the server yourself.
9.0/10ExcellentGet Langflow free

Free, open source · checked Nov 15, 2026

See Langflow in the comparison tool
5of 13
Zapier logo

Zapier

No-code

Best for non-technical teams that need one specific app. If an app exists, Zapier probably connects it: 9,000+ of them.

  • 9,000+ apps, the largest catalog in this comparison
  • Free plan with 100 tasks a month, and a 14-day Professional trial
  • Zapier Agents with a free tier of 400 activities a month
  • The catch: You pay per action, AI steps can use more tasks, and Agents are a separate add-on with their own meter.
8.9/10Very goodCheck price at Zapier

From $29.99/mo · checked Nov 15, 2026

Read the Zapier review
6of 13
StackAI logo

StackAI

No-code

Best for regulated companies with an IT team. A capable free tier, then nothing self-serve until an enterprise quote.

  • Free plan with 500 runs a month to try the builder
  • Human review steps and knowledge bases built in
  • On-prem and VPC deployment, SOC 2 and HIPAA on Enterprise
  • The catch: There is no paid plan between Free and Enterprise: one seat and two projects, or a sales call.
8.8/10Very goodSee plans at StackAI

Price on request · checked Nov 15, 2026

See StackAI in the comparison tool
7of 13
Dify logo

Dify

Low-code, source-available

Best for technical teams building AI apps around their documents. Workflows, agents and a knowledge base, on Dify Cloud or your own Docker host.

  • Free Sandbox plan, and a self-hosted Community Edition
  • Knowledge bases with document processing built in
  • Every app publishes as a web app or an API
  • The catch: Professional starts at $59 a month for 3 members, and the license forbids reselling it as a multi-tenant service.
8.7/10Very goodCheck price at Dify

From $59/mo · checked Nov 15, 2026

See Dify in the comparison tool
8of 13
Lindy logo

Lindy

No-code

Best for owners who want an assistant, not a canvas. Less a builder than a teammate you brief in Slack or by text.

  • Works where you already are: Slack, email, text and calendar
  • 3,000+ integrations and approvals before anything goes out
  • $50 in free credits to try real work
  • The catch: It bills every active user $29.99 a month, credits vary from 2 to 2,500 per job, and the free credits expire after 7 days.
8.6/10Very goodCheck price at Lindy

From $29.99/mo · checked Nov 15, 2026

Read the Lindy review
9of 13
Gumloop logo

Gumloop

No-code

Best for go-to-market teams that share agents across the company. One plan, unlimited seats, and a meter that follows model list prices.

  • $37 a month covers unlimited seats, agents and teams
  • 35+ models, or your own API keys
  • Company Brain and skills so agents know your business
  • The catch: Credits track token prices plus an 8% orchestration fee (16% with your own keys), so the bill moves with the model you pick. No free plan.
8.5/10Very goodCheck price at Gumloop

From $37/mo · checked Nov 15, 2026

Read the Gumloop review
10of 13
Botpress logo

Botpress

Low-code

Best for support teams with steady ticket volume. A support agent with a helpdesk attached, priced per conversation.

  • Free plan with 100 conversations and 3 seats
  • AI usage included in the plan, no per-seat fee
  • Hot handoff to a human with the full conversation history
  • The catch: The first paid plan is $189 a month for 250 conversations, and auto-recharge packs cannot be switched off.
8.1/10GoodCheck price at Botpress

From $189/mo · checked Nov 15, 2026

Read the Botpress review

Ranked 11 to 13: Microsoft Copilot Studio (7.8), Relevance AI (7.7), Voiceflow (7.6). They are in the table below with the same columns.

Not ranked: Flowise. Flowise was wound down in 2026 (end of life on August 31, 2026, per its own notice). We keep a page on what happened and what to move to: Flowise review.

Compare them at a glance

Entry price, what each tool bills, free access and self-hosting, side by side. Scroll the table sideways on a phone.

All AI agent builders compared
ToolScoreEntry priceBilled inFree plan or trialIntegrationsSelf-hostingOfficial page
n8n logo1. n8nFrom $24/mo · checked Nov 15, 20269.5/10From $24/moWorkflow executionsFree self-hosted edition500+YesCheck price at n8n
Activepieces logo2. ActivepiecesFrom $20/mo · checked Nov 15, 20269.4/10From $20/moCredits (one per run)Free plan770+Yes, limitedCheck price at Activepieces
Make logo3. MakeFrom $16/mo · checked Nov 15, 20269.1/10From $16/moCreditsFree plan3,500+NoCheck price at Make
Langflow logo4. LangflowFree, open source · checked Nov 15, 20269.0/10Free, open sourceNo platform feeFree self-hosted editionNot statedYesGet Langflow free
Zapier logo5. ZapierFrom $29.99/mo · checked Nov 15, 20268.9/10From $29.99/moTasks (and agent activities)Free plan9,000+NoCheck price at Zapier
StackAI logo6. StackAIPrice on request · checked Nov 15, 20268.8/10Price on requestRunsFree plan500+Enterprise onlySee plans at StackAI
Dify logo7. DifyFrom $59/mo · checked Nov 15, 20268.7/10From $59/moMessage creditsFree planNot statedYesCheck price at Dify
Lindy logo8. LindyFrom $29.99/mo · checked Nov 15, 20268.6/10From $29.99/moCredits, per seatFree credits3,000+NoCheck price at Lindy
Gumloop logo9. GumloopFrom $37/mo · checked Nov 15, 20268.5/10From $37/moCreditsFree trial400+NoCheck price at Gumloop
Botpress logo10. BotpressFrom $189/mo · checked Nov 15, 20268.1/10From $189/moConversationsFree planNot statedNoCheck price at Botpress
Microsoft logo11. Copilot StudioFrom $200/mo · checked Nov 15, 20267.8/10From $200/moCopilot CreditsFree trialNot statedNoCheck price at Copilot Studio
Relevance AI logo12. Relevance AIPrice on request · checked Nov 15, 20267.7/10Price on requestActions and Vendor CreditsNo2,000+NoSee plans at Relevance AI
Voiceflow logo13. VoiceflowPrice on request · checked Nov 15, 20267.6/10Price on requestUsage-based (rate not published)Free trialNot statedNoSee plans at Voiceflow

How we score

One formula, 11 criteria, the same for every tool. We read what vendors publish (pricing pages, plan limits, documentation, licenses) and score that. A feature we cannot find on an official page counts as not stated.

15% of the score
Entry price
10% of the score
Free plan or trial
10% of the score
Billing you can predict
12% of the score
Integrations announced
12% of the score
Agents and workflows
8% of the score
Choice of AI models

Read the full method and the formula

Questions people ask before picking a builder

What is the best AI agent builder for a small team?

n8n scores highest on our formula (9.5/10): it bills one execution per workflow run, starts at $24 a month on n8n Cloud and can be self-hosted. If nobody on the team is technical, look at the no-code ranking, led by Activepieces.

What is an AI agent builder?

It is a tool for assembling an AI agent without building the plumbing yourself: you pick a model, give it instructions, connect it to your apps (email, CRM, sheets) and decide what it may do alone. Some builders are canvases with steps and branches, others are chat-first assistants you brief in plain language.

How much does an AI agent builder cost?

Paid plans in this comparison start at $16 a month (Make, checked Nov 15, 2026) and several have a free plan. The plan price is only half the bill: each tool meters something different (runs, steps, credits, conversations), so two tools at $20 a month can do very different amounts of work.

Is there a free AI agent builder?

Yes. Activepieces, Make, Zapier, StackAI, Dify, Botpress have a free plan, and n8n and Langflow can be run for free on your own server. Limits differ a lot: see the free AI agent builders ranking.

How do you score the tools?

With a published formula of 11 weighted criteria fed by what each vendor publishes: entry price, free plan, billing unit, integrations, agents, model choice, knowledge base, human approval, self-hosting, ease and API. The full formula, with its scales and its limits, is on the methodology page.

Do affiliate links change the ranking?

No. The order is the output of the formula, and tools without any partner program are ranked with the others. When a link is an affiliate link it is declared on the disclosure page.