Activepieces already let you automate workflows for free, without the per-task fees that make Zapier expensive at scale. The latest update adds something bigger: you can now build, publish, and run AI agents right inside the same tool, pointed at your own documents.
What's happening
Activepieces is a free, open-source automation platform you can self-host or run on a cloud tier. Think Zapier minus the usage fees, with 400-plus integrations and MCP support. Version 0.88, which shipped this week, added two things that change what the platform can do for a small team.
Version 0.88.0 added AI agent steps that can search a knowledge base and call external tools via MCP. In practice, a workflow can now ask a question against your uploaded documents (your FAQ, service catalog, or return policy) and get a grounded answer before taking the next automated step. No hallucinations about prices you never quoted, because the agent only draws from what you gave it.
Version 0.88.3, released August 19, added full agent creation and publishing from inside the builder. You create a named agent, give it a knowledge base and a set of tools, and publish it. Other workflow steps can then call it by name. That closes the loop: something triggers (a form submission, a new email, a booking inquiry), an agent reasons over your data, and the automation handles what comes next.
Try this this week
- Start with the free cloud tier at activepieces.com, or self-host with Docker on a $5/month VPS. Both paths give you access to the new agent features.
- Create a knowledge base by uploading a plain text file or PDF: your FAQ, a product spec sheet, or your current service pricing are all good starting points.
- Build an agent that searches that document. System prompt: "You are a support assistant for [business name]. Answer using the provided documents only. If the answer is not in the documents, say so."
- Wire it to a trigger. A new contact form submission, a support email, or a booking inquiry can all kick it off. The agent replies; the workflow sends the email or logs the response wherever you need it.
- Test with five or six real sample questions before turning it on. Adjust the system prompt until the answers are accurate and match your tone.
The bigger picture
Six months ago, getting an AI that could look up your own documents and handle a first-pass customer question meant paying for a SaaS platform or hiring someone to build it. Activepieces 0.88 makes that a free afternoon project for a small team. The smallest working thing is often already in your hands. Sometimes it just gets a significant upgrade.