AWFEX is an open‑source, lightweight automation workflow engine designed as an alternative to tools like n8n. It focuses on simplicity, flexibility, and complete extensibility, allowing developers to create automation pipelines using custom functions and an intuitive UI.
Modern automation tools are powerful but often heavy, complex, or locked behind proprietary ecosystems. AWFEX takes a different approach:
- Fully open-source – Anyone can contribute, extend, or modify the system.
- Function‑first design – You can add any new function to the project, and AWFEX can orchestrate it inside a workflow.
- No vendor lock‑in – Built using Express.js and HTTP-based triggers, AWFEX is easy to deploy anywhere.
- Serverless‑friendly – Because triggers are HTTP-only, the entire automation engine can run on serverless platforms.
- UI driven – Build workflows visually using a drag‑and‑drop interface powered by React Flow.
- Backend without coding – AWFEX can serve as a simple UI-based backend where you define logic through blocks instead of writing API routes.
AWFEX orchestrates a sequence of functions—called nodes—and executes them based on the connections defined in a workflow.
You can:
- Create pipelines that automate data flow between functions.
- Trigger automations via simple HTTP requests.
- Build workflows visually in the frontend.
- Extend the engine with your own custom logic.
- Deploy the entire system as a lightweight backend.
Because AWFEX merely orchestrates and connects functions, anything is possible as long as the needed logic exists in the function library.
The project consists of two main parts:
- Handles workflow execution.
- Exposes endpoints to run workflows.
- Manages custom functions and node logic.
- Enables HTTP-triggered automations.
- Drag‑and‑drop UI to visually create automation workflows.
- Nodes, edges, and parameters can be edited transparently.
- Generates workflow JSON that can be sent to the backend.
- 🔌 Add unlimited custom functions
- 📡 HTTP-based triggers
- 🎛️ Visual workflow builder
- ⚡ Serverless-ready architecture
- 🌐 Works as a backend automation engine
- 🧱 Easy to extend and debug
- 🗂️ Clean JSON-based workflow format
- Currently supports only HTTP triggers (no cron, webhooks, queues, or event-based triggers yet).
- No built-in authentication layer (intended for controlled/internal environments).
npm install
npm run dev
cd frontend
npm install
npm run dev- Backend runs at: http://localhost:5000
- Frontend runs at: http://localhost:5173
- Start the backend.
- Open the frontend to design a workflow.
- Save the workflow JSON.
- Trigger the workflow via HTTP.
You can contribute by:
- Adding new function modules
- Improving the UI
- Extending triggers
- Enhancing workflow validation/execution
All contributions are welcome.
This project is open-source and available under the MIT License.
AWFEX is built with the idea that automation should be simple, hackable, and limitless. If you need a lightweight alternative to n8n—or want a backend where logic is defined visually—AWFEX gives you the freedom to build anything.