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Automation Integration · head to head

Activiti vs OpenHAB

Activiti logo

Activiti

Automation Integration

Apache 2.0 BPMN engine under Hyland, from which Flowable and Camunda were forked

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenHAB logo

OpenHAB

Smart Home

Open source automation software for your home

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Activiti the last stable release was 8.2.0 in January 2024, and while release candidate builds continue, a two-year gap between stable versions is a real risk signal for a production dependency.; OpenHAB requires a 64-bit Java 21 JVM to be installed and maintained separately
  • They diverge on capability: Activiti covers BPMN 2.0 engine, OpenHAB covers Vendor Agnostic.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Activiti and OpenHAB actually diverge.

Attributes where Activiti and OpenHAB differ
AttributeActivitiOpenHAB
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeopen-source
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Docker, KubernetesLinux, Windows, MacOS, Docker, Raspberry Pi
CategoryAutomation IntegrationSmart Home
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Activiti

  • BPMN 2.0 engine
  • Activiti Cloud
  • Modeler
  • Java and REST APIs
  • Pluggable persistence
  • Identity integration

Only in OpenHAB

  • Vendor Agnostic
  • Rule Engine
  • 200+ Bindings
  • Local Processing
  • Z-Wave
  • Zigbee
  • MQTT
  • REST API

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Activiti

  • An Alfresco or Hyland content services deployment where Activiti is already the embedded workflow enginenot OpenHAB
  • A Java application that needs to embed a BPMN engine as a library under a permissive licencenot OpenHAB
  • An organisation that has ruled out Camunda 8 on licence grounds and needs an Apache 2.0 alternativenot OpenHAB
  • Document-centric approval workflows where the process engine sits inside the content management stack rather than beside itnot OpenHAB

OpenHAB

  • Self-hosted vendor neutral home automation hubnot Activiti
  • Bridging smart home devices from different manufacturers under one set of rulesnot Activiti

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Activiti

  • The last stable release was 8.2.0 in January 2024, and while release candidate builds continue, a two-year gap between stable versions is a real risk signal for a production dependency.
  • Both Camunda and Flowable forked away and took large parts of the contributor base with them, so the community, tutorials and third-party tooling around Activiti are much thinner than around either fork.
  • Commercial support is only realistically available by buying Hyland Alfresco subscriptions, so there is no way to pay for Activiti support on its own.
  • Activiti Cloud imposes a distributed architecture of several Spring Boot services plus Keycloak, which is heavy for teams who simply wanted an embeddable engine.
  • Documentation is dated and partly split between old Alfresco sites and Hyland Connect, and the transition between Activiti 6, 7 and 8 architectures makes much of the older material actively misleading.

OpenHAB

  • Requires a 64-bit Java 21 JVM to be installed and maintained separately
  • Oracle Java is explicitly not recommended by the project because of potential licensing restrictions
  • The recommended hardware is a dedicated Raspberry Pi 4 or newer rather than shared hardware
  • Some version upgrades require additional manual steps run through a separate upgrade tool

Pricing, plan by plan

Activiti

Free
  • ActivitiFree
    • Apache 2.0 licence
    • Embeddable Java library or Activiti Cloud services
    • No usage limits

OpenHAB

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Unlimited devices
    • 200+ bindings
    • Local control

Which should you pick?

Choose Activiti if

  • You need bpmn 2.0 engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want activiti cloud.
Activiti review

Choose OpenHAB if

  • You need vendor agnostic.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, MacOS, Docker, Raspberry Pi.
  • You also want rule engine.
OpenHAB review

Questions people ask

Is Activiti or OpenHAB better?
Neither clearly leads. Activiti starts at Free and OpenHAB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Activiti or OpenHAB?
Activiti starts at Free and OpenHAB at Free.
Does Activiti or OpenHAB run on more platforms?
Activiti runs on Linux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes. OpenHAB runs on Linux, Windows, MacOS, Docker, Raspberry Pi.
Can I use Activiti for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Activiti best used for?
Activiti is most often used for an alfresco or hyland content services deployment where activiti is already the embedded workflow engine, a java application that needs to embed a bpmn engine as a library under a permissive licence, an organisation that has ruled out camunda 8 on licence grounds and needs an apache 2.0 alternative, document-centric approval workflows where the process engine sits inside the content management stack rather than beside it. Of those, an alfresco or hyland content services deployment where activiti is already the embedded workflow engine and a java application that needs to embed a bpmn engine as a library under a permissive licence are not what OpenHAB is typically brought in for.
What can Activiti do that OpenHAB cannot?
Activiti covers BPMN 2.0 engine, Activiti Cloud, Modeler, Java and REST APIs. OpenHAB covers Vendor Agnostic, Rule Engine, 200+ Bindings, Local Processing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Activiti: Is Activiti still maintained?

Yes, Hyland continues to publish builds, but the last stable release was 8.2.0 in January 2024.

OpenHAB: How much does openHAB cost?

openHAB is 100% open source and completely free to download, install, and use across all supported platforms.

Source
Activiti: What is its relationship to Camunda and Flowable?

Both are forks of Activiti: Camunda in 2013 and Flowable in 2016, when core developers left Alfresco.

OpenHAB: Are there any subscription fees for openHAB?

No, openHAB has no subscription fees. The software is free and released under an open source license for unlimited use.

Source
Activiti: What licence is it?

Apache 2.0, which distinguishes it from Camunda 8’s source-available licence.

OpenHAB: How can I support openHAB?

While openHAB is free to use, the project accepts voluntary donations through the openHAB Foundation to support development and maintenance.

Source
Activiti: Should I choose Activiti for a new project?

Only if the Apache licence or an existing Alfresco deployment is decisive. Flowable and Camunda have far larger ecosystems.

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