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Automation Integration · head to head

Activiti vs Paragon

Activiti logo

Activiti

Automation Integration

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paragon logo

Paragon

Automation Integration

Embedded integration platform for SaaS

From
$299/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Activiti has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Paragon no published pricing rates or specific plan costs
  • They diverge on capability: Activiti covers BPMN 2.0 engine, Paragon covers Embedded workflows.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Activiti and Paragon actually diverge.

Attributes where Activiti and Paragon differ
AttributeActivitiParagon
Starting priceFree$299/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Docker, KubernetesWeb, Embedded
FoundedUnknown2021

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Automation Integration).

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 Paragon

  • Embedded workflows
  • Native integrations
  • Workflow builder
  • Error handling
  • Monitoring
  • Analytics
  • Webhooks
  • 500+ apps

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 Paragon
  • A Java application that needs to embed a BPMN engine as a library under a permissive licencenot Paragon
  • An organisation that has ruled out Camunda 8 on licence grounds and needs an Apache 2.0 alternativenot Paragon
  • Document-centric approval workflows where the process engine sits inside the content management stack rather than beside itnot Paragon

Paragon

  • Embedding third party integrations into a SaaS productnot Activiti
  • Managing customer facing connectors without building each onenot 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.

Paragon

  • No published pricing rates or specific plan costs
  • Pricing is entirely custom based on Connected Users
  • Both Pro and Enterprise plans require direct contact for pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Activiti

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

Paragon

$299/month
  • Starter$299/month
    • 50 integrations
    • Basic support
  • Growth$999/month
    • 200 integrations
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise$5000/month
    • Unlimited integrations
    • Dedicated support

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 Paragon if

  • You need embedded workflows.
  • You work on Web, Embedded.
  • You also want native integrations.
Paragon review

Questions people ask

Is Activiti or Paragon better?
Neither clearly leads. Activiti starts at Free and Paragon at $299/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Activiti or Paragon?
Activiti has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Activiti and $299/month for Paragon.
Does Activiti or Paragon run on more platforms?
Activiti runs on Linux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes. Paragon runs on Web, Embedded.
Can I use Activiti for free?
Yes. Activiti has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paragon starts at $299/month.
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 Paragon is typically brought in for.
What can Activiti do that Paragon cannot?
Activiti covers BPMN 2.0 engine, Activiti Cloud, Modeler, Java and REST APIs. Paragon covers Embedded workflows, Native integrations, Workflow builder, Error handling.

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.

Paragon: How much does Paragon cost?

Paragon does not publish pricing rates. The company uses a custom pricing model based on Connected Users (the number of tenant organizations using integrations), requiring customers to request custom quotes.

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.

Paragon: What are Paragon's pricing plans?

Paragon offers Pro and Enterprise plans. The Pro plan includes unlimited integrations, access to all three products, and custom integrations. The Enterprise plan adds self-hosted options, priority support with SLAs, and SAML SSO.

Source
Activiti: What licence is it?

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

Paragon: Does Paragon offer a free trial?

Yes, a free trial is available via signup, though specific trial duration and limitations are not detailed on the pricing page.

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.

Paragon: How does Paragon determine the cost of my plan?

Pricing is customized based on business model and the number of Connected Users, meaning organizations must contact Paragon's sales team for a custom quote.

Source
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