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Automation Integration · head to head

Activiti vs Redash

Activiti logo

Activiti

Automation Integration

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Redash logo

Redash

Spreadsheets

Connect and visualize your data

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.; Redash pricing model not disclosed on dedicated pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: Activiti covers BPMN 2.0 engine, Redash covers SQL Query Editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Activiti and Redash actually diverge.

Attributes where Activiti and Redash differ
AttributeActivitiRedash
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Docker, KubernetesWeb, Self-hosted, Cloud
CategoryAutomation IntegrationSpreadsheets
FoundedUnknown2013

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 Redash

  • SQL Query Editor
  • Multiple Data Sources
  • Visualizations
  • Dashboards
  • Alerts
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • BigQuery

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

Redash

  • Data visualization and business intelligence for analyticsnot Activiti
  • Query result sharing and collaborative dashboard creationnot 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.

Redash

  • Pricing model not disclosed on dedicated pricing page
  • Open-source offering may require self-hosting technical expertise
  • Managed hosting or commercial support pricing not published

Pricing, plan by plan

Activiti

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

Redash

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full Features
    • Self-hosted
    • Community Support
  • Cloud$49/month
    • Managed Hosting
    • Automatic Updates
    • 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 Redash if

  • You need sql query editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud.
  • You also want multiple data sources.
Redash review

Questions people ask

Is Activiti or Redash better?
Neither clearly leads. Activiti starts at Free and Redash at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Activiti or Redash?
Activiti starts at Free and Redash at Free.
Does Activiti or Redash run on more platforms?
Activiti runs on Linux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes. Redash runs on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud.
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 Redash is typically brought in for.
What can Activiti do that Redash cannot?
Activiti covers BPMN 2.0 engine, Activiti Cloud, Modeler, Java and REST APIs. Redash covers SQL Query Editor, Multiple Data Sources, Visualizations, Dashboards.

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.

Redash: What is Redash's pricing?

Redash is a popular open-source project with no pricing tiers listed on the pricing page. The project emphasizes no vendor lock-in and community contribution. Paid managed hosting or commercial support options may be available but are not published on this page.

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.

Activiti: What licence is it?

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

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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