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Automation Integration · head to head

Automate.io vs Flowable

Automate.io logo

Automate.io

Automation Integration

Connect and automate your cloud applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Flowable logo

Flowable

Automation Integration

Apache 2.0 BPMN, CMMN and DMN engine from the team that originally built Activiti

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Automate.io no longer exists as a product. automate.io redirects to notion.com, which acquired the company and wound the integration service down; Flowable the open source engine is genuinely usable but ships without the modelling studio, work application and admin console, so an open source deployment means building your own user interfaces before anyone can use it.
  • They diverge on capability: Automate.io covers Multi-step automations, Flowable covers BPMN 2.0 engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Automate.io and Flowable actually diverge.

Attributes where Automate.io and Flowable differ
AttributeAutomate.ioFlowable
Pricing modelusage-basedquote
PlatformsWeb, MobileLinux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud
Founded2014Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Automate.io

  • Multi-step automations
  • Conditional logic
  • Data mapping
  • Error handling
  • Scheduling
  • Webhooks
  • API integrations
  • 500+ apps

Only in Flowable

  • BPMN 2.0 engine
  • CMMN case management
  • DMN decision tables
  • Spring Boot integration
  • Modelling studio
  • Task and case application
  • REST APIs
  • History and audit

What people use each for

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

Automate.io

  • Workflow Automationnot Flowable
  • Data Integrationnot Flowable
  • Process Automationnot Flowable
  • App Integrationnot Flowable
  • API Connectivitynot Flowable

Flowable

  • An insurer automating claims handling where each case follows a different path and BPMN alone cannot express itnot Automate.io
  • A bank embedding process orchestration inside an existing Spring Boot estate rather than buying a separate platformnot Automate.io
  • A team leaving Activiti or jBPM that wants the same API family with active commercial maintenancenot Automate.io
  • A regulated organisation needing complete process history and decision table audit trails for supervisorsnot Automate.io

Where each one falls short

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

Automate.io

  • No longer exists as a product. automate.io redirects to notion.com, which acquired the company and wound the integration service down
  • Existing automations were not portable to Notion, so users had to rebuild elsewhere

Flowable

  • The open source engine is genuinely usable but ships without the modelling studio, work application and admin console, so an open source deployment means building your own user interfaces before anyone can use it.
  • It expects Java engineering capacity; teams looking for a business-user low-code automation tool will find the modelling and deployment cycle far too technical.
  • Enterprise pricing is not published and is quoted per deployment, leaving buyers without a benchmark against Camunda or IBM alternatives.
  • The Activiti fork left three engines with related APIs and overlapping documentation in circulation, and search results routinely return advice for the wrong one.
  • Flowable AG is a small Swiss company relative to its competitors, so the partner network, training market and pool of engineers with production experience are all limited outside Europe.

Pricing, plan by plan

Automate.io

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 250 tasks/month
    • 2 automations
  • Starter$15/month
    • 5000 tasks/month
    • Unlimited automations
    • Email support
  • Professional$50/month
    • Unlimited tasks
    • Priority support
    • Advanced features

Flowable

Free
  • Flowable Open SourceFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed BPMN, CMMN and DMN engines
    • Embeddable Java library or standalone apps
    • No modelling studio or enterprise applications
  • Flowable Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Modelling studio, work application and admin console
    • Connectors, forms and advanced identity management
    • Support with SLA and version maintenance

Which should you pick?

Choose Automate.io if

  • You need multi-step automations.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want conditional logic.
Automate.io review

Choose Flowable if

  • You need bpmn 2.0 engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
  • You also want cmmn case management.
Flowable review

Questions people ask

Is Automate.io or Flowable better?
Neither clearly leads. Automate.io starts at Free and Flowable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Automate.io or Flowable?
Automate.io starts at Free and Flowable at Free.
Does Automate.io or Flowable run on more platforms?
Automate.io runs on Web, Mobile. Flowable runs on Linux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
Can I use Automate.io for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Automate.io best used for?
Automate.io is most often used for workflow automation, data integration, process automation, app integration. Of those, workflow automation and data integration are not what Flowable is typically brought in for.
What can Automate.io do that Flowable cannot?
Automate.io covers Multi-step automations, Conditional logic, Data mapping, Error handling. Flowable covers BPMN 2.0 engine, CMMN case management, DMN decision tables, Spring Boot integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Flowable: Is Flowable open source?

Yes, the BPMN, CMMN and DMN engines are Apache 2.0. The modelling studio and enterprise applications are commercial.

Flowable: How does it relate to Activiti and jBPM?

The same core developers built jBPM, then Activiti, then forked Activiti in 2016 to create Flowable.

Flowable: What does Flowable Enterprise cost?

Nothing is published. It is quoted per deployment by the vendor.

Flowable: Why choose it over Camunda?

CMMN case management is a first-class engine, which matters when work is exception-driven rather than a fixed sequence.

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