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Automation Integration · head to head

Blue Prism vs Flowable

Blue Prism logo

Blue Prism

Automation Integration

The digital exchange for intelligent automation

From
$1000/month
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

  • Only Flowable has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Blue Prism no pricing displayed on the vendor homepage; 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: Blue Prism covers RPA platform, 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 Blue Prism and Flowable actually diverge.

Attributes where Blue Prism and Flowable differ
AttributeBlue PrismFlowable
Starting price$1000/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, DesktopLinux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud
Founded2001Unknown

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 Blue Prism

  • RPA platform
  • Intelligent automation
  • Robotic workers
  • Process intelligence
  • Monitoring
  • Analytics
  • Scalability
  • 100+ connectors

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.

Blue Prism

  • 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 Blue Prism
  • A bank embedding process orchestration inside an existing Spring Boot estate rather than buying a separate platformnot Blue Prism
  • A team leaving Activiti or jBPM that wants the same API family with active commercial maintenancenot Blue Prism
  • A regulated organisation needing complete process history and decision table audit trails for supervisorsnot Blue Prism

Where each one falls short

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

Blue Prism

  • No pricing displayed on the vendor homepage
  • Enterprise automation platform typically requires custom pricing and implementation agreements

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

Blue Prism

$1000/month
  • Starter$1000/month
    • 1 bot
    • Basic features
  • Professional$3000/month
    • 5 bots
    • Advanced features
  • Enterprise$10000/month
    • Unlimited bots
    • Dedicated support

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 Blue Prism if

  • You need rpa platform.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want intelligent automation.
Blue Prism 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 Blue Prism or Flowable better?
Neither clearly leads. Blue Prism starts at $1000/month and Flowable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blue Prism or Flowable?
Flowable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1000/month for Blue Prism and Free for Flowable.
Does Blue Prism or Flowable run on more platforms?
Blue Prism runs on Web, Desktop. Flowable runs on Linux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
Can I use Flowable for free?
Yes. Flowable has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Blue Prism starts at $1000/month.
What is Blue Prism best used for?
Blue Prism 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 Blue Prism do that Flowable cannot?
Blue Prism covers RPA platform, Intelligent automation, Robotic workers, Process intelligence. Flowable covers BPMN 2.0 engine, CMMN case management, DMN decision tables, Spring Boot integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Blue Prism: How much does SS&C Blue Prism cost?

SS&C Blue Prism does not publish pricing on their website. Platform pricing is customized based on deployment requirements, number of users, and selected modules. Organizations should contact their sales team or schedule a free trial to discuss pricing.

Source
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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