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Automation Integration · head to head

Camunda vs Flowable

Camunda logo

Camunda

Automation Integration

BPMN process orchestration engine, now source-available rather than open source

From
On request
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: Camunda camunda 7 Community Edition stopped receiving security patches after the 7.24 release in October 2025, so free production deployments are now running unpatched software.; 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: Camunda covers BPMN 2.0 execution, 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 Camunda and Flowable actually diverge.

Attributes where Camunda and Flowable differ
AttributeCamundaFlowable
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Docker, KubernetesLinux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud

Identical on both: pricing model (quote), 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 Camunda

  • BPMN 2.0 execution
  • Zeebe engine
  • Operate console
  • Job workers
  • Optimize

Only in Flowable

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

Both cover

  • DMN decision tables

What people use each for

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

Camunda

  • Long-running business processes crossing several services where the state must be visible to non-developersnot Flowable
  • Insurance claims or loan origination where the process model is itself a compliance artefactnot Flowable
  • Replacing orchestration logic scattered across microservices with one engine that owns the state machinenot Flowable
  • A regulated organisation that needs an auditable record of how each process instance actually executednot Flowable

Flowable

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

Where each one falls short

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

Camunda

  • Camunda 7 Community Edition stopped receiving security patches after the 7.24 release in October 2025, so free production deployments are now running unpatched software.
  • Camunda 8 Self-Managed is source-available under the Camunda License 1.0, not open source: production use requires a paid licence, and organisations that adopted Camunda for its Apache licence have to renegotiate that decision.
  • Migrating from Camunda 7 to 8 is a rewrite rather than an upgrade because the engine, the API and the persistence model all changed, and there is no in-place migration for running instances.
  • Camunda 8 Self-Managed has substantial infrastructure requirements including Zeebe brokers, Elasticsearch and Identity, which is a considerable operations burden compared with the single database that Camunda 7 needed.
  • Pricing is not published at all, so evaluating total cost requires a sales process, and there is no way to size a budget before committing engineering time to a proof of concept.

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

Camunda

On request
  • Camunda 8$undefined/year
    • Self-Managed under Camunda License 1.0, production licence required
    • SaaS with a thirty day full trial
    • Free unlimited BPMN and DMN modelling after the trial

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 Camunda if

  • You need bpmn 2.0 execution.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want zeebe engine.
Camunda 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 Camunda or Flowable better?
Neither clearly leads. Camunda starts at On request and Flowable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Camunda or Flowable?
Flowable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Camunda and Free for Flowable.
Does Camunda or Flowable run on more platforms?
Camunda runs on Web, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. 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. Camunda starts at On request.
What is Camunda best used for?
Camunda is most often used for long-running business processes crossing several services where the state must be visible to non-developers, insurance claims or loan origination where the process model is itself a compliance artefact, replacing orchestration logic scattered across microservices with one engine that owns the state machine, a regulated organisation that needs an auditable record of how each process instance actually executed. Of those, long-running business processes crossing several services where the state must be visible to non-developers and insurance claims or loan origination where the process model is itself a compliance artefact are not what Flowable is typically brought in for.
What can Camunda do that Flowable cannot?
Camunda covers BPMN 2.0 execution, Zeebe engine, Operate console, Job workers. Flowable covers BPMN 2.0 engine, CMMN case management, Spring Boot integration, Modelling studio. Both handle DMN decision tables.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Camunda: Is Camunda still open source?

No. Camunda 8 Self-Managed ships under the Camunda License 1.0, which is source-available and requires a paid production licence.

Flowable: Is Flowable open source?

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

Camunda: What happened to Camunda 7?

Its final feature release, 7.24, was in October 2025 and the Community Edition receives no further patches. Enterprise support runs to April 2030.

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.

Camunda: Can I upgrade from 7 to 8?

Not in place. The engine, API and persistence changed, so it is a rewrite of the integration layer.

Flowable: What does Flowable Enterprise cost?

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

Camunda: What does it cost?

Camunda does not publish prices. Both self-managed production and SaaS require a quote.

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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