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Automation Integration · head to head

Camunda vs Formstack

Camunda logo

Camunda

Automation Integration

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Formstack logo

Formstack

Surveys

Form builder with document generation and e-signature

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Formstack more expensive than form builders that only collect, which is the fair comparison for simple use
  • They diverge on capability: Camunda covers BPMN 2.0 execution, Formstack covers Form builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Camunda and Formstack actually diverge.

Attributes where Camunda and Formstack differ
AttributeCamundaFormstack
Pricing modelquoteTiered monthly subscription published on the vendor site; HIPAA-capable plans priced separately
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Docker, KubernetesWeb, Cloud
CategoryAutomation IntegrationSurveys

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 Camunda

  • BPMN 2.0 execution
  • DMN decision tables
  • Zeebe engine
  • Operate console
  • Job workers
  • Optimize

Only in Formstack

  • Form builder
  • Document generation
  • E-signature
  • Workflow routing
  • Salesforce integration
  • Compliance features

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 Formstack
  • Insurance claims or loan origination where the process model is itself a compliance artefactnot Formstack
  • Replacing orchestration logic scattered across microservices with one engine that owns the state machinenot Formstack
  • A regulated organisation that needs an auditable record of how each process instance actually executednot Formstack

Formstack

  • Processes where a submitted form must become a signed documentnot Camunda
  • Regulated intake needing HIPAA-capable handlingnot Camunda
  • Salesforce shops wanting forms and documents inside the CRMnot 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.

Formstack

  • More expensive than form builders that only collect, which is the fair comparison for simple use
  • Document generation and signature sit in higher tiers, so the headline price is not the working price
  • The interface has accumulated features over a long life and shows it
  • Overkill where a form only needs to collect an answer

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

Formstack

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Formstack review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Camunda if

  • You need bpmn 2.0 execution.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want dmn decision tables.
Camunda review

Choose Formstack if

  • You need form builder.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want document generation.
Formstack review

Questions people ask

Is Camunda or Formstack better?
Neither clearly leads. Camunda starts at On request and Formstack at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Camunda or Formstack?
Camunda starts at On request and Formstack at On request.
Does Camunda or Formstack run on more platforms?
Camunda runs on Web, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Formstack runs on Web, Cloud.
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 Formstack is typically brought in for.
What can Camunda do that Formstack cannot?
Camunda covers BPMN 2.0 execution, DMN decision tables, Zeebe engine, Operate console. Formstack covers Form builder, Document generation, E-signature, Workflow routing.

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.

Formstack: What does Formstack cost?

It publishes tiered monthly pricing; document generation and e-signature sit in higher tiers, and HIPAA-capable plans are priced separately.

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.

Formstack: What makes it different from a plain form builder?

It generates documents from submissions and collects signatures on them, which is the step that otherwise involves retyping form data into a template.

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.

Formstack: Is it HIPAA compliant?

It offers HIPAA-capable plans for regulated data. That is a plan-level feature, not the default.

Camunda: What does it cost?

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

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