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Automation Integration · head to head

Camunda vs Windmill

Camunda logo

Camunda

Automation Integration

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Windmill logo

Windmill

Automation Integration

Open-source developer platform for building scripts, workflows, and internal apps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Windmill 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.; Windmill free self-hosted tier caps SSO users at 10 and workspaces at 3, requiring Enterprise for larger teams.
  • They diverge on capability: Camunda covers BPMN 2.0 execution, Windmill covers Script-to-workflow engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Camunda and Windmill actually diverge.

Attributes where Camunda and Windmill differ
AttributeCamundaWindmill
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Docker, Kubernetesweb, api, linux, windows, mac

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 Camunda

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

Only in Windmill

  • Script-to-workflow engine
  • Auto-generated UIs
  • Self-hosted deployment
  • Git sync
  • SSO support
  • Audit logs

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

Windmill

  • Turning ad-hoc scripts into scheduled jobs and APIsnot Camunda
  • Building internal tools from existing Python/TypeScript codenot Camunda
  • Self-hosted automation for engineering teamsnot Camunda
  • Orchestrating multi-language workflowsnot 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.

Windmill

  • Free self-hosted tier caps SSO users at 10 and workspaces at 3, requiring Enterprise for larger teams.
  • Compute unit and seat-based pricing (developer vs. operator seats, worker compute units) adds pricing complexity beyond a flat monthly fee.
  • Email triggers are capped at 100/day on the free tier, limiting event-driven use cases without upgrading.
  • Smaller ecosystem of pre-built integrations compared to more established automation tools like n8n.

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

Windmill

Free
  • Free / Open-sourceFree
    • Unlimited executions
    • Self-hosted deployment
    • Max 10 users with SSO
  • Enterprise$120/month
    • Unlimited executions and workspaces
    • Uncapped SSO seats
    • 24/7 priority support (3-hour response)

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 Windmill if

  • You need script-to-workflow engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api, linux, windows, mac.
  • You also want auto-generated uis.
Windmill review

Questions people ask

Is Camunda or Windmill better?
Neither clearly leads. Camunda starts at On request and Windmill at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Camunda or Windmill?
Windmill has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Camunda and Free for Windmill.
Does Camunda or Windmill run on more platforms?
Camunda runs on Web, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Windmill runs on web, api, linux, windows, mac.
Can I use Windmill for free?
Yes. Windmill 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 Windmill is typically brought in for.
What can Camunda do that Windmill cannot?
Camunda covers BPMN 2.0 execution, DMN decision tables, Zeebe engine, Operate console. Windmill covers Script-to-workflow engine, Auto-generated UIs, Self-hosted deployment, Git sync.

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.

Windmill: What does Windmill cost?

Windmill's Free and Open-source edition is $0/month for self-hosted use with unlimited executions, while Enterprise starts at $120/month with unlimited workspaces and uncapped SSO seats, priced further by developer/operator seats and compute units.

Source
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.

Windmill: Is there a free plan and what are its limits?

The free self-hosted plan supports unlimited executions but caps SSO at 10 users, workspaces at 3, groups/permissions at 4, and email triggers at 100 per day.

Source
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.

Windmill: How is usage metered on Windmill Enterprise?

Enterprise usage is metered through seats (developer seats at $20/month, operator seats at $10/month) and compute units, e.g. $100/month for 2 standard-worker compute units.

Source
Camunda: What does it cost?

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

Windmill: What happens to a self-hosted Windmill deployment if the company shuts down?

The pricing page addresses this directly as an FAQ topic, noting that self-hosted applications built on the open-source edition can continue running independently of Windmill the company.

Source
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