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Automation Integration · head to head

CrewAI vs Flowable

CrewAI logo

CrewAI

Automation Integration

The Enterprise Agent Build and Runtime for the work your business runs on

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: CrewAI free tier limited to only 50 workflow executions per month; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CrewAI and Flowable actually diverge.

Attributes where CrewAI and Flowable differ
AttributeCrewAIFlowable
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
PlatformsWebLinux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud

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 CrewAI

Nothing recorded that Flowable does not also cover.

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.

CrewAI

  • Enriching sales leads with company revenue and insights automaticallynot Flowable
  • Accelerating first contact with leads from multiple systemsnot Flowable
  • Automating quality assurance testing for voice agentsnot Flowable
  • Generating curriculum content and instructor materials instantlynot Flowable

Flowable

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

Where each one falls short

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

CrewAI

  • Free tier limited to only 50 workflow executions per month
  • Enterprise pricing is not published; requires contact for quote
  • No public information about paid tier pricing between free and enterprise

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

CrewAI

Free
  • BasicFree
    • 50 workflow executions/month
    • Visual editor and AI copilot
    • GitHub integration
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom pricing upon request
    • Everything in Basic plus advanced features
    • Enterprise connectors

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 CrewAI if

  • You want to start without paying.
CrewAI 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 CrewAI or Flowable better?
Neither clearly leads. CrewAI 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, CrewAI or Flowable?
CrewAI starts at Free and Flowable at Free.
Does CrewAI or Flowable run on more platforms?
CrewAI runs on Web. Flowable runs on Linux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
Can I use CrewAI for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CrewAI best used for?
CrewAI is most often used for enriching sales leads with company revenue and insights automatically, accelerating first contact with leads from multiple systems, automating quality assurance testing for voice agents, generating curriculum content and instructor materials instantly. Of those, enriching sales leads with company revenue and insights automatically and accelerating first contact with leads from multiple systems are not what Flowable is typically brought in for.
What can CrewAI do that Flowable cannot?
Flowable covers BPMN 2.0 engine, CMMN case management, DMN decision tables, Spring Boot integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CrewAI: Is CrewAI free?

CrewAI offers a free Basic tier that includes 50 workflow executions per month, access to the visual editor, AI copilot, and GitHub integration. Enterprise plans with custom pricing are available for larger deployments.

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.

CrewAI: How much does CrewAI Enterprise cost?

CrewAI Enterprise pricing is custom and available upon request. Enterprise includes dedicated VPC deployment, FedRamp High compliance, SSO and RBAC, PII redaction, and dedicated support with 45-day onboarding.

Source
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.

CrewAI: Can I self-host CrewAI?

Enterprise tier customers can deploy CrewAI on their own VPC or own infrastructure in addition to CrewAI cloud deployment, but specific pricing for self-hosted options is not published.

Source
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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