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Automation Integration · head to head

Flowable vs Kogito

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
Kogito logo

Kogito

Automation Integration

Cloud-native business automation for Quarkus, now an Apache KIE component

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Kogito kogito is a developer framework, not a product, so there is no equivalent of Camunda Operate for business users and any process monitoring interface has to be built or bought separately.
  • They diverge on capability: Flowable covers BPMN 2.0 engine, Kogito covers Build-time code generation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flowable and Kogito actually diverge.

Attributes where Flowable and Kogito differ
AttributeFlowableKogito
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, CloudLinux, Docker, Kubernetes

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 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

Only in Kogito

  • Build-time code generation
  • Quarkus and Spring Boot support
  • DMN decision services
  • Drools rules engine
  • Serverless workflow
  • Kubernetes operator

What people use each for

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

Flowable

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

Kogito

  • A Quarkus microservice that must expose a DMN decision model as a REST endpoint with millisecond start-upnot Flowable
  • Serverless deployment of business rules where a traditional BPM server would be far too heavynot Flowable
  • A Red Hat shop that wants the upstream of Red Hat process automation with the option of a supported build laternot Flowable
  • Replacing hand-coded conditional logic with DMN tables that business analysts can review and amendnot Flowable

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Kogito

  • Kogito is a developer framework, not a product, so there is no equivalent of Camunda Operate for business users and any process monitoring interface has to be built or bought separately.
  • Long-running stateful processes need external persistence and messaging that you configure and operate yourself, which removes much of the convenience a BPM server normally provides.
  • It sits inside the Apache KIE incubator, and incubating status means graduation is not guaranteed and the project name and artefact coordinates have already changed once.
  • Red Hat is by far the dominant contributor despite ASF stewardship, so the roadmap follows Red Hat product priorities rather than community demand.
  • Documentation is spread across legacy JBoss sites, the old Kogito site and the new Apache KIE site, and search results routinely land on outdated versions, which costs real time during adoption.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Kogito

Free
  • KogitoFree
    • Apache 2.0 licence
    • Apache KIE incubating project
    • No usage limits

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Kogito if

  • You need build-time code generation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want quarkus and spring boot support.
Kogito review

Questions people ask

Is Flowable or Kogito better?
Neither clearly leads. Flowable starts at Free and Kogito at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flowable or Kogito?
Flowable starts at Free and Kogito at Free.
Does Flowable or Kogito run on more platforms?
Flowable runs on Linux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud. Kogito runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use Flowable for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Flowable best used for?
Flowable is most often used for an insurer automating claims handling where each case follows a different path and bpmn alone cannot express it, a bank embedding process orchestration inside an existing spring boot estate rather than buying a separate platform, a team leaving activiti or jbpm that wants the same api family with active commercial maintenance, a regulated organisation needing complete process history and decision table audit trails for supervisors. Of those, an insurer automating claims handling where each case follows a different path and bpmn alone cannot express it and a bank embedding process orchestration inside an existing spring boot estate rather than buying a separate platform are not what Kogito is typically brought in for.
What can Flowable do that Kogito cannot?
Flowable covers BPMN 2.0 engine, CMMN case management, DMN decision tables, Spring Boot integration. Kogito covers Build-time code generation, Quarkus and Spring Boot support, DMN decision services, Drools rules engine.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Flowable: Is Flowable open source?

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

Kogito: Is Kogito still maintained?

Yes. It is an Apache KIE incubating project with active commits, with Red Hat as the dominant contributor.

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.

Kogito: How does it differ from jBPM?

Kogito compiles process and rule definitions into application code at build time; jBPM was a runtime engine that loads definitions.

Flowable: What does Flowable Enterprise cost?

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

Kogito: Does it need Quarkus?

It is designed for Quarkus and supports Spring Boot; both are Java frameworks rather than a standalone server.

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.

Kogito: Is there commercial support?

Not from Apache. Red Hat sells supported builds of this lineage as part of its subscriptions.

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