Automation Integration · head to head
Flowable vs LangGraph
Flowable
Automation Integration
Apache 2.0 BPMN, CMMN and DMN engine from the team that originally built Activiti
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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.; LangGraph steeper learning curve compared to high-level abstractions
- They diverge on capability: Flowable covers BPMN 2.0 engine, LangGraph covers Human-in-the-loop controls.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Flowable and LangGraph actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 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 LangGraph
- Human-in-the-loop controls
- Customizable workflows
- Memory management
- Token-by-token streaming
- Low-level control
- Multi-agent support
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 LangGraph
- A bank embedding process orchestration inside an existing Spring Boot estate rather than buying a separate platformnot LangGraph
- A team leaving Activiti or jBPM that wants the same API family with active commercial maintenancenot LangGraph
- A regulated organisation needing complete process history and decision table audit trails for supervisorsnot LangGraph
LangGraph
- Building production AI agents with auditable workflowsnot Flowable
- Designing multi-agent systems for complex tasksnot Flowable
- Implementing human oversight in autonomous systemsnot Flowable
- Creating reliable agentic applications at scalenot 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.
LangGraph
- Steeper learning curve compared to high-level abstractions
- Requires understanding of graph-based architecture
- Debugging complex workflows can be challenging
- Not optimized for simple, one-off use cases
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
LangGraph
Free- Open SourceFree
- MIT-licensed framework
- Self-hosted deployment
- Full API access
- LangGraph Platform$35/month
- Managed hosting
- Enterprise deployment
- Integrated tooling
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.
Choose LangGraph if
- You need human-in-the-loop controls.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Python, JavaScript, Web.
- You also want customizable workflows.
Questions people ask
- Is Flowable or LangGraph better?
- Neither clearly leads. Flowable starts at Free and LangGraph at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Flowable or LangGraph?
- Flowable starts at Free and LangGraph at Free.
- Does Flowable or LangGraph run on more platforms?
- Flowable runs on Linux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud. LangGraph runs on Python, JavaScript, Web.
- 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 LangGraph is typically brought in for.
- What can Flowable do that LangGraph cannot?
- Flowable covers BPMN 2.0 engine, CMMN case management, DMN decision tables, Spring Boot integration. LangGraph covers Human-in-the-loop controls, Customizable workflows, Memory management, Token-by-token streaming.
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.
LangGraph: Is LangGraph free to use?
Yes. The core LangGraph framework is MIT-licensed and completely free. You only pay if you use the optional managed LangGraph Platform for hosting.
SourceFlowable: How does it relate to Activiti and jBPM?
The same core developers built jBPM, then Activiti, then forked Activiti in 2016 to create Flowable.
LangGraph: What programming languages does LangGraph support?
LangGraph provides first-class support for Python and JavaScript, enabling cross-platform agent development.
SourceFlowable: What does Flowable Enterprise cost?
Nothing is published. It is quoted per deployment by the vendor.
LangGraph: Can I deploy LangGraph in production?
Yes. LangGraph can be self-hosted on your own infrastructure or deployed through LangGraph Platform with enterprise support and SLA guarantees.
SourceFlowable: 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.
Related pages
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