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Automation Integration · head to head

HighByte Intelligence Hub vs jBPM

HighByte Intelligence Hub logo

HighByte Intelligence Hub

Automation Integration

Industrial DataOps middleware that models and contextualises OT data before it reaches IT systems

From
$18500/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
jBPM logo

jBPM

Automation Integration

Long-running Java BPMN engine, now developed inside Apache KIE with commercial support from IBM

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only jBPM has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: HighByte Intelligence Hub it is subscription only with no perpetual licence, so the data pipelines are a permanent operating cost and stop working if the subscription lapses.; jBPM the project moved to the Apache Software Foundation as Apache KIE and is still in incubation, which is a weaker governance signal than a vendor-owned product and a harder case to make to an architecture board.
  • They diverge on capability: HighByte Intelligence Hub covers Data modelling, jBPM covers BPMN 2.0 execution.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HighByte Intelligence Hub and jBPM actually diverge.

Attributes where HighByte Intelligence Hub and jBPM differ
AttributeHighByte Intelligence HubjBPM
Starting price$18500/yearFree
Pricing modelPer site per yearOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Linux, DockerLinux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes

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 HighByte Intelligence Hub

  • Data modelling
  • Unified namespace
  • Pipelines
  • Connectors
  • High availability
  • Store and forward
  • Central configuration
  • REST data server

Only in jBPM

  • BPMN 2.0 execution
  • Drools integration
  • Human task service
  • Kogito compilation
  • Process designer
  • Timers and signals
  • REST and Java APIs
  • Case management

What people use each for

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

HighByte Intelligence Hub

  • A manufacturer replacing hand-written Python scripts that push historian tags to a cloud warehouse with a modelled, supportable pipelinenot jBPM
  • A company building a unified namespace where OT payloads must carry asset context before they reach the brokernot jBPM
  • A data centre operator aggregating building and power telemetry into one cloud model across a campusnot jBPM
  • A team that needs PI System data joined with MES and ERP context without giving IT direct access to the control networknot jBPM

jBPM

  • A Java organisation already running jBPM 7 that needs to decide between the Apache KIE line, Kogito or migration awaynot HighByte Intelligence Hub
  • A team that wants BPMN processes and Drools business rules executing in one runtime without integrating two productsnot HighByte Intelligence Hub
  • A government or banking system with long-running processes needing durable timers and full audit history at no licence costnot HighByte Intelligence Hub
  • A Quarkus estate adopting Kogito to run compiled processes with container-appropriate startup timesnot HighByte Intelligence Hub

Where each one falls short

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

HighByte Intelligence Hub

  • It is subscription only with no perpetual licence, so the data pipelines are a permanent operating cost and stop working if the subscription lapses.
  • Pricing is per site with a 18,500 USD floor, so a small plant or a proof of concept pays enterprise money for a handful of tags; there is no tag-scaled or starter tier.
  • The Hub does not store data. It has no historian, so a destination outage longer than the store-and-forward buffer means lost data and you still need a historian or warehouse underneath.
  • Definitions of a site and a plant are negotiated rather than published, which creates room for disagreement at renewal when a customer adds a building or a second line.
  • The product depends on a small vendor with a narrow focus; if your integration needs drift towards general ETL or streaming, you end up running HighByte alongside a separate data stack rather than instead of one.

jBPM

  • The project moved to the Apache Software Foundation as Apache KIE and is still in incubation, which is a weaker governance signal than a vendor-owned product and a harder case to make to an architecture board.
  • The classic jBPM 7.x line has not had a Red Hat-sponsored release since 2023, so staying on it means running effectively frozen software while the development happens under a different name.
  • Kogito is architecturally different from the classic runtime, using ahead-of-time compilation, so moving forward is a migration project rather than a version upgrade.
  • Commercial support has shifted to IBM Business Automation Manager Open Editions, which means renegotiating with a different vendor under different terms than Red Hat customers signed.
  • The tooling and workbench have long been the weakest part, and organisations routinely build their own process administration interfaces because the shipped ones are dated.

Pricing, plan by plan

HighByte Intelligence Hub

$18500/year
  • Professional$18500/year
    • Single plant or agreed coverage area
    • Unlimited data models and pipelines
    • High availability, embedded MQTT broker, PI System integration
  • Factory Starter Pack$50000/year
    • Three factories
    • Central configuration across instances
    • All premium features included
  • Data Center Starter Pack$65000/year
    • Single aggregation point in customer cloud
    • All premium features included
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Unlimited installations under one annual contract
    • Negotiated multi-year and multi-site discounts
    • Quoted pricing

jBPM

Free
  • jBPMFree
    • Apache 2.0 licence with no usage restrictions
    • Full BPMN engine, human tasks and Drools integration
    • Community support via Apache KIE mailing lists

Which should you pick?

Choose HighByte Intelligence Hub if

  • You need data modelling.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Docker.
  • You also want unified namespace.
HighByte Intelligence Hub review

Choose jBPM if

  • You need bpmn 2.0 execution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want drools integration.
jBPM review

Questions people ask

Is HighByte Intelligence Hub or jBPM better?
Neither clearly leads. HighByte Intelligence Hub starts at $18500/year and jBPM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HighByte Intelligence Hub or jBPM?
jBPM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $18500/year for HighByte Intelligence Hub and Free for jBPM.
Does HighByte Intelligence Hub or jBPM run on more platforms?
HighByte Intelligence Hub runs on Windows, Linux, Docker. jBPM runs on Linux, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use jBPM for free?
Yes. jBPM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HighByte Intelligence Hub starts at $18500/year.
What is HighByte Intelligence Hub best used for?
HighByte Intelligence Hub is most often used for a manufacturer replacing hand-written python scripts that push historian tags to a cloud warehouse with a modelled, supportable pipeline, a company building a unified namespace where ot payloads must carry asset context before they reach the broker, a data centre operator aggregating building and power telemetry into one cloud model across a campus, a team that needs pi system data joined with mes and erp context without giving it direct access to the control network. Of those, a manufacturer replacing hand-written python scripts that push historian tags to a cloud warehouse with a modelled, supportable pipeline and a company building a unified namespace where ot payloads must carry asset context before they reach the broker are not what jBPM is typically brought in for.
What can HighByte Intelligence Hub do that jBPM cannot?
HighByte Intelligence Hub covers Data modelling, Unified namespace, Pipelines, Connectors. jBPM covers BPMN 2.0 execution, Drools integration, Human task service, Kogito compilation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HighByte Intelligence Hub: What does a HighByte licence actually cost?

18,500 USD per year for Professional covering one plant, 50,000 USD for three factories, 65,000 USD for a cloud data centre aggregation point.

jBPM: Is jBPM dead?

No. Development continues as part of Apache KIE, with releases through 2025, but the Red Hat-sponsored 7.x line has been static since 2023.

HighByte Intelligence Hub: Is pricing based on tag count?

No. All licences include unlimited data models and pipelines; the licence covers a coverage area, not a data volume.

jBPM: Who provides commercial support?

IBM, through Business Automation Manager Open Editions, following the transition away from Red Hat Process Automation Manager as a growth product.

HighByte Intelligence Hub: Does HighByte store historical data?

No. It models and routes data in motion. You still need a historian or a warehouse as the destination.

jBPM: What is Kogito?

The cloud-native successor that compiles processes ahead of time for Quarkus and Spring Boot, architecturally different from the classic jBPM runtime.

HighByte Intelligence Hub: Can I buy it perpetually?

No. It is an annual subscription only.

jBPM: Does it cost anything?

No. It is Apache 2.0 licensed with no fee. Costs are support contracts and the engineering effort to run it.

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