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Automation Integration · head to head

Cyclr vs jBPM

Cyclr logo

Cyclr

Automation Integration

Embedded integration platform that SaaS vendors ship inside their own product

From
$1595/month
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: Cyclr entry pricing of 1,595 US dollars a month for one connector and 100,000 API calls means small vendors will find building two or three integrations in-house genuinely cheaper, and Cyclr only pays off past a certain integration count.; 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: Cyclr covers White-label integration UI, jBPM covers BPMN 2.0 execution.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cyclr and jBPM actually diverge.

Attributes where Cyclr and jBPM differ
AttributeCyclrjBPM
Starting price$1595/monthFree
Pricing modelPer month by API call volumeOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APILinux, 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 Cyclr

  • White-label integration UI
  • Connector library
  • Workflow builder
  • Custom connectors
  • Regional hosting
  • MCP server offering
  • Usage metering
  • Templates

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.

Cyclr

  • A mid-market SaaS vendor losing deals because prospects ask for a CRM integration it has not builtnot jBPM
  • A product team that would rather ship an integration marketplace this quarter than hire two engineers to maintain connectorsnot jBPM
  • A European software company that needs its customers' integration data processed inside the EU for procurement reasonsnot jBPM
  • A vendor whose customers each want a slightly different variation of the same integration and cannot be served by one hard-coded connectornot jBPM

jBPM

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cyclr

  • Entry pricing of 1,595 US dollars a month for one connector and 100,000 API calls means small vendors will find building two or three integrations in-house genuinely cheaper, and Cyclr only pays off past a certain integration count.
  • Connectors and API calls are metered separately, so a successful integration marketplace pushes you up tiers as your customers adopt it, meaning the cost rises with usage rather than with the revenue that usage generates.
  • Custom connectors to APIs outside the library are your work to build and maintain, so the promise of not building integrations only holds for applications Cyclr already covers.
  • Debugging is harder when the integration runs in a third-party runtime, because your support team sees a failed workflow rather than an HTTP response and has to escalate to Cyclr for anything non-obvious.
  • Deep embedding creates real switching cost: your customers' live integrations run on Cyclr, so migrating later means recreating every customer workflow, which in practice means you rarely leave.

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

Cyclr

$1595/month
  • PAYG$1595/month
    • 100,000 API calls included
    • 1 connector included
    • Unlimited integrations and users
  • Growth$2595/month
    • 1,000,000 API calls included
    • 10 connectors included
    • Everything in PAYG
  • Scale$7195/month
    • 5,000,000 API calls included
    • Unlimited connectors
    • Everything in Growth
  • Private Cloud$undefined/month
    • Dedicated hosting in US, UK or EU
    • Configurable processing and runtime
    • 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 Cyclr if

  • You need white-label integration ui.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want connector library.
Cyclr 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 Cyclr or jBPM better?
Neither clearly leads. Cyclr starts at $1595/month and jBPM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cyclr or jBPM?
jBPM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1595/month for Cyclr and Free for jBPM.
Does Cyclr or jBPM run on more platforms?
Cyclr runs on Web, API. 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. Cyclr starts at $1595/month.
What is Cyclr best used for?
Cyclr is most often used for a mid-market saas vendor losing deals because prospects ask for a crm integration it has not built, a product team that would rather ship an integration marketplace this quarter than hire two engineers to maintain connectors, a european software company that needs its customers' integration data processed inside the eu for procurement reasons, a vendor whose customers each want a slightly different variation of the same integration and cannot be served by one hard-coded connector. Of those, a mid-market saas vendor losing deals because prospects ask for a crm integration it has not built and a product team that would rather ship an integration marketplace this quarter than hire two engineers to maintain connectors are not what jBPM is typically brought in for.
What can Cyclr do that jBPM cannot?
Cyclr covers White-label integration UI, Connector library, Workflow builder, Custom connectors. jBPM covers BPMN 2.0 execution, Drools integration, Human task service, Kogito compilation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cyclr: What does Cyclr actually cost?

Published tiers start at 1,595 US dollars per month for 100,000 API calls and one connector, rising to 7,195 for unlimited connectors and five million calls.

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.

Cyclr: Do my customers know they are using Cyclr?

No. The interface is white-labelled to appear as part of your product.

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.

Cyclr: Can I host it in the EU or UK?

Yes, on the private cloud tiers, which matters for European procurement requirements.

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.

Cyclr: What if the connector I need does not exist?

You build a custom connector using Cyclr tooling, which is work you own rather than work the platform removes.

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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