Camunda vs Flowable (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Camunda grades higher than Flowable: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Camunda grades higher on features and platforms. Flowable grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Camunda
BPMN process orchestration, self-hosted or as a cloud service
Free plan
Flowable
Case and process platform with governed AI agents, on open standards
Paid
Which one is for you
Pick Camunda if
- Fits if your team writes process logic and wants BPMN in a standard format
- Works for developers who start on the free local edition
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a published price, as production plans are sold through sales
- Not for you if you need the free edition in production, as it is for non-production use
- Watch out: after 30 days the SaaS account can model but not run processes
- Too heavy for a quick no-code job, as it expects engineers
Pick Flowable if
- Fits if you have Java developers who need an embeddable process engine
- Makes sense if you're a bank, insurer or agency running audited case-based work
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if nobody on your team writes Java
- Not for you if you need a published price, because the site gives no plan list
- Watch out: the free trial page said it was offline for upgrades
- Tight if you want the case platform for free, as that is a separate commercial product
How we grade them
| 2.2GPACamundaFair | 2.0GPAFlowableFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo production prices are published, and both production options go through sales. It sits in the middle. | CNo price on record, so we can't place it. The open-source engines are free and the platform is a separate commercial product. |
| Free plan and trial | CSelf-Managed is free for local and non-production use only. The SaaS trial lasts 30 days, then a free account can model but not run processes. | BThe open-source engines and Flowable Design are free to use. The trial page said it was offline for upgrades. |
| Features | BBPMN and DMN modeling, a process engine, connectors, Operate and Tasklist, reporting and document processing. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. | CBPMN, CMMN and DMN for audited case work. The Agentic Case Platform is a separate paid product. |
| Ease of use | DProcess models need BPMN skills, and the free edition means hosting it yourself. | DNo store rating on record. It's built by Java developers, with Spring as the listed integration. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb tools with connectors to SAP, ServiceNow and Microsoft Teams. No desktop or phone app. | CWeb only on the listing, with Spring as the one named integration. |
| Best for | BPMN process orchestration for engineers | BPMN and case engines for Java teams |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Camunda and Flowable. How we grade
Where they differ
- Camunda is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Flowable is open source, according to its own site.
- Camunda also covers dashboards.
- Flowable also covers diagrams and case management.
In commonWebWorkflow automationAI agents
At a glance
| Camunda | Flowable | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | Self-Managed is free for local development and non-production use; production needs an Enterprise license. | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of Camunda SaaS with full process execution, then a free account limited to modeling. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Camunda | Flowable |
| Price read from | camunda.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Camunda
- No production prices are published; both production options are sold through sales.
- The free Self-Managed edition is for development and non-production use only.
- After the 30-day SaaS trial, a free account keeps modeling but cannot execute processes.
- SaaS Console and Modeler are hosted in the EU, and clusters can be created in other regions.
Flowable
- No prices are published for the platform, and the site gives no plan list.
- A free trial is advertised on the homepage, but the trial page currently says it is offline for upgrades.
- The open-source engines and Flowable Design are free to use; the Agentic Case Platform is a separate commercial product.
Key features
Camunda
- BPMN and DMN modeling
- Process models in BPMN and decision models in DMN, built in a Desktop Modeler or a collaborative Web Modeler with version history and Git Sync.
- Process engine and connectors
- The Zeebe engine runs BPMN processes and the decision engine runs DMN, with connectors and an integration framework and SDK.
- Operate and Tasklist
- Operate inspects running processes and decisions, and Tasklist handles human tasks with form integration.
- Optimize reporting
- Custom process reports, dashboards and KPI-based monitoring and alerts are listed under Optimize.
- Intelligent document processing
- IDP and RPA, plus SAP and ServiceNow integrations, appear in the feature comparison; IDP is listed for the hosted SaaS edition.
Flowable
- Process, case and rules engines
- Open-source engines execute BPMN processes, CMMN cases and DMN decisions, and expose Java and REST APIs for application code.
- Governed AI agents
- Agents run inside policy-bound workflows, with capability limits enforced at runtime and people involved for sign-off where it matters.
- Audit trail and observability
- Every decision and action is logged so it can be traced, and agents are monitored in real time.
- Case management
- Long-running cases support dynamic routing and escalation, aimed at exceptions that fixed process flows handle poorly.
- Low-code application building
- Drag-and-drop design with expression builders, database and REST integrations, content management and fine-grained permissions.
- Embedded or hosted engines
- The engines can run embedded in a Java application, with Spring, or as a service on a server, cluster or cloud.
Plans
Camunda
Development (Self-Managed)$0
Build and test on your own machine, with no license, for non-production use only. You host it yourself.
Production (Self-Managed)Custom
Enterprise license to run in production on your own infrastructure, with 24x7 support and SLAs. Sold through sales.
Camunda SaaSCustom
Fully hosted by Camunda with the full orchestration platform and 24x7 support. Bought through sales or started with a trial.
Flowable
Pricing could not be confirmed. See flowable.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Camunda or Flowable?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Camunda publishes no starting price, and Flowable has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Camunda or Flowable?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Camunda has a free plan. Flowable does not.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.