Camunda Platform 7 vs Flowable
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Camunda Platform 7 | Flowable |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 89 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,269 | ★ 9,551 |
| First released | 2013 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Power Automate, AWS Step Functions | Microsoft Power Automate, Camunda |
What are Camunda Platform 7 and Flowable?
Camunda Platform 7
Camunda Platform 7 is an open-source workflow and decision automation engine based on the BPMN and DMN standards. It executes process models and integrates with Java applications and microservices.
- Standards-based BPMN execution
- DMN decision tables
- Visual process modeler
- REST API and Java integration
Flowable
Flowable is a compact and efficient open-source workflow and business process management platform. It executes BPMN, CMMN and DMN models and embeds easily into Java applications.
- BPMN, CMMN and DMN engines
- Embeddable Java library
- REST API and modeler apps
- Case management support
Camunda Platform 7 vs Flowable: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Camunda Platform 7's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Flowable is actively maintained. Both projects are written in Java. Camunda Platform 7 is the more established project (first released 2013), while Flowable arrived in 2016. Flowable has the considerably larger community, at 9,551 GitHub stars versus 4,269.
Why pick each one
Choose Camunda Platform 7 if…
- Strong BPMN standards support
- Mature ecosystem
Watch out for
- Newer Camunda 8 is not fully open source
Choose Flowable if…
- Lightweight process engine
- Standards compliant
Watch out for
- Java-centric
Frequently asked questions
Is Camunda Platform 7 or Flowable better?
Neither is universally better. Flowable has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Camunda Platform 7 and Flowable free and open-source?
Yes. Camunda Platform 7 is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Flowable under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Camunda Platform 7 and Flowable with Docker?
Camunda Platform 7: yes. Flowable: yes.