--- title: "actionsflow vs workflow" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/actionsflow-actionsflow-vs-durable-workflow-workflow" tools: ["actionsflow-actionsflow", "durable-workflow-workflow"] --- # actionsflow vs workflow *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick actionsflow if actionsflow is a TypeScript-based tool for developers to automate GitHub workflows with flexibility and ease; pick workflow if core package for defining and running durable workflows in PHP with support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration. [actionsflow](https://actionsflow.github.io/docs) reports 3.4k GitHub stars, 146 forks, and 11 open issues, last pushed Oct 21, 2025. [workflow](https://durable-workflow.com) has 1.2k stars, 79 forks, and 6 open issues, last pushed Sep 12, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [actionsflow's repository](https://github.com/actionsflow/actionsflow) and [workflow's repository](https://github.com/durable-workflow/workflow). | | [actionsflow](/tools/actionsflow-actionsflow.md) | [workflow](/tools/durable-workflow-workflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Free Zapier/IFTTT alternative for developers | Core package for defining and running durable workflows including support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration. | | Stars | 3,373 | 1,246 | | Forks | 146 | 79 | | Open issues | 11 | 6 | | Language | TypeScript | PHP | | Adopt for | Actionsflow is a TypeScript-based tool for developers to automate GitHub workflows with flexibility and ease. | Core package for defining and running durable workflows in PHP with support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | MIT | | Categories | Developer Tools | Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [actionsflow](/tools/actionsflow-actionsflow.md) | [workflow](/tools/durable-workflow-workflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Slowing (36%) | Active (82%) | | Days since push | 329d | 7d | | Open issues (now) | 11 | 6 | | Stars delta | +7 (30d) | +15 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +1 (30d) | +6 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/actionsflow-actionsflow/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/durable-workflow-workflow/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: actionsflow - **Adopt for:** Actionsflow is a TypeScript-based tool for developers to automate GitHub workflows with flexibility and ease. ## Decision facts: workflow - **Adopt for:** Core package for defining and running durable workflows in PHP with support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration. ## Choose when ### Choose actionsflow if… - actionsflow is primarily TypeScript; workflow is PHP. - Tags unique to actionsflow: actions, automate, github-actions, typescript. - actionsflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - You are developing applications that require integration with various services via HTTP requests and need a flexible automation solution within the context of GitHub workflows. ### Choose workflow if… - workflow is primarily PHP; actionsflow is TypeScript. - Tags unique to workflow: background-jobs, bpm, bpmn, durable-functions. - When your project requires handling long_running persistent workflows in PHP ## When NOT to use actionsflow - If your project is not hosted on GitHub or you prefer to use cloud-based automation services rather than self-hosting solutions. - When looking for a no-code solution for automating workflows since Actionsflow requires understanding of TypeScript and workflow configuration files to set up custom processes. ## When NOT to use workflow - If you prefer tools not anchored in PHP for workflow management - When project requirements do not include orchestration capabilities for microservices or sagas - For simpler workflows that do not require advanced retry mechanisms and parallel execution features ## Common questions ### What is the difference between actionsflow and workflow? actionsflow: Free Zapier/IFTTT alternative for developers. workflow: Core package for defining and running durable workflows including support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose actionsflow over workflow? Choose actionsflow over workflow when actionsflow is primarily TypeScript; workflow is PHP; Tags unique to actionsflow: actions, automate, github-actions, typescript; actionsflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; You are developing applications that require integration with various services via HTTP requests and need a flexible automation solution within the context of GitHub workflows. ### When should I choose workflow over actionsflow? Choose workflow over actionsflow when workflow is primarily PHP; actionsflow is TypeScript; Tags unique to workflow: background-jobs, bpm, bpmn, durable-functions; When your project requires handling long_running persistent workflows in PHP. ### When should I avoid actionsflow? If your project is not hosted on GitHub or you prefer to use cloud-based automation services rather than self-hosting solutions. When looking for a no-code solution for automating workflows since Actionsflow requires understanding of TypeScript and workflow configuration files to set up custom processes. ### When should I avoid workflow? If you prefer tools not anchored in PHP for workflow management When project requirements do not include orchestration capabilities for microservices or sagas For simpler workflows that do not require advanced retry mechanisms and parallel execution features ### Is actionsflow or workflow more popular on GitHub? actionsflow has more GitHub stars (3,373 vs 1,246). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are actionsflow and workflow open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (actionsflow: MIT, workflow: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to actionsflow or workflow? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [actionsflow alternatives](/tools/actionsflow-actionsflow/alternatives) and [workflow alternatives](/tools/durable-workflow-workflow/alternatives) ([actionsflow markdown twin](/tools/actionsflow-actionsflow/alternatives.md), [workflow markdown twin](/tools/durable-workflow-workflow/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/actionsflow-actionsflow-vs-durable-workflow-workflow.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, actionsflow or workflow? actionsflow: Slowing. workflow: Active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for actionsflow and workflow? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [actionsflow trust report](/tools/actionsflow-actionsflow/trust); [workflow trust report](/tools/durable-workflow-workflow/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=actionsflow-actionsflow`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=actionsflow-actionsflow) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_