Comparison
loonflow vs flowable-engine
Verdict
Pick loonflow if loonflow is an intelligent and visual process automation system that supports ticketing systems and MCP through workflow management capabilities. It operates with TypeScript under the AGPL-3.0 license; pick flowable-engine if flowable-engine is a Java-based BPM platform which focuses on being compact and efficient for developers, system admins, and business users.
Markdown twin · loonflow alternatives · flowable-engine alternatives
GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026
7views this month
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Trust & integrity
| Signal | loonflow | flowable-engine |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Slowing (114d since push) As of Sep 17, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Very active (2d since push) As of Sep 14, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Personal account As of Sep 17, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 14, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 15, 2026 · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 15, 2026 · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- loonflow
- An intelligent and visual process automation system.
- flowable-engine
- A compact and highly efficient workflow and Business Process Management (BPM) platform
Stars
- loonflow
- 2.1k
- flowable-engine
- 9.5k
Forks
- loonflow
- 705
- flowable-engine
- 2.9k
Open issues
- loonflow
- 19
- flowable-engine
- 411
Language
- loonflow
- TypeScript
- flowable-engine
- Java
Adopt for
- loonflow
- Loonflow is an intelligent and visual process automation system that supports ticketing systems and MCP through workflow management capabilities. It operates with TypeScript under the AGPL-3.0 license.
- flowable-engine
- Flowable-engine is a Java-based BPM platform which focuses on being compact and efficient for developers, system admins, and business users.
Persona
- loonflow
- -
- flowable-engine
- -
Runtime
- loonflow
- -
- flowable-engine
- -
License
- loonflow
- AGPL-3.0
- flowable-engine
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- loonflow
- May 25, 2026
- flowable-engine
- Sep 12, 2026
Categories
- loonflow
- Developer Tools
- flowable-engine
- Developer Tools
Trust and health
Maintenance
- loonflow
- Slowing (36%)
- flowable-engine
- Very active (96%)
Days since push
- loonflow
- 114d
- flowable-engine
- 2d
Open issues (now)
- loonflow
- 19
- flowable-engine
- 411
Stars delta
- loonflow
- 0 (30d)
- flowable-engine
- +84 (30d)
Open issues delta
- loonflow
- -1 (30d)
- flowable-engine
- +10 (30d)
Owner type
- loonflow
- User
- flowable-engine
- Organization
Full report
- loonflow
- Trust report
- flowable-engine
- Trust report
Choose loonflow if…
- loonflow is primarily TypeScript; flowable-engine is Java.
- License: loonflow is AGPL-3.0, flowable-engine is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to loonflow: devops, django, mcp, python.
- You need a fully open-source solution for your internal process automation, as Loonflow requires you to share modifications if used in a SaaS service publically.
When NOT to use loonflow
- You seek closed-source solutions for proprietary reasons as Loonflow's AGPLv3 requirement mandates openness in SaaS settings.
- When deployment flexibility is essential since the tool relies on Docker for installation, which may not align with all IT environments.
Choose flowable-engine if…
- flowable-engine is primarily Java; loonflow is TypeScript.
- License: flowable-engine is Apache-2.0, loonflow is AGPL-3.0.
- Tags unique to flowable-engine: bpmn, java, workflow-engine.
- When your project requires extensive integration with existing Java applications without adding significant overhead.
When NOT to use flowable-engine
- If you need a BPM solution that heavily relies on graphical process design tools, as Flowable-engine may not cater to non-technical users as intuitively as some competitors.
- In scenarios needing extensive support for custom programming languages outside of Java, as this could limit its applicability and efficacy.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (blackholll/loonflow) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (blackholll/loonflow) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (blackholll/loonflow) · observed May 25, 2026
- License file (AGPL-3.0) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (flowable/flowable-engine) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (flowable/flowable-engine) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (flowable/flowable-engine) · observed Sep 12, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 16, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: loonflow 2.1k · flowable-engine 9.5k (synced Sep 20, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between loonflow and flowable-engine?
- loonflow: An intelligent and visual process automation system.. flowable-engine: A compact and highly efficient workflow and Business Process Management (BPM) platform. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose loonflow over flowable-engine?
- Choose loonflow over flowable-engine when loonflow is primarily TypeScript; flowable-engine is Java; License: loonflow is AGPL-3.0, flowable-engine is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to loonflow: devops, django, mcp, python; You need a fully open-source solution for your internal process automation, as Loonflow requires you to share modifications if used in a SaaS service publically.
- When should I choose flowable-engine over loonflow?
- Choose flowable-engine over loonflow when flowable-engine is primarily Java; loonflow is TypeScript; License: flowable-engine is Apache-2.0, loonflow is AGPL-3.0; Tags unique to flowable-engine: bpmn, java, workflow-engine; When your project requires extensive integration with existing Java applications without adding significant overhead.
- When should I avoid loonflow?
- You seek closed-source solutions for proprietary reasons as Loonflow's AGPLv3 requirement mandates openness in SaaS settings. When deployment flexibility is essential since the tool relies on Docker for installation, which may not align with all IT environments.
- When should I avoid flowable-engine?
- If you need a BPM solution that heavily relies on graphical process design tools, as Flowable-engine may not cater to non-technical users as intuitively as some competitors. In scenarios needing extensive support for custom programming languages outside of Java, as this could limit its applicability and efficacy.
- Is loonflow or flowable-engine more popular on GitHub?
- flowable-engine has more GitHub stars (9,535 vs 2,089). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are loonflow and flowable-engine open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (loonflow: AGPL-3.0, flowable-engine: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to loonflow or flowable-engine?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at loonflow alternatives and flowable-engine alternatives (loonflow markdown twin, flowable-engine markdown twin), 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 mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, loonflow or flowable-engine?
- loonflow: Slowing. flowable-engine: Very 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 loonflow and flowable-engine?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: loonflow trust report; flowable-engine trust report.