--- title: "loonflow vs flowable-engine" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/blackholll-loonflow-vs-flowable-flowable-engine" tools: ["blackholll-loonflow", "flowable-flowable-engine"] --- # loonflow vs flowable-engine *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## 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. [loonflow](https://github.com/blackholll/loonflow) reports 2.1k GitHub stars, 705 forks, and 19 open issues, last pushed May 25, 2026. [flowable-engine](https://www.flowable.org) has 9.5k stars, 2.9k forks, and 411 open issues, last pushed Sep 12, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [loonflow's repository](https://github.com/blackholll/loonflow) and [flowable-engine's repository](https://github.com/flowable/flowable-engine). | | [loonflow](/tools/blackholll-loonflow.md) | [flowable-engine](/tools/flowable-flowable-engine.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | An intelligent and visual process automation system. | A compact and highly efficient workflow and Business Process Management (BPM) platform | | Stars | 2,089 | 9,535 | | Forks | 705 | 2,887 | | Open issues | 19 | 411 | | Language | TypeScript | Java | | Adopt for | 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 is a Java-based BPM platform which focuses on being compact and efficient for developers, system admins, and business users. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Developer Tools | Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [loonflow](/tools/blackholll-loonflow.md) | [flowable-engine](/tools/flowable-flowable-engine.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Slowing (36%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 114d | 2d | | Open issues (now) | 19 | 411 | | Stars delta | 0 (30d) | +84 (30d) | | Open issues delta | -1 (30d) | +10 (30d) | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/blackholll-loonflow/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/flowable-flowable-engine/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: loonflow - **Adopt for:** 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. ## Decision facts: flowable-engine - **Adopt for:** Flowable-engine is a Java-based BPM platform which focuses on being compact and efficient for developers, system admins, and business users. ## Choose when ### 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. ### 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 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 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. ## 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](/tools/blackholll-loonflow/alternatives) and [flowable-engine alternatives](/tools/flowable-flowable-engine/alternatives) ([loonflow markdown twin](/tools/blackholll-loonflow/alternatives.md), [flowable-engine markdown twin](/tools/flowable-flowable-engine/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/blackholll-loonflow-vs-flowable-flowable-engine.md) 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](/tools/blackholll-loonflow/trust); [flowable-engine trust report](/tools/flowable-flowable-engine/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=blackholll-loonflow`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=blackholll-loonflow) - 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/_