--- title: "alfred-workflow vs SpiffWorkflow" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/deanishe-alfred-workflow-vs-sartography-spiffworkflow" tools: ["deanishe-alfred-workflow", "sartography-spiffworkflow"] --- # alfred-workflow vs SpiffWorkflow *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick alfred-workflow if alfred-workflow is a Python library that simplifies the creation of Alfred workflows for macOS users, supporting versions 3 and 4; pick SpiffWorkflow if spiffWorkflow is an open-source Python workflow engine that adheres to BPMN specifications. [alfred-workflow](https://www.deanishe.net/alfred-workflow/) reports 3.0k GitHub stars, 236 forks, and 21 open issues, last pushed Jan 10, 2023. [SpiffWorkflow](https://github.com/sartography/SpiffWorkflow) has 1.9k stars, 343 forks, and 8 open issues, last pushed Sep 2, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [alfred-workflow's repository](https://github.com/deanishe/alfred-workflow) and [SpiffWorkflow's repository](https://github.com/sartography/SpiffWorkflow). | | [alfred-workflow](/tools/deanishe-alfred-workflow.md) | [SpiffWorkflow](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Full-featured library for writing Alfred 3 & 4 workflows | A powerful workflow engine implemented in pure Python | | Stars | 2,963 | 1,917 | | Forks | 236 | 343 | | Open issues | 21 | 8 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | Alfred-workflow is a Python library that simplifies the creation of Alfred workflows for macOS users, supporting versions 3 and 4. | SpiffWorkflow is an open-source Python workflow engine that adheres to BPMN specifications. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | LGPL-3.0 | | Categories | Developer Tools | Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [alfred-workflow](/tools/deanishe-alfred-workflow.md) | [SpiffWorkflow](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Active (82%) | | Days since push | 1344d | 14d | | Open issues (now) | 21 | 8 | | Stars delta | -4 (30d) | +7 (30d) | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/deanishe-alfred-workflow/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [alfred-workflow](/tools/deanishe-alfred-workflow.md) - Python runtime; [SpiffWorkflow](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: alfred-workflow - **Adopt for:** Alfred-workflow is a Python library that simplifies the creation of Alfred workflows for macOS users, supporting versions 3 and 4. ## Decision facts: SpiffWorkflow - **Adopt for:** SpiffWorkflow is an open-source Python workflow engine that adheres to BPMN specifications. ## Choose when ### Choose alfred-workflow if… - License: alfred-workflow is Other, SpiffWorkflow is LGPL-3.0. - Tags unique to alfred-workflow: alfred-workflow, caching, fuzzy-search, http. - Use this tool if you are creating Alfred workflows specifically for Alfred 3 or 4 on macOS. ### Choose SpiffWorkflow if… - License: SpiffWorkflow is LGPL-3.0, alfred-workflow is Other. - Tags unique to SpiffWorkflow: bpmn, bpmn-engine, workflow, workflow-specification. - SpiffWorkflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - You need a pure Python solution without external dependencies for implementing BPMN workflows. ## When NOT to use alfred-workflow - Do not use this library if your development is focused on different productivity applications that do not integrate with Alfred. - Avoid this tool if you are working on systems or environments that do not support macOS, as it is designed for macOS only. ## When NOT to use SpiffWorkflow - The project demands real-time performance or low-latency requirements as SpiffWorkflow, being a Python library, might not meet those stringent criteria. - You require integration with non-BPMN workflow specifications exclusively. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between alfred-workflow and SpiffWorkflow? alfred-workflow: Full-featured library for writing Alfred 3 & 4 workflows. SpiffWorkflow: A powerful workflow engine implemented in pure Python. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose alfred-workflow over SpiffWorkflow? Choose alfred-workflow over SpiffWorkflow when License: alfred-workflow is Other, SpiffWorkflow is LGPL-3.0; Tags unique to alfred-workflow: alfred-workflow, caching, fuzzy-search, http; Use this tool if you are creating Alfred workflows specifically for Alfred 3 or 4 on macOS. ### When should I choose SpiffWorkflow over alfred-workflow? Choose SpiffWorkflow over alfred-workflow when License: SpiffWorkflow is LGPL-3.0, alfred-workflow is Other; Tags unique to SpiffWorkflow: bpmn, bpmn-engine, workflow, workflow-specification; SpiffWorkflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; You need a pure Python solution without external dependencies for implementing BPMN workflows. ### When should I avoid alfred-workflow? Do not use this library if your development is focused on different productivity applications that do not integrate with Alfred. Avoid this tool if you are working on systems or environments that do not support macOS, as it is designed for macOS only. ### When should I avoid SpiffWorkflow? The project demands real-time performance or low-latency requirements as SpiffWorkflow, being a Python library, might not meet those stringent criteria. You require integration with non-BPMN workflow specifications exclusively. ### Is alfred-workflow or SpiffWorkflow more popular on GitHub? alfred-workflow has more GitHub stars (2,963 vs 1,917). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are alfred-workflow and SpiffWorkflow open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (alfred-workflow: Other, SpiffWorkflow: LGPL-3.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to alfred-workflow or SpiffWorkflow? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [alfred-workflow alternatives](/tools/deanishe-alfred-workflow/alternatives) and [SpiffWorkflow alternatives](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow/alternatives) ([alfred-workflow markdown twin](/tools/deanishe-alfred-workflow/alternatives.md), [SpiffWorkflow markdown twin](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow/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/deanishe-alfred-workflow-vs-sartography-spiffworkflow.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, alfred-workflow or SpiffWorkflow? alfred-workflow: Dormant. SpiffWorkflow: 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 alfred-workflow and SpiffWorkflow? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [alfred-workflow trust report](/tools/deanishe-alfred-workflow/trust); [SpiffWorkflow trust report](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=deanishe-alfred-workflow`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=deanishe-alfred-workflow) - 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/_