--- title: "reaflow vs viewflow" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/reaviz-reaflow-vs-viewflow-viewflow" tools: ["reaviz-reaflow", "viewflow-viewflow"] --- # reaflow vs viewflow *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick reaflow if rEAFlow is a React library specialized in creating and manipulating workflow editors, flow charts, and diagrams with TypeScript under the Apache-2.0 license; pick viewflow if viewflow is an open-source workflow and process engine for Django applications that allows developers to specify workflows directly in Python code. [reaflow](https://reaflow.dev) reports 2.5k GitHub stars, 160 forks, and 89 open issues, last pushed Jun 4, 2025. [viewflow](http://viewflow.io) has 2.9k stars, 413 forks, and 19 open issues, last pushed Sep 13, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [reaflow's repository](https://github.com/reaviz/reaflow) and [viewflow's repository](https://github.com/viewflow/viewflow). | | [reaflow](/tools/reaviz-reaflow.md) | [viewflow](/tools/viewflow-viewflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | React library for building workflow editors, flow charts and diagrams | Reusable workflow library for Django | | Stars | 2,490 | 2,874 | | Forks | 160 | 413 | | Open issues | 89 | 19 | | Language | TypeScript | Python | | Adopt for | REAFlow is a React library specialized in creating and manipulating workflow editors, flow charts, and diagrams with TypeScript under the Apache-2.0 license. | Viewflow is an open-source workflow and process engine for Django applications that allows developers to specify workflows directly in Python code. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 with additional permissions, providing a balance between open-source contribution protection and commercial usability. | | Categories | Developer Tools | Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [reaflow](/tools/reaviz-reaflow.md) | [viewflow](/tools/viewflow-viewflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 468d | 2d | | Open issues (now) | 89 | 19 | | Stars delta | -3 (30d) | +5 (30d) | | Open issues delta | 0 (30d) | +3 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/reaviz-reaflow/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/viewflow-viewflow/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: reaflow - **Adopt for:** REAFlow is a React library specialized in creating and manipulating workflow editors, flow charts, and diagrams with TypeScript under the Apache-2.0 license. ## Decision facts: viewflow - **Adopt for:** Viewflow is an open-source workflow and process engine for Django applications that allows developers to specify workflows directly in Python code. - **License detail:** AGPL-3.0 with additional permissions, providing a balance between open-source contribution protection and commercial usability. ## Choose when ### Choose reaflow if… - reaflow is primarily TypeScript; viewflow is Python. - License: reaflow is Apache-2.0, viewflow is AGPL-3.0. - Tags unique to reaflow: diagrams, elkjs, flowchart, react. - When you need complex automatic layout capabilities powered by ELKJS for dynamic visualizations within React applications. ### Choose viewflow if… - viewflow is primarily Python; reaflow is TypeScript. - License: viewflow is AGPL-3.0, reaflow is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to viewflow: bpmn, django, process-engine, python. - When your project requires BPMN-compatible workflows integrated into Django, Viewflow offers a dedicated library optimized specifically for Django's ecosystem beyond generic Python。 ## When NOT to use reaflow - If your project does not require the use of TypeScript as REAFlow is built with it and may limit compatibility for users preferring other JavaScript dialects. - When an extensive library like REAFlow, which offers comprehensive features including undo/redo functionalities and a modular design, exceeds the project's technical complexity or requirement. ## When NOT to use viewflow - Avoid if your project strictly requires proprietary or closed-source licenses, as Viewflow’s AGPL v3 license mandates making source code available in certain usage contexts. - This tool is not suitable for environments that cannot support Python 3.10 and Django 4.2 due to compatibility issues or legacy system constraints. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between reaflow and viewflow? reaflow: React library for building workflow editors, flow charts and diagrams. viewflow: Reusable workflow library for Django. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose reaflow over viewflow? Choose reaflow over viewflow when reaflow is primarily TypeScript; viewflow is Python; License: reaflow is Apache-2.0, viewflow is AGPL-3.0; Tags unique to reaflow: diagrams, elkjs, flowchart, react; When you need complex automatic layout capabilities powered by ELKJS for dynamic visualizations within React applications. ### When should I choose viewflow over reaflow? Choose viewflow over reaflow when viewflow is primarily Python; reaflow is TypeScript; License: viewflow is AGPL-3.0, reaflow is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to viewflow: bpmn, django, process-engine, python; When your project requires BPMN-compatible workflows integrated into Django, Viewflow offers a dedicated library optimized specifically for Django's ecosystem beyond generic Python。. ### When should I avoid reaflow? If your project does not require the use of TypeScript as REAFlow is built with it and may limit compatibility for users preferring other JavaScript dialects. When an extensive library like REAFlow, which offers comprehensive features including undo/redo functionalities and a modular design, exceeds the project's technical complexity or requirement. ### When should I avoid viewflow? Avoid if your project strictly requires proprietary or closed-source licenses, as Viewflow’s AGPL v3 license mandates making source code available in certain usage contexts. This tool is not suitable for environments that cannot support Python 3.10 and Django 4.2 due to compatibility issues or legacy system constraints. ### Is reaflow or viewflow more popular on GitHub? viewflow has more GitHub stars (2,874 vs 2,490). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are reaflow and viewflow open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (reaflow: Apache-2.0, viewflow: AGPL-3.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to reaflow or viewflow? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [reaflow alternatives](/tools/reaviz-reaflow/alternatives) and [viewflow alternatives](/tools/viewflow-viewflow/alternatives) ([reaflow markdown twin](/tools/reaviz-reaflow/alternatives.md), [viewflow markdown twin](/tools/viewflow-viewflow/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/reaviz-reaflow-vs-viewflow-viewflow.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, reaflow or viewflow? reaflow: Dormant. viewflow: 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 reaflow and viewflow? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [reaflow trust report](/tools/reaviz-reaflow/trust); [viewflow trust report](/tools/viewflow-viewflow/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=reaviz-reaflow`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=reaviz-reaflow) - 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/_