--- title: "SpiffWorkflow vs viewflow" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/sartography-spiffworkflow-vs-viewflow-viewflow" tools: ["sartography-spiffworkflow", "viewflow-viewflow"] --- # SpiffWorkflow vs viewflow *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick SpiffWorkflow if spiffWorkflow is an open-source Python workflow engine that adheres to BPMN specifications; 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. [SpiffWorkflow](https://github.com/sartography/SpiffWorkflow) reports 1.9k GitHub stars, 343 forks, and 8 open issues, last pushed Sep 2, 2026. [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 [SpiffWorkflow's repository](https://github.com/sartography/SpiffWorkflow) and [viewflow's repository](https://github.com/viewflow/viewflow). | | [SpiffWorkflow](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow.md) | [viewflow](/tools/viewflow-viewflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A powerful workflow engine implemented in pure Python | Reusable workflow library for Django | | Stars | 1,917 | 2,874 | | Forks | 343 | 413 | | Open issues | 8 | 19 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | SpiffWorkflow is an open-source Python workflow engine that adheres to BPMN specifications. | 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 | LGPL-3.0 | 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._ | | [SpiffWorkflow](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow.md) | [viewflow](/tools/viewflow-viewflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Active (82%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 14d | 2d | | Open issues (now) | 8 | 19 | | Stars delta | +7 (30d) | +5 (30d) | | Open issues delta | 0 (30d) | +3 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/viewflow-viewflow/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [SpiffWorkflow](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow.md) - Python runtime; [viewflow](/tools/viewflow-viewflow.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: SpiffWorkflow - **Adopt for:** SpiffWorkflow is an open-source Python workflow engine that adheres to BPMN specifications. ## 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 SpiffWorkflow if… - License: SpiffWorkflow is LGPL-3.0, viewflow is AGPL-3.0. - Tags unique to SpiffWorkflow: bpmn-engine, workflow-specification, workflowpatterns. - SpiffWorkflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - You need a pure Python solution without external dependencies for implementing BPMN workflows. ### Choose viewflow if… - License: viewflow is AGPL-3.0, SpiffWorkflow is LGPL-3.0. - Tags unique to viewflow: django, process-engine, workflow-engine. - 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 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. ## 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 SpiffWorkflow and viewflow? SpiffWorkflow: A powerful workflow engine implemented in pure Python. viewflow: Reusable workflow library for Django. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose SpiffWorkflow over viewflow? Choose SpiffWorkflow over viewflow when License: SpiffWorkflow is LGPL-3.0, viewflow is AGPL-3.0; Tags unique to SpiffWorkflow: bpmn-engine, workflow-specification, workflowpatterns; SpiffWorkflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; You need a pure Python solution without external dependencies for implementing BPMN workflows. ### When should I choose viewflow over SpiffWorkflow? Choose viewflow over SpiffWorkflow when License: viewflow is AGPL-3.0, SpiffWorkflow is LGPL-3.0; Tags unique to viewflow: django, process-engine, workflow-engine; 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 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. ### 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 SpiffWorkflow or viewflow more popular on GitHub? viewflow has more GitHub stars (2,874 vs 1,917). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are SpiffWorkflow and viewflow open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (SpiffWorkflow: LGPL-3.0, viewflow: AGPL-3.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to SpiffWorkflow or viewflow? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [SpiffWorkflow alternatives](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow/alternatives) and [viewflow alternatives](/tools/viewflow-viewflow/alternatives) ([SpiffWorkflow markdown twin](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow/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/sartography-spiffworkflow-vs-viewflow-viewflow.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, SpiffWorkflow or viewflow? SpiffWorkflow: Active. 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 SpiffWorkflow and viewflow? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [SpiffWorkflow trust report](/tools/sartography-spiffworkflow/trust); [viewflow trust report](/tools/viewflow-viewflow/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=sartography-spiffworkflow`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=sartography-spiffworkflow) - 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/_