What are the differences between open source BPM tools (such as Activiti, bonita) & Windows Workflow Foundation

Question

I was trying to find a free and open source BPM tool which is based on asp.net, but unfortunately i fail to find such a tool.

But recently I read an article about Windows Workflow Foundation, so does it provide functionality that are similar to open source BPM tools such as Activiti , bonita, Joget, etc. Or Windows Workflow Foundation can not be used to build as full business process workflow as in Activiti and other open source BPM tools.

Answer 1

The first thing to remember is that WF is not a BPM tool - but rather a framework that can be leveraged to build a reliable and flexible set of business flows. If you are looking for a solution that provides you with a lot of built-in functionality where you won't have to do any coding but rather just put shapes on a sheet - WF is not your tool.

However, I would recommend WF highly. First, the performance in WF 4.0 is very good. Second, it's distributable across a farm of web servers. Third, it's flexibility gives you the power you will need down the road to reach those edge cases.

Finally, because you're looking to integrate with ASP.NET I'm going to say that WF is about the only feasible choice. I'm not saying that other options couldn't work, I'm just saying that it integrates well.

Another thing I want you to do is take a look at an answer I made recently about why you should or shouldn't use Windows Workflow Foundation - hopefully it's of value for you.

Answer 2

WF is not a substitute for BPM at all. WF It's time consuming. To design and implement workflows using a tool like Process Maker, Bonita Software and etc... is way easier than developing something similar using WF from scratch. It's the same thing of trying to reinvent the wheel. My BPM applications suggestion, ProcessMaker, Bonita and Joget. Besides, if your workflow is simple, the opensource edition of those tools will be enough to solve your problem and you'll not have to buy the enterprise edition.