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LittleHorse vs BPMN Tools

BPMN tools bet on visual diagrams. In practice, that means slow iteration, difficulty using AI coding agents, and unhappy developers. LittleHorse defines the business process in natural code and compiles it into a visual graph that everyone can inspect.

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See how LittleHorse replaces visual-first BPMN with code-first workflows.

Our Business-as-Code Approach

Code-first process definitions with visual graphs that everyone can inspect.

Read: Decision Workers

How coding agents and developers build workflows faster with a code-first API.

Side-by-side

How We Compare

LittleHorse

Command Center for Business-as-Code.

BPMN Tools

Legacy workflow platforms.

LittleHorse

Any Java, Go, Python, C#, or JS developer can be productive on their first day.

BPMN Tools

Requires specialized, expensive BPMN experts.

LittleHorse

Coding agents excel at LittleHorse development due to code-first APIs with quick feedback loops.

BPMN Tools

Coding agents struggle with slow feedback loops, visual-first style, and proprietary APIs.

LittleHorse

Open-source

BPMN Tools

Often closed-source and expensive with risk of vendor lock-in.

LittleHorse

Workflows defined in natural code or via a visual programming interface, prioritizing developer and agent velocity.

BPMN Tools

Visual programming language which is cumbersome for engineers and too technical for business users.

LittleHorse

Built for high-throughput, low-latency processes including both back-office automation and microservice orchestration.

BPMN Tools

Often legacy architectures built for lower-volume transactions.

LittleHorse

Native integrations with Apache Kafka for event-driven and orchestration workflows.

BPMN Tools

Built for orchestration flows only.

What else to know

  • Some users report significant performance improvement when switching from BPMN platforms to LittleHorse OSS.
  • Migration between major versions of BPMN-based platforms can be non-trivial. LittleHorse has strong workflow versioning built in.
  • Leading BPMN-based platforms are expensive and proprietary. LittleHorse's Kernel is open-source.
  • Agents are better able to build LittleHorse WfSpecs than BPMN Processes due to the code-first approach and faster debugging feedback loops.

Start Codifying Your Business.

Code-first workflows. Visual graphs for free. Happy developers.

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