Workflow Engine Editions
Workflow Engine ships in seven editions across two product families. All editions are embeddable - you add the WorkflowEngine.NETCore-Core NuGet package to your .NET application and run the engine in-process. The edition is determined solely by the license key you provide at runtime. Database providers and optional plugins are distributed as separate NuGet packages.
For detailed feature comparisons and pricing, contact the sales team.
Workflow Engine Base Editions
The base editions embed directly into your .NET application. They share the same core API and database providers and differ primarily in usage limits and scaling capabilities. All NEO editions (described below) are also embeddable - they extend the base engine with API and multi-tenancy capabilities.
Workflow Engine Free
Workflow Engine Free is a perpetual license for personal, non-commercial use. It is ideal for evaluating the engine, building a proof of concept, or learning how to model processes visually. Free includes the full visual designer and all core runtime features but is limited to 10 schemas and 4 execution threads. Activities, transitions, and commands are unrestricted. The designer displays Optimajet branding.
Free is a great starting point because you can migrate to a commercial edition later without code changes - just replace the license key.
Workflow Engine Team
Workflow Engine Team is a perpetual license for internal commercial use. It is designed for teams building applications to automate company processes such as approvals, document routing, and back-office tasks. Team removes schema count limits and raises thread, command, activity, and transition limits significantly compared to Free. It includes 365 days of free updates and supports single-server deployment. The designer retains Optimajet branding.
Choose Team when you need commercial-grade reliability and a clear upgrade path to NEO without rewriting your solution.
Workflow Engine Complete
Workflow Engine Complete is a perpetual license for internal commercial use with no feature restrictions. It removes all usage limits - unlimited schemas, threads, commands, activities, and transitions. Complete adds multi-server clustering for horizontal scalability and removes Optimajet branding from the designer. It includes 365 days of free updates.
Choose Complete when you need unlimited usage, horizontal scalability, and the flexibility to build the engine integration layer yourself without a web API, while keeping a path to NEO in the future.
Workflow Engine NEO
The NEO family is the evolution of Workflow Engine for SaaS, multi-tenant, and enterprise product scenarios. Like the base editions, NEO editions are embeddable - they run in-process inside your .NET application. NEO editions add RPC and REST API, full hybrid multi-tenancy, multi-server clustering, and built-in forms integration on top of the core engine. All NEO editions include the visual designer without branding.
Workflow Engine NEO
Workflow Engine NEO is a subscription-based edition for public web applications and SaaS platforms. It includes the full NEO feature set: RPC and REST API, full hybrid multi-tenancy, multi-server clustering, and forms integration. Billed annually.
Choose NEO when you are building a public, multi-tenant platform and need everything included under a subscription with the flexibility to choose support levels separately.
Workflow Engine NEO Business
Workflow Engine NEO Business is a perpetual license for internal commercial applications that need NEO API capabilities. It includes the RPC and REST API, multi-server clustering, and forms integration, but does not include full hybrid multi-tenancy. Includes 365 days of free updates.
Choose NEO Business when you need a perpetual license for an internal application with NEO features and no recurring fees as you scale.
Workflow Engine NEO SaaS
Workflow Engine NEO SaaS is a perpetual license for public web applications and SaaS platforms. It includes the complete NEO feature set - RPC and REST API, full hybrid multi-tenancy, multi-server clustering, forms integration, Active Directory connector, and BPMN import - all under a single one-time payment. Includes 365 days of free updates.
Choose NEO SaaS when you need the full NEO feature set permanently with no recurring fees as you scale.
Workflow Engine NEO Enterprise
Workflow Engine NEO Enterprise is a perpetual license for enterprise platforms, OEM distribution, and white-label deployments. It includes all NEO features plus white-label designer canvas, OEM redistribution rights, the FormEngine drag-and-drop React form builder module, Active Directory connector, BPMN import, and one year of source code access. Includes 365 days of free updates.
Choose NEO Enterprise when you need to redistribute the engine inside your product, require white-label branding, and want direct vendor support backed by an SLA.
Which edition is right for you
The license key you pass to WorkflowRuntime.RegisterLicense() determines which edition is active. Free requires no key. All other editions require a purchased license key.
| Scenario | Recommended Edition |
|---|---|
| Evaluation, POC, learning, personal projects | Workflow Engine Free |
| Internal company process automation | Workflow Engine Team or Complete |
| SaaS or multi-tenant platform (subscription) | Workflow Engine NEO |
| Internal app with NEO API features (perpetual) | Workflow Engine NEO Business |
| SaaS or multi-tenant platform (perpetual) | Workflow Engine NEO SaaS |
| OEM, white-label, enterprise redistribution | Workflow Engine NEO Enterprise |
You can start with Free and upgrade to any commercial edition by supplying a license key - no code changes required beyond setting the key.
How to get a license
To purchase a license or request a trial key, visit the pricing page. You can also obtain a trial or commercial key directly from the License Key page. For detailed feature comparisons and custom enterprise requirements, contact the sales team at sales@optimajet.com.
Frequently asked questions
Which edition should I start with?
Start with Workflow Engine Free. It requires no license key and includes all core runtime features. When you are ready for production, purchase a commercial license and pass it to WorkflowRuntime.RegisterLicense() - no code changes needed.
What is the difference between Workflow Engine Team and Workflow Engine Complete?
Both are perpetual licenses for internal commercial use. Team has usage limits (8 threads, 100 commands, 100 activities, 500 transitions per schema) and single-server deployment. Complete removes all limits, adds multi-server clustering, and removes Optimajet branding.
What is the difference between Workflow Engine NEO and Workflow Engine NEO SaaS?
NEO is a subscription billed annually. NEO SaaS is a perpetual license with a one-time payment. Both include RPC and REST API, full hybrid multi-tenancy, multi-server clustering, and forms integration.
When should I choose Workflow Engine NEO Enterprise?
Choose NEO Enterprise when you need OEM redistribution rights, white-label designer canvas, and the ability to redistribute the engine inside your product. It includes all features plus source code access.
Can I upgrade from one edition to another?
Yes. All editions use the same core NuGet package WorkflowEngine.NETCore-Core. You may also need to add separate packages for database providers and plugins depending on your setup. To upgrade, replace the license key via WorkflowRuntime.RegisterLicense() - no code changes required beyond setting the new key.
Where can I get detailed feature comparisons?
Contact the sales team for detailed feature comparisons, pricing, and custom enterprise requirements.