Opensource for business processes? Why CIB seven is the best alternative to Camunda 7

Many companies are rethinking their tech stack in response to rising costs and vendor lock-in. In this context, open-source solutions like CIB seven are emerging as robust, future-ready options—especially for organizations using Camunda 7. CIB seven was born as an open-source fork of Camunda 7, designed to offer a long-term solution, free from vendor dependency, and with profesional support.

Is open-source software secure?

Yes—when it’s professionally maintained and backed by an active community or enterprise-grade support.

While proprietary software keeps its code behind closed doors, open-source projects take a different route. They enable independent developers and security experts to review the code, identify weaknesses, and collectively address them as a community. That openness helps catch bugs early, before they become real problems.

Security standards can also be embedded directly into the development lifecycle. This includes CI/CD pipelines with SAST and DAST scanning, artifact signing, and automated dependency checks.

In the case of CIB seven, you’re not relying on a side project—this is a production-grade BPM engine, with ongoing updates, security patches, and a professional support structure. Its use in highly regulated industries, such as finance and public administration in Germany, demonstrates its operational reliability and technical maturity.

Why choose open-source over proprietary software?

Choosing open source is not just a technical decision—it’s a strategic one:

Greater operational control:

decide when to upgrade, what features to add, and how to scale, without relying on vendor roadmaps.

Faster adaptation:

open-source solutions can evolve quickly, especially with active community involvement, keeping up with new technologies and standards.

Open standards:

ensure seamless integration with other tools and prevent vendor lock-in or “data traps.”

Shared knowledge:

access to real documentation, community insights, and practical use cases accelerates onboarding.

CIB seven brings all of this together while maintaining full compatibility with Camunda 7, reducing migration costs and providing a sustainable & flexible automation layer. It stands out as a powerful open-source Camunda 7 alternative for organizations seeking control, transparency, and long-term support.

Open-Source or Proprietary?

Proprietary software may seem like the safe choice, but it often restricts innovation, makes adaptation more difficult, has strict contracts, and costs can be unclear. An open-source solution with good support provides full access to the code, transparency about its development, the opportunity to participate in its evolution and full digital sovereignty.

With CIB seven you also receive professional guarantees, including long-term support, regular security updates, and enterprise-grade service agreements.

Which Open-Source license is best?

The Community Edition of CIB seven is released under the Apache 2.0 license, which is a very permissive open-source license that allows you to run the software in production without any obligations to the software vendor. There are several other open-source licenses like it, such as the MIT License, that are also permissive. While we don’t want to compare and contrast permissive open-source licenses here, we would always recommend the use of permissive open-source licenses over more restrictive open-source licenses such as the GPL or AGPL when running enterprise-class software in complex production environments.

What makes CIB seven stand out?

Is CIB seven the best alternative to Camunda 7 for your team?

CIB seven is a good choice if your organization:

If you’re looking for an alternative to Camunda 7, CIB seven delivers compatibility, flexibility, and long-term support—without lock-in.

Ryan Johnston

BPM-Advisor & CIB seven Partner in the USA I Summit58.com

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