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Apache Airflow vs IBM Case Foundation comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 18, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Apache Airflow
Ranking in Business Process Management (BPM)
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
39
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM Case Foundation
Ranking in Business Process Management (BPM)
32nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Business Process Management (BPM) category, the mindshare of Apache Airflow is 6.5%, down from 9.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Case Foundation is 0.4%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Business Process Management (BPM)
 

Featured Reviews

Kemal Duman - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables efficient orchestration of batch processes with very good reliability
I am using Apache Airflow to orchestrate my jobs, projects, and batch ETL jobs. It manages tasks, orchestrates jobs, and helps in handling batch processes effectively, incorporating integrations like DBT and Great Expectations Apache Airflow is easy to scale and its UI improves with each release.…
Nouman Nawaz - PeerSpot reviewer
Mature product in terms of security and stable product
The architecture is a bit difficult, but in BAW, they introduced the Business Automation Workflow. It's a bit easier compared to Case Manager. Currently, we use Case Manager, so it's a bit difficult to upgrade and handle, but BAW is comparatively much better and easier to handle. The limitation is only for customization because IBM doesn't support it. In some scenarios, if you want some business processes to be customized, we have already spoken two or three times with IBM representatives that we have to customize some of the features in this business process. They would say that if you want to do this automation at your own end, then okay, fine, go ahead, but we are not supporting all this customization. The only thing is the customization because it's a complete standard application.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Apache Airflow is in Python language, making it easy to use and learn."
"One of its most valuable features is the graphical user interface, providing a visual representation of the pipeline status, successes, failures, and informative developer messages."
"Apache Airflow is a stable and flexible platform."
"Apache Airflow is easy to scale and its UI improves with each release."
"The initial setup was straightforward and it does not take long to complete."
"I worked on a project at a leading German bank for two years, successfully migrating large applications with hundreds of jobs."
"It's stable."
"The best feature is the customization."
"The most valuable features are those involving decision making, analysis, and anything related to event documents because those processes are related to content as well."
"The content management is great."
"A valuable feature includes seamless integration with the document management system, along with robust capabilities in analytics and reporting."
"The only thing is that we can easily track where the application is in the process, from manual to automation."
"Flexible and the ability to divide search screens, and to search for documents. The ECM feature inside the system is great."
"The solution is scalable."
"It provides us the capability of producing b​​usiness processes for documents that are launched immediately when a document comes into the repository."
"Case Foundation provides a strong security boost."
 

Cons

"I would like to see workflow integration across the servers."
"The in-built package dependencies in Python have some issues in Apache Airflow, making it an area that needs improvement."
"We're currently using version 1.10, but I understand that there's a lot of improvements in version 2. In the earlier version that we're using, we sometimes have problems with maintenance complexity. Actually using Airflow is okay, but maintaining it has been difficult."
"Apache Airflow should have better integration with cloud platforms."
"Apache Airflow could be improved by integrating some versioning principles."
"There is a minor issue with the manual work in Airflow, as everyday activities are managed manually."
"There is a need for more features on experimental evolution steps."
"I want to see Apache Airflow have more integrations with more production-based databases since it is an area where the product lacks currently."
"We are now using microservices but there are some areas where the coordination with FileNet is problematic."
"The solution can be quite expensive."
"The service as it currently stands is out-of-date and lacks flexibility."
"The cloud version could use more stability."
"Once a workflow is launched then it stays static forever, which is a problem because if there is a change in the business then you cannot change the workflow."
"There are some features that could be enhanced like the document viewer"
"90% of the feedback we receive states that the UI is not very user-friendly."
"​The place of improvement is merging or combining all of the workflow functionality into one seamless tool. Now, there are multiple installations that are different. Case Foundation, before you can put Case Manager and you've got IBM BPM, and the roadmap is there to merge them altogether. But that's the struggle at the moment, it's having multiple installations and disparate workflow applications.​"
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"For the time being, it doesn't cost anything."
"Apache Airflow is a cheap solution."
"Apache Airflow is open-source and free of charge."
"The solution is open source so is free."
"It's open-source."
"The solution is cheap."
"It's open source. You can install it locally on your own system. If you are deploying it in the production system, you normally deploy it on some cloud, such as EC2 service, which would have some cost. If you are setting up a Docker container or something for Apache Airflow yourself, which is quite easy, you can do pretty much everything online."
"I use the tool's open-source version."
"IBM Case Foundation is a little expensive."
"Pricing is in the mid-range, it is not cheap, but it's not expensive."
"This is not an expensive solution and we are using the standard license."
"The price falls in the middle range—not overly expensive but not extremely affordable either."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
26%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Retailer
5%
Computer Software Company
19%
Insurance Company
12%
Government
10%
University
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Which would you choose - Camunda Platform or Apache Airflow?
Camunda Platform allows for visual demonstration and presentation of business process flows. The flexible Java-based option was a big win for us and allows for the integration of microservices very...
What do you like most about Apache Airflow?
Apache Airflow is easy to use and can monitor task execution easily. For instance, when performing setup tasks, you can conveniently view the logs without delving into the job details.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache Airflow?
I prefer using the open-source version rather than the enterprise version, which helps manage costs.
What do you like most about IBM Case Foundation?
A valuable feature includes seamless integration with the document management system, along with robust capabilities in analytics and reporting.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Case Foundation?
It was affordable, but right now, ten years later, the cost of the product is extremely high. That's why we are looking for another product.
What needs improvement with IBM Case Foundation?
The architecture is a bit difficult, but in BAW, they introduced the Business Automation Workflow. It's a bit easier compared to Case Manager. Currently, we use Case Manager, so it's a bit difficul...
 

Also Known As

Airflow
Case Foundation, FileNet Business Process Manager
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Agari, WePay, Astronomer
Suncorp Group Limited
Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Airflow vs. IBM Case Foundation and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,236 professionals have used our research since 2012.