How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Jotform Workflows is the fastest path to a working approval flow: a visual no-code builder with approval templates, bundled into Jotform plans that start free.
- Tallyfy is the only vendor here with fully public per-user pricing: Light Seat at $100 per user per year and Full Seat at $300 per user per year.
- Pipefy and Kissflow suit operations teams that want no-code workflow building without IT projects, while Nintex and Decisions target enterprise automation programs.
- ProcessMaker no longer exists as a standalone brand: it is now Decisions at decisions.com, and frevvo now lives under OnPhase at onphase.com/frevvo.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Pipefy | Operations teams that want no-code workflow building | See website (plans quoted on Pipefy's pricing page) | Yes |
 Kissflow | Mid-size companies standardizing approvals across departments | See website (plans quoted on Kissflow's pricing page) | Free trial |
 Nintex | Enterprises automating approvals at scale | See website (quote-based enterprise pricing) | No |
 Jotform Workflows | Teams that want approvals built on top of online forms | See website (bundled with Jotform plans) | Yes |
 Decisions | IT teams wanting rules-driven process automation | See website (quote-based pricing) | No |
 frevvo by OnPhase | Form-heavy approval processes like HR and finance requests | See website (quote-based pricing) | No |
 Cflow | Small teams wanting a visual workflow builder with a free trial | See website (Joy, Bliss and Zen plans quoted on Cflow's pricing page) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Tallyfy | Teams that want simple, public per-user pricing | $100/user/year (Light Seat) | Free trial (14 days) |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Approval workflow software that actually gets used
Most approval processes die in email threads: a purchase request sits in someone's inbox for a week, nobody knows who is holding it up, and the audit trail is a forwarded chain. Approval workflow software replaces that with a defined route, automatic notifications and a record of every decision. The eight tools below range from form-based builders you can deploy today to enterprise platforms that need an implementation team.
#1
Pipefy
Best for: Operations teams that want no-code workflow building
Visit pipefy.com
Starting priceSee website (plans quoted on Pipefy's pricing page)
Free planYes
Pipefy is built for the operations manager, not the developer. You pick an approval template, adjust the stages to match how your company actually approves things, and requests start flowing with email and in-app notifications at each step. Purchasing approvals, employee onboarding and expense sign-offs are the classic use cases, and the kanban view shows exactly where every request sits.
The honest catch is cost visibility. Pricing is not published on the homepage, so budgeting requires engaging with sales, and per-user pricing means every approver adds to the bill. The reporting is adequate for operations but thin for compliance-heavy industries. It fits teams that want to digitize approvals this month without an IT project.
What we like- No-code builder with ready-made approval templates for purchasing, hiring and finance
- Visual kanban-style tracking of every request's stage
- Solid automation rules without scripting
Watch out for- No published entry price on the main site
- Per-user pricing scales quickly with approver headcount
- Reporting depth lags the enterprise platforms
#2
Kissflow
Best for: Mid-size companies standardizing approvals across departments
Visit kissflow.com
Starting priceSee website (plans quoted on Kissflow's pricing page)
Free planFree trial
Kissflow positions itself as the workflow layer for the whole mid-size company: one platform where finance, HR, procurement and IT each run their approval processes. The designer supports the approval patterns that matter, sequential chains, parallel sign-offs and conditional routing based on request values, and the analytics highlight which approvers and stages slow things down.
The trade-off is commitment. Pricing is quote-based, which signals an enterprise sales motion, and the platform's breadth means a team that needs a single purchase-approval flow will wade through more product than necessary. It suits companies standardizing dozens of processes, not teams solving one.
What we like- Low-code workflow designer handles sequential, parallel and conditional approvals
- Process analytics show bottlenecks by stage and approver
- Integrates with common business apps
Watch out for- Quote-driven pricing with no public entry tier
- The platform breadth can overwhelm teams that need one simple flow
- Customization depth requires the higher plans
Starting priceSee website (quote-based enterprise pricing)
Free planNo
Nintex is the heavyweight option. Where the simpler tools digitize a form and a routing rule, Nintex handles the full lifecycle: intake forms, multi-stage approvals, document generation, e-signatures and archival, with the governance and audit controls regulated industries require. The platform integrates deeply with Microsoft 365, Salesforce and ServiceNow environments.
The honest catch is everything that comes with enterprise software: quote-based pricing, implementation projects and a feature set that dwarfs simple needs. A 50-person company buying Nintex for expense approvals is buying a truck to carry groceries. It belongs in organizations with dedicated process teams and compliance requirements that justify the investment.
What we like- Deep process automation with forms, workflows, document generation and e-signatures in one platform
- Strong governance, audit trails and compliance tooling
- Large partner ecosystem for implementation
Watch out for- Enterprise pricing with no public starting point
- Implementation typically needs professional services
- Overkill for teams with a handful of simple approval flows
#4
Jotform Workflows
Best for: Teams that want approvals built on top of online forms
Visit jotform.com
Starting priceSee website (bundled with Jotform plans)
Free planYes
Jotform Workflows, the current name for what launched as Jotform Approvals, takes the most direct route to a working approval process: start with a form, draw the approval flow, assign approvers. Leave requests, purchase orders, expense claims and content approvals all follow the same pattern, and the templates cover the common shapes so most teams never start from a blank canvas. Because it is bundled with Jotform's plans, teams already using Jotform forms get approvals without a new vendor.
The limits are the ecosystem boundaries. If the approval does not start with a form submission, the tooling feels forced, and heavy workflow users will hit the submission caps of the lower tiers. But for the enormous category of approvals that begin as "someone fills out a request," it is the fastest path from idea to working flow, and the free Starter plan makes the evaluation cost zero.
What we like- Visual drag-and-drop builder for approval flows with templates for sequential, parallel and group approvals
- Approvals ride on Jotform's form plans, which start free
- E-signatures and payments built into the flow
Watch out for- Approval logic lives inside the Jotform ecosystem, so non-form processes fit awkwardly
- Advanced workflow features need higher Jotform tiers
- The free plan caps monthly submissions
Starting priceSee website (quote-based pricing)
Free planNo
Decisions is the current name of the product long known as ProcessMaker: the vendor rebranded, and the platform now lives at decisions.com. It is a rules-driven automation platform where approvals are one part of a larger process-automation story. The visual designers cover workflows, forms, dashboards and reports, and the rules engine handles the conditional logic that simpler tools cannot express.
The honest catch is audience. This is a platform for IT-led automation programs, not for an operations manager building a purchase-approval flow alone. Pricing is quote-based and enterprise-oriented. Organizations evaluating it should treat it as an automation platform purchase with approvals as a use case, and confirm they are looking at the current Decisions branding rather than outdated ProcessMaker materials.
What we like- Rules engine handles complex conditional approval logic
- Visual designers for workflows, forms and reports
- Strong fit for organizations already invested in .NET and Microsoft infrastructure
Watch out for- Quote-based pricing aimed at enterprise buyers
- The former ProcessMaker branding still causes confusion in reviews and comparisons
- Needs technical involvement to reach full value
#6
frevvo by OnPhase
Best for: Form-heavy approval processes like HR and finance requests
Visit onphase.com
Starting priceSee website (quote-based pricing)
Free planNo
frevvo built its name on intelligent forms: dynamic, rules-driven forms that route themselves through approval chains based on the data entered. That form-first design still suits HR onboarding packets, finance requests and any process where the form logic is half the battle. The product now operates under OnPhase, which acquired it, and lives at onphase.com/frevvo.
The trade-offs are era and pricing. The interface reflects an earlier generation of workflow software, and pricing is quote-based. It remains a solid choice for organizations with complex form requirements that feed approvals, particularly where e-signatures and PDF generation need to happen inside the same flow. Teams wanting a modern no-code experience should compare it directly against Pipefy or Jotform first.
What we like- Strong dynamic forms with business rules feeding directly into approval routing
- E-signatures and PDF generation built in
- Now backed by OnPhase's broader automation portfolio
Watch out for- Quote-based pricing with no public tiers
- The acquisition branding takes some untangling
- The product shows its age next to newer no-code builders
#7
Cflow
Best for: Small teams wanting a visual workflow builder with a free trial
Visit cflowapps.com
Starting priceSee website (Joy, Bliss and Zen plans quoted on Cflow's pricing page)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Cflow aims at the small-team buyer that the enterprise platforms ignore. The visual builder supports multiple process stages, parallel approvals and rule-based routing, covering the approval patterns most small businesses need. The 14-day trial requires no credit card, and the plan structure (Joy, Bliss, Zen) scales workflows and users with team growth.
The honest catch is the floor: plan minimums start at 10 users, so a five-person company cannot buy in at the advertised per-user math. Pricing also requires a visit to the pricing page rather than appearing on the homepage. For a team of 10 to 50 that wants visual approval building without enterprise sales cycles, it is worth the trial.
What we like- Visual workflow builder with parallel stages and advanced rules
- 14-day free trial with no credit card required
- AI credits included on plans for document handling
Watch out for- No published dollar price without visiting the pricing page
- Plan minimums (starting at 10 users) exclude very small teams
- The vendor is smaller than the category leaders
#8
Tallyfy
Best for: Teams that want simple, public per-user pricing
Visit tallyfy.com
Starting price$100/user/year (Light Seat)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Tallyfy's differentiator is pricing transparency in a category full of quote forms. Light Seat at $100 per user per year covers people who complete assigned approval tasks, while Full Seat at $300 covers those who create and edit templates, with a one-seat minimum. The product focuses on templated, repeatable processes: define the approval workflow once, run it the same way every time, track every instance.
The trade-off is flexibility. Tallyfy shines when the process is standardized and struggles with one-off or highly conditional approvals that need custom logic. The integration list is shorter than the enterprise platforms. But for a team that runs the same approval flows weekly and wants to know the exact annual cost before talking to anyone, the public pricing alone sets it apart.
What we like- Fully public pricing: Light Seat $100 per user per year, Full Seat $300 per user per year
- Workflow templates with approval steps built in
- SSO and unlimited guests on every paid plan
Watch out for- The template-driven model suits standardized processes more than ad-hoc approvals
- Smaller ecosystem of integrations than Kissflow or Nintex
- Per-user pricing penalizes large approver pools
How we chose
We started with the searches buyers run: approval workflow software, approval process software and workflow approval tools. For each candidate we verified the product exists under its current brand, opening the vendor's homepage and following redirects: this caught two rebrands, with ProcessMaker now living as Decisions and frevvo under OnPhase. We checked each vendor's own pricing page and recorded published prices where they exist, writing "See website" where pricing is quote-based. We compared approval logic (sequential, parallel, conditional routing), builder ease, templates, e-signature support and audit trails against public reviews on G2 and Capterra and practitioner discussion on Reddit. We did not test any product hands-on.
Buying approval software without buying shelfware
Approval tools have a specific failure mode: the team buys the platform, builds three flows, and everyone goes back to email. Avoiding that outcome matters more than feature comparisons.
Start with one painful process
Pick the approval that currently hurts most, usually purchase requests or expense claims, and implement only that. A tool that cannot fix your worst process in a trial will not fix your tenth process after purchase. Jotform Workflows and Cflow both offer trials that make this test cheap.
Count the approvers, not the requesters
Pricing usually follows users, and in approval software the users are the approvers. A company of 200 people might have only 30 approvers, which changes the math completely. Tallyfy's Light versus Full seat distinction exists for exactly this reason: most approvers only need to complete tasks, not build templates.
Check the audit trail before you need it
Finance and compliance teams care about one feature above all: a complete, exportable record of who approved what and when. Verify the audit log depth, retention and export format during the trial. Nintex and Decisions lead here; the simpler tools vary, so check rather than assume.
Plan for the approver who ignores email
Every approval system has one: the executive who never clicks the notification. Check escalation rules, reminders, delegation and mobile approval in the trial. The best-designed workflow still fails if approvals stall on one person's inbox, and the tools differ widely in how they handle it.
Approvals are a people problem first
Software can route a request perfectly and still fail, because approvals stall on human behavior: unclear authority, fear of signing, approvers who were never told they are approvers. Before buying, write down who can approve what, up to which dollar amount, and what happens when someone is on leave. If that document does not exist, no tool will create it for you.
The practical sequence is policy first, software second. Define the approval matrix on one page, then pick the simplest tool that enforces it. Most small businesses discover their needs fit Jotform Workflows or Cflow once the policy is written; the enterprises that genuinely need Nintex or Decisions already know who they are. The tool enforces the discipline, but the discipline has to exist first.
Frequently asked questions
What is approval workflow software?
Software that routes requests, such as purchase orders, expenses, leave or content, through a defined sequence of approvers, with automatic notifications and a record of each decision. It replaces email-based approvals with a trackable process.
How much does approval workflow software cost?
It ranges widely. Tallyfy publishes per-user pricing at $100 per user per year for Light Seats and $300 for Full Seats. Jotform Workflows is bundled with Jotform plans starting free. Pipefy, Kissflow, Nintex, Decisions, frevvo and Cflow are quote-based or publish pricing on their own pricing pages.
Can I get approval workflow software for free?
Yes, with limits. Jotform Workflows runs on Jotform's free Starter plan, and Pipefy offers a free plan. Both cap usage, so they suit small teams and simple flows. Cflow and Tallyfy offer 14-day free trials for evaluation.
What is the difference between approval workflow and business process management?
Approval workflow covers a specific pattern: requests routed to approvers for decisions. Business process management is broader, covering end-to-end process design, automation and optimization. Tools like Nintex and Decisions span both; Jotform Workflows and Tallyfy focus on the approval-shaped subset.
How long does it take to set up an approval workflow?
A simple flow, such as a leave request with one approver, takes under an hour in Jotform Workflows, Pipefy or Cflow using templates. Multi-stage conditional approvals take a day or two of configuration. Enterprise deployments on Nintex or Decisions typically run as multi-week implementation projects.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://www.pipefy.com/
- https://kissflow.com/
- https://www.nintex.com/
- https://www.jotform.com/products/workflows/
- https://decisions.com/
- https://www.onphase.com/frevvo
- https://www.cflowapps.com/pricing/
- https://tallyfy.com/pricing/
- https://www.g2.com/categories/business-process-management
- https://www.capterra.com/workflow-management-software/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.