Elsa Workflows

A workflow library for .NET that runs workflows inside your own application, defined in C#, in JSON or with a visual designer.

7.9k stars, 1.5k forks C# On GitHub since October 2018

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

What is Elsa Workflows?

Elsa adds workflow execution to any .NET application. You can write workflows in C#, describe them in JSON, or draw them in Elsa Studio, the visual designer, and run them in the same process as your app or on a dedicated server. A Docker image with the server and the designer is available for a quick trial, though its authors note it is not meant for production as is.

Good fit if

  • Your stack is .NET and you want workflows embedded in your own application.
  • You need both developers in C# and analysts in a visual designer to work on workflows.
  • You want an MIT-licensed engine with no paid parts.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want a standalone automation tool with ready integrations: n8n or Activepieces.
  • Your services are not .NET: Temporal supports many languages.

Before you adopt it

Elsa is MIT-licensed, and nothing in the repository is paywalled. In June 2021 it moved from a BSD license to MIT. About 94% of commits in the last 90 days come from a single author, so the project's pace rests on one person.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 30 October 2026. Report a correction

Elsa Workflows health: is it still maintained?

75 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    2,095 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 1 November 2026.
    30 / 30
  • Contributors
    6 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 89% of them.
    11 / 20
  • Releases
    12 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, 3.9.0, on 4 October 2026.
    18 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Too few recent issues from outside the team to measure, so this part gets a neutral score.
    10 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 6 of 10.
    6 / 10

Read from GitHub on 1 November 2026. How the score works

Elsa Workflows license: is it open source?

Elsa Workflows uses MIT, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. October 2018First published on GitHub under BSD.
  2. 13 June 2021Changed to MIT. Commit: Switch to MIT license
  3. TodayMIT.

How to run Elsa Workflows yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
docker/docker-compose.yml: 9 services (postgres, mysql, mongodb, rabbitmq, redis)
Setup effort
4 of 5, judged from the compose file
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
No app builds in GitHub releases
Interface languages
3 languages

Install instructions: elsaworkflows.io or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to Elsa Workflows

  • ConductorConductor is an event driven agentic workflow engine providing durable and highly resilient execution engine… 78 health · Apache-2.0 · 32.4k stars
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Questions about Elsa Workflows

Is Elsa Workflows open source?

Yes. Elsa Workflows is published under MIT, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Elsa Workflows still maintained?

Its health score is 75 of 100 (actively developed). It had 2,095 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 1 November 2026, and its latest release came out on 4 October 2026.

Did Elsa Workflows change its license?

Yes. It moved from BSD to MIT on 13 June 2021.

How do I run Elsa Workflows?

You can run it with Docker. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to Elsa Workflows?

Close alternatives in the Workflow automation category include Conductor, StackStorm, Activepieces.