---
id: django-viewflow
version: "2.4.0"
license: AGPL
license_treatment: agpl
maintenance: active
---

# django-viewflow — Reusable library to build business applications fast

License: agpl · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 198.6K/mo

## What it is and what it does

Viewflow is a Django framework for building business applications with minimal code by providing pre-built workflow, form, and reporting components. It implements BPMN 2.0 process definitions, allowing developers to define multi-step business processes (like order fulfillment or approval chains) declaratively rather than writing custom state machines. The library includes database-backed timers, boundary events for error handling and escalation, compensation (undo) handlers, and intermediate events like message and signal catches—all persisted so they survive broker restarts.

The package ships as a single installation with everything included: a responsive web interface, a CRUD system for complex forms, a reporting dashboard, and a small API surface designed to be easy to learn. It works alongside Django's ORM and admin, letting you customize everything while keeping full control. The open-source Core version provides base classes; a commercial PRO version adds ready-to-use features and third-party integrations.

Use it for:

- Build multi-step order or approval workflows where tasks route between users based on conditions, with automatic escalation after deadlines.
- Create data entry applications with complex forms that guide users through a defined process, storing intermediate state in the database.
- Implement business process automation that exports to standard BPMN 2.0 files for documentation or import into other tools like Camunda.
- Add user-facing task management to Django admin, showing each user their assigned workflow tasks with forms and status tracking.
- Handle long-running background jobs with timers and error recovery—tasks can be interrupted, compensated, or retried without losing state.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Viewflow is a low-code library for building business applications with Django, providing ready-made components for workflows, user management, forms, and reporting built on BPMN 2.0 process definitions.

Yes, if you are building a Django business application that needs workflow or multi-step process management. The low install friction, active maintenance, AGPL license with commercial-use carve-outs, and zero known vulnerabilities make it safe to adopt. The BPMN 2.0 foundation and recent 2.4.0 release with timer and boundary-event support signal a mature, feature-complete library. Start with the open-source Core; migrate to PRO only if you need pre-built integrations.

## Install

pip install django-viewflow
uv add django-viewflow
poetry add django-viewflow

## Installing django-viewflow

Before you install: Installation is straightforward with low friction—a pure Python wheel with only Django and django-filter as runtime dependencies. The package is actively maintained, with a release 15 days old and marked Production/Stable.

License in practice: Licensed under AGPL v3 with Additional Permissions that explicitly allow commercial use and distribution. The license terms are similar to GPL runtime library exceptions, making it compatible with commercial development. A commercial-friendly license is available for Viewflow PRO.

Quickstart:

pip install django-viewflow

# In settings.py, add to INSTALLED_APPS:
# 'viewflow', 'viewflow.workflow'

from viewflow.workflow.models import Process
from viewflow.workflow import flow
from viewflow.workflow.flow.views import CreateProcessView

class MyProcess(Process):
    pass

class MyFlow(flow.Flow):
    process_class = MyProcess
    start = flow.Start(CreateProcessView.as_view(fields=[]))

Requires Python 3.10+ and Django 4.2+. BPMN features and timers require the workflow module to be added to INSTALLED_APPS.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the open-source Core version includes all BPMN 2.0 features described or if some are PRO-only.
- Performance characteristics and scalability limits for large process volumes or complex workflows.
- Compatibility with async Django views and asynchronous task execution beyond celery.

## Package facts

- License: AGPL (agpl)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 198.6K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

django workflow engine, bpmn process automation, django business application framework, low-code django forms and crud, django process management, workflow state machine django, django admin workflow, workflow-engine, bpmn, business-process

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