Drools
5.9#12 in business rules management softwareFree planFree planAPILinuxSelf-hosted
VisitDrools vs GoRules BRMS
GoRules BRMS
7.1#3 in business rules management softwareFrom $167 a monthFree planWebAPILinuxmacOS
VisitWhat both publish
| Fact | Drools | GoRules BRMS |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 | 2023 |
| Integrations | Drools rules can be called directly by a BPMN business rule task in jBPM within the same service. | The ZEN Engine has SDKs for Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, Java, Kotlin, C#, and Swift, and the documentation describes integration through SDKs or a REST API. |
| Purpose | Drools is a forward-chaining and backward-chaining inference-based rule engine used to build expert systems. | GoRules BRMS is a platform for authoring, testing, reviewing, and releasing business rules with version control, approvals, and an audit trail. |
| Rule authoring | Rules can also be expressed through Excel decision tables, rule templates, or a Java executable model API. | Decision models can use decision tables, expressions, JavaScript functions, and switch nodes. |
| Security | The Apache Security Team coordinates handling of Apache project vulnerabilities and encourages private reports before public disclosure. | The security page states that GoRules uses AES-256 encryption at rest, TLS 1.3 between components, and sandboxed rule execution without filesystem or network access. |
| Support | The project lists a users mailing list and Zulip chat as community contact channels. | The documentation says Business and Enterprise customers can submit support tickets, and Enterprise customers can access a dedicated Slack or Microsoft Teams channel. |
Drools plans
- Apache Drools (free)Free
GoRules BRMS plans
- Pro$167 a month
- Business$500 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
- Free—
Pick Drools if…
Drools suits developers building expert systems, rule-driven applications, or decision models who can work with Java and the stated development prerequisites. It may also suit teams using DMN or event-stream processing.
Pick GoRules BRMS if…
GoRules BRMS suits teams that need to author, test, track, and release business rules. It may fit organizations seeking SDK or REST API integration or a self-hosted deployment.