Drools vs InRule Decisioning
Drools
kie.apache.org
InRule Decisioning
inrule.comSide by side
| Figure | Drools | InRule Decisioning |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Business Rules Management Software | 8.0 (#6) | 7.6 (#12) |
| Integrations | Drools rules can be called directly by a BPMN business rule task in jBPM within the same service. | The platform documentation names Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Azure, and Salesforce as integration platforms. |
| Purpose | Drools is a forward-chaining and backward-chaining inference-based rule engine used to build expert systems. | InRule Decisioning supports authoring, testing, storing, deploying, and executing decision logic. |
| Rule authoring | Rules can also be expressed through Excel decision tables, rule templates, or a Java executable model API. | Its desktop irAuthor and browser based Author Studio support business language rules, decision tables, and rule expressions. |
| Security | The Apache Security Team coordinates handling of Apache project vulnerabilities and encourages private reports before public disclosure. | InRule lists SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001 certifications and describes audit logs, role based permissions, and review workflows. |
| Support | The project lists a users mailing list and Zulip chat as community contact channels. | The subscription includes support site access, videos, phone and email support, and computer based training for irAuthor and Author Studio. |
Plans
In their own words
Drools
Drools is a free, open-source rule engine for building expert systems with forward- and backward-chaining inference. Its DMN engine supports Conformance level 3, covering the features in that standard, and can statically analyze decision tables for gaps and overlaps. For event processing, it reasons over streams using temporal operators, sliding windows, and event expiration. Developers can define rules in DRL text files alongside Java code, or use Excel decision tables, rule templates, or a Java executable model API. Rule units organize rules with typed containers for input data, and Kogito can generate REST endpoints from them. Drools rules can also be called by a BPMN business rule task in jBPM within the same service. Apache KIE states that the DMN engine passes 99.9% of DMN TCK tests as of version 10.2.0. The project is available for API, Linux, and self-hosted use at free. Getting started requires an IDE, JDK 21 or 17, and Maven 3.9 or later. Apache KIE is undergoing incubation and has not yet been fully endorsed by the ASF.
InRule Decisioning
InRule Decisioning helps business users create, test, store, deploy, and run complex decision logic without code. Decisions can be authored in business language, decision tables, visual diagrams, or Decision Model and Notation (DMN), using desktop irAuthor or browser-based Author Studio. Testing tools support unit and regression tests, reusable test data, and execution logging; analytics can track scenarios, evaluated criteria, decision results, and execution metrics. Logic can run through a REST API or .NET SDK, or as JavaScript in browsers, mobile apps, and data platforms such as Snowflake. The product also names AWS Lambda and edge devices as runtime options. Deployment choices include cloud, on-premises, hybrid, self-hosted, and InRule SaaS environments. Listed integrations include Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and SAP. InRule states that the platform has SOC 2 Type II and ISO/IEC 27001 certifications, and offers audit logs and role-based permissions. The subscription price is determined by configurable components and is available on request; Development and Production environments are included, while additional environments cost extra.