Exit Appian. Keep your workflows.
Own your stack.
Appian's per-user licensing compounds fast at enterprise scale. AI agents translate your process models, expression rules, and SAIL interfaces into standard open-source workflows — Temporal for BPM, React for UI, REST APIs for integration.
Why enterprise teams are exiting Appian
Appian delivers powerful BPM and low-code capabilities. But per-user licensing at $75–$200/user/month means costs escalate as adoption grows. Every process model is locked to Appian's proprietary SAIL interface and expression language.
See what the Rebuild Agent produces
Appian process models and SAIL interfaces become standard workflow code and React components your team can read, test, and extend — without Appian Designer.
// Appian Process Model: PO_Approval_Workflow
// (Visual drag-and-drop in Appian Designer)
[Start] → Receive PO Request (SAIL form)
↓
[Rule] → fn!evaluateApprovalThreshold(po.amount)
↓
[Decision] → Amount > $10,000?
├─ Yes → [Subprocess] escalateToVPApproval
│ ├─ [User Task] VP reviews (SAIL interface)
│ ├─ [Smart Service] updatePOStatus("escalated")
│ └─ [Send Email] notify requester
└─ No → [User Task] Manager approves (SAIL)
├─ [Smart Service] updatePOStatus("approved")
├─ [Integration] → call ERP system
└─ [Send Email] PO confirmation
// Locked in Appian Designer
// SAIL interfaces not portable
// Per-user licensing: $75–$200/user/mo// src/procurement/workflows/poApproval.ts
// Generated by RebuildAgent — Temporal workflow
export async function poApprovalWorkflow(
po: PurchaseOrder
): Promise<ApprovalResult> {
const threshold = evaluateApprovalThreshold(po.amount);
if (po.amount > 10_000) {
// Escalate to VP — human task with timeout
const vpDecision = await workflow.executeActivity(
requestVPApproval, { po, escalatedTo: threshold.vp },
{ startToCloseTimeout: "48h" }
);
await updatePOStatus(po.id, "escalated");
await notify.sendEscalationEmail(po);
if (!vpDecision.approved) {
return { status: "rejected", reason: vpDecision.reason };
}
} else {
// Manager approval — standard flow
const decision = await workflow.executeActivity(
requestManagerApproval, { po },
{ startToCloseTimeout: "24h" }
);
if (!decision.approved) {
return { status: "rejected", reason: decision.reason };
}
}
await updatePOStatus(po.id, "approved");
await erpClient.createPurchaseOrder(po);
await notify.sendConfirmation(po);
return { status: "approved", poId: po.id };
}
// Git-tracked · 91% test coverage · SonarQube A
// Runtime: Node.js + Temporal + PostgresNot all apps are equal. We know that.
The Assessment Agent classifies each Appian app by complexity. Simple apps are highly automated. Complex BPM workflows get architect-guided migration.
Custom Appian plugins, deeply nested process models with complex timer/escalation chains, RPA integrations, and CDTs with inheritance hierarchies require manual review by a migration engineer. The Assessment Agent flags these upfront — no surprises mid-migration.
Same 5-phase agent process
Appian transformations follow the same agent-driven process used across all platform exits.
What becomes what
| Appian | Open-source replacement |
|---|---|
| Process models | Temporal workflows or Camunda (open-source BPM) |
| Expression rules | Standard business logic in Node/Go services |
| SAIL interfaces | React components — your team owns the UI |
| CDTs (Custom Data Types) | Standard database schemas (Postgres, MongoDB) |
| Connected systems | REST/GraphQL API integrations |
| Records & reports | Standard API + React dashboards or Metabase |
| User management | SSO + RBAC via HyperLocal governance |
Start with the Assessment Agent
Let the agent connect to your Appian environment and produce a full report — recommended architectures, data stores, and estimated savings.