CheckFlow vs Pneumatic (2026): Per-User Pricing vs Unlimited-User Flat Fee

Feature Deep Dive

Limited Control Types

Pneumatic's workflow steps support form fields for data entry, but the range of control types is narrow compared to CheckFlow's 18 named controls. There are no approval gates (requiring a specific authorised person to sign off a step), no digital signature controls, no table data capture controls, and no file upload fields with structured metadata. For IT change management workflows that require a formal sign-off step, HR processes that need a digital signature, or asset management processes that capture structured tabular data, these gaps are significant. Pneumatic's form fields are better suited to simple data collection in straightforward linear processes.

Concurrent Process Visibility

When running dozens of concurrent instances of the same workflow — which is common in IT operations (multiple simultaneous onboardings, active change requests, open access provisioning) — Pneumatic provides limited visual oversight. There is no dashboard equivalent to CheckFlow's data grid that lets a manager filter, sort, and act on all active runs across a template. Users report that getting a clear picture of which processes are in progress, which are overdue, and who is responsible requires navigating individually rather than through a consolidated operational view. For teams managing high volumes of concurrent processes, this is a meaningful operational gap.

IT and HR depth

CheckFlow is built specifically for IT operations and HR teams. New employee onboarding, IT asset handover, access provisioning, change approval, leaver checklists, security audits — these are first-class template categories designed around the approval flows, conditional routing, and data capture requirements those teams face. Pneumatic is a general-purpose BPM platform; it can model any workflow, but there are no pre-built IT/HR templates to start from.

The pricing crossover

The maths here is simple. CheckFlow costs $9 per user per month (annual billing). Pneumatic costs $99/month flat. Divide: $99 ÷ $9 = 11 users. Below 11 users, CheckFlow costs less. At 11 users, both cost $99/month. Above 11 users, Pneumatic's flat fee is the cheaper option. For a 20-person team, Pneumatic is $99/month vs $180/month for CheckFlow. For a 50-person team, the gap is even wider. If your team has 12 or more active users all running workflows regularly, Pneumatic's model becomes very attractive on price alone.

Open source and self-hosting

Pneumatic's codebase is publicly available on GitHub and can be self-hosted. For organisations with data sovereignty requirements, regulatory restrictions on third-party SaaS, or infrastructure teams that want to manage the platform directly, this is a meaningful differentiator. CheckFlow is a cloud-only SaaS product.

Multi-tenant and MSP use cases

Pneumatic supports multi-tenant deployments, making it suitable for managed service providers who need to run separate workflow environments for different clients under a single platform. It also offers a white-label partner programme. CheckFlow is designed for single-organisation use.

Mobile access

Pneumatic offers native iOS and Android apps. CheckFlow is web-based and works on mobile browsers but does not currently have dedicated native apps. For field teams or organisations where staff primarily access workflows from mobile devices, this is worth factoring in.

Data capture and audit

CheckFlow's 18 named control types (approval, signature, file upload, number, date, dropdown, and more) and per-step audit trail are built around the compliance logging requirements of IT and HR. Pneumatic supports form-style data capture within workflow steps, but the depth and structure of CheckFlow's control taxonomy is designed specifically for compliance use cases.