Workflow or flow designer

[J_47]

Which is better Workflow or flow designer?

[J_47]

And what should be used and when?

[AnjalPDijo]

Hi @J_47 ,

Use Flow Designer when:

• You’re building new automation or workflows in ServiceNow.
• You need low-code/no-code capabilities with modern features like:
  • Subflows, branching, error handling, integrations.
  • Human-in-the-loop approvals and dynamic notifications.
• You want future-proof solutions, as Flow Designer is actively enhanced and recommended for all new implementations.

Use Workflow Studio when:

• You need to maintain or update legacy workflows built in the Graphical Workflow Editor.
• The instance still relies on older server-side workflow logic.
• You’re working on features not yet migrated to Flow Designer (rare cases).

For new projects, always use Flow Designer. Workflow Studio is mainly for supporting existing legacy workflows.
Refer this link: KB0789014 – Flow Designer vs Workflow

Hope this helps!

Best Regards, 
Anjal

[Sandeep Rajput]

@J_47 Workflow is more of a traditional way to design a process flow, a decent amount of platform experience is needed to design a workflow. Flow designer on the other side is designed for low code/no code developer, who can easily design the complex process flows.

Process flows can still be designed using Workflow editor, however due to ease of designing and greater amount of flexibility flow designer is now recommended to design process flows now a days.

[BeingKhan]

Workflow vs. Flow Designer: A Clear Comparison

                                                     Aspect Workflow (Classic)                                                 Flow Designer (Modern)

Primary Nature	A mature, legacy automation engine.	The strategic, low-code future of ServiceNow automation.
Best For	Complex, record-centric processes that need precise control (e.g., approvals with multiple branches, rollback logic).	Broad automation including workflows, integrations, and scheduled tasks. Empowers citizen developers.
User Interface	Technical, diagram-based editor. Requires more scripting knowledge.	Visual, drag-and-drop flowchartinterface. Much more intuitive.
Key Strength	Handles highly complex, conditional logic very well.	Ease of use, reusability, and a unified platform for all automation types.
Learning Curve	Steeper, typically for developers/admins.	Gentler, suitable for business analysts and power users.
Future Direction	Maintained for existing workflows, but not the focus for new development.	Actively developed and enhanced as ServiceNow's core automation tool.

 

Quick Decision Guide

• Use Flow Designer for all new automation projects. It is the recommended tool for most use cases, especially if you want to build processes quickly, involve less technical users, or connect to external systems.

• Use the classic Workflow only if you are maintaining a very complex existing workflow or absolutely need a specific feature like "Rollback To" that isn't native to Flow Designer.

In short, for anything new, Flow Designer is the clear and recommended choice.