The best process mining software reads the event logs your systems already keep and turns them into a map of how work really flows, with every delay, loop and workaround on show: analysts often start with a desktop or open source tool, while large firms want a platform that feeds automation and AI projects. Eleven tools follow in no particular order.
Ask five people how an order gets from quote to cash and you'll hear five different stories. The truth is sitting in your ERP, CRM and finance systems as timestamps, one for every step anyone took.
Process mining software turns those timestamps into a picture you can't argue with. The eleven tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from free open source projects to large enterprise platforms, and every description comes from the vendor's own site, read this week. If you're mapping processes so you can automate them, my list of workflow automation tools is the natural next step.
Process mining tools at a glance
In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan, a free edition or an open source version. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it or book a demo.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apromore | Process intelligence platform | Salesforce and SAP process analysis | Not stated |
| Celonis | Process intelligence and enterprise AI | Large enterprises mining processes at scale | Not stated |
| Disco | Desktop process mining | Analysts wanting quick process maps | Not stated |
| IBM Process Mining | AI process mining | Enterprises optimising processes with AI | Trial only |
| mindzie | Process and task mining | Starting on the desktop before scaling | Yes |
| PM4Py | Open source process mining library | Python users and data scientists | Yes |
| Power Automate Process Mining | Process mining in Power Automate | Microsoft Power Platform users | Not stated |
| ProM | Open source process mining framework | Researchers and students | Yes |
| QPR ProcessAnalyzer | Process mining software | Finance shared service centres | Not stated |
| SAP Signavio Process Intelligence | Process intelligence for SAP | Businesses already running SAP | Trial only |
| UiPath Process Intelligence | Process intelligence software | Finding processes worth automating | Not stated |
Eleven process mining tools to consider
Apromore
Best for: Organisations that want process mining tied closely to Salesforce or SAP, now that Apromore is part of Salesforce.
Celonis
Best for: Large enterprises that want a well-known process intelligence platform feeding their AI and automation projects.
Disco
Best for: Analysts and consultants who want visual process maps built from raw data in minutes, running on their own computer.
IBM Process Mining
Best for: Enterprises that want process mining with AI-driven optimisation and a free trial before they commit.
mindzie
Best for: Teams that want to try process mining on the desktop first, then grow into a full rollout across the business.
PM4Py
Best for: Data scientists comfortable in Python who want a free, open source library for process mining inside their own code.
Power Automate Process Mining
Best for: Organisations using the Microsoft Power Platform that want process mining next to the automations they already build there.
ProM
Best for: Researchers, students and analysts who want a free, open source process mining framework they can download and run themselves.
QPR ProcessAnalyzer
Best for: Finance shared service centres and operations teams that want process mining focused on operational excellence.
SAP Signavio Process Intelligence
Best for: Businesses running SAP that want process insights linked to the wider SAP Signavio modelling and transformation suite.
UiPath Process Intelligence
Best for: Companies that want to spot which processes to automate and then build those automations with the same vendor.
How process mining works
Every system that tracks work keeps an event log: which case it was, what happened and when. Process mining software stitches those events together into a map of every path cases take, then shows where they wait, loop back or go wrong.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Task mining goes a level deeper, recording the clicks and steps people take on screen. Some tools offer both, which helps when part of a process doesn't touch any system and lives in email or spreadsheets.
The standard that keeps your data portable
The XES standard site, run with the IEEE Task Force on Process Mining, lists IEEE 1849-2016 as the first XES standard definition for event logs and IEEE 1849-2023 as the current one.
Why should a business owner care? It's because preparing event data is the slowest part of any process mining project. If a tool can import and export logs in a standard format, the work you put into cleaning that data isn't locked inside one vendor's product.
Order-to-delivery is another, covered in order fulfilment software.
Questions to ask a process mining vendor
- Which of our systems do you connect to out of the box?
- Who prepares the event data, and how long does that usually take?
- Can we import and export standard XES event logs?
- Do you offer task mining for the steps that happen outside our systems?
- Can business users explore the maps, or only analysts?
- How do you turn findings into automation or process changes?
Invoice handling is a classic case, with tools listed in invoice processing software.
Signs a process is worth mining
- Nobody agrees how it works. Every team tells a different story.
- Cases wait for days. There's no record of where.
- Work keeps bouncing back. Rework is normal.
- Automation stalled. The process was never clear enough to automate.
Do you make process mining software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing process mining software
Pick one process that everyone already complains about, such as invoice approvals or customer onboarding, and mine that first. A focused win with a clear before and after will teach you more than a big platform rollout, and it's far easier to explain.
If you've got an analyst who's happy with data, a desktop or open source tool is a sensible place to learn. Bring in a larger platform when you're ready to act on what you find across the business. Before you buy, run through my automation audit checklist to see which processes are worth the effort.
Frequently asked questions
What is process mining?
It's a way of using the event logs in your business systems to map how processes really run, including delays, rework and exceptions.
What is the difference between process mining and task mining?
Process mining uses system event logs. Task mining records what people do on their screens, which covers steps that don't happen inside any system.
Is there free process mining software?
Yes. Open source tools and libraries are free to use, and at least one platform offers a free account to start on the desktop.
What data do I need for process mining?
At minimum, a case identifier, an activity name and a timestamp for each event, usually taken from an ERP, CRM or ticketing system.
What is an XES file?
XES is an IEEE standard format for event logs, which lets you move process data between different process mining tools.
Is process mining only for large companies?
No. Smaller firms can mine a single process from one system, as long as that system records when each step happened.
