# OpenWOP vs Temporal

> Source: https://openwop.dev/comparisons/temporal/ · OpenWOP, the open-source protocol for multi-agent workflow orchestration.

Temporal is a durable-execution engine that runs your workflow code reliably; OpenWOP is an open protocol for AI-workflow runs that a host exposes, and a host could be built on Temporal. For production durable execution today, choose Temporal: it has about a decade of hardening, and OpenWOP's own positioning says so.

Checked 4 October 2026. Figures for Temporal come from its own docs, repository and company pages.

## At a glance

| Property | OpenWOP | Temporal |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A protocol for AI-workflow runs plus a conformance suite | A durable-execution runtime ([docs](https://docs.temporal.io/temporal)) |
| Licence | Spec CC BY 4.0, code Apache 2.0 | MIT ([licence](https://github.com/temporalio/temporal/blob/main/LICENSE)) |
| Languages | Any language that speaks HTTP; SDKs for TypeScript, Python and Go | Eight official SDKs ([SDKs](https://docs.temporal.io/encyclopedia/temporal-sdks)) |
| History | An append-only event log in a shared, closed vocabulary ([events](https://openwop.dev/spec/v2/core/events.html)) | An append-only Event History of Temporal-specific events ([docs](https://docs.temporal.io/workflow-execution/event)) |
| Human approval | A first-class approval interrupt ([interrupt](https://openwop.dev/spec/v2/core/interrupt.html)) | Built with Signals or Updates ([docs](https://docs.temporal.io/encyclopedia/workflow-message-passing)) |
| Replay and fork | Fork as a new run, in replay or branch mode ([replay](https://openwop.dev/spec/v2/core/replay.html)) | Deterministic replay for recovery; Reset ends the old run and starts a new one |
| Wire spec | REST and Server-Sent Events, OpenAPI and AsyncAPI, conformance suite | gRPC protos ([temporalio/api](https://github.com/temporalio/api)); we found no third-party server |
| Maturity | New: the spec repo started in May 2026; no independent host | More than 2,900 customers ([about](https://temporal.io/about)) |
| Managed option | A reference app | Temporal Cloud ([pricing](https://temporal.io/pricing)) |

## When to choose Temporal

- You need durable execution in production now, in any domain, with timers, retries and task queues at scale.
- You want a mature managed service and SDKs in eight languages.
- You are comfortable writing approval and agent patterns yourself on top of Signals and Activities, or using Temporal's agent SDK integrations.

## When OpenWOP fits

- You want AI-workflow concepts (approval interrupts, agent events, fork without repeating side effects) as a portable wire contract rather than code patterns.
- You want clients and tools that work against any compatible host, checked by a conformance suite.

OpenWOP borrowed per-run version pinning from Temporal. It is months old, has one steward, and no independent organisation has implemented a host yet.

## Using them together

The spec describes how an OpenWOP host could be built on Temporal: a run maps to a workflow, an interrupt's resolution to a signal, and a step to an activity. Nobody has built such a host yet.

## Common questions

### Is OpenWOP a Temporal alternative?

No. Temporal is an engine that runs your code durably; OpenWOP is a contract a host exposes, which could itself run on Temporal.

### Doesn't Temporal already do replay?

Yes. Temporal's replay rebuilds workflow state for recovery and testing. OpenWOP's fork creates a new run from any event, and a host that advertises replay must not perform side effects a second time.

## Sources

- [What is Temporal](https://docs.temporal.io/temporal), [Event History](https://docs.temporal.io/workflow-execution/event), [message passing](https://docs.temporal.io/encyclopedia/workflow-message-passing), [SDKs](https://docs.temporal.io/encyclopedia/temporal-sdks)
- [Temporal licence](https://github.com/temporalio/temporal/blob/main/LICENSE), [API protos](https://github.com/temporalio/api), [about](https://temporal.io/about), [pricing](https://temporal.io/pricing)
- OpenWOP: [events](https://openwop.dev/spec/v2/core/events.html), [interrupt](https://openwop.dev/spec/v2/core/interrupt.html), [replay](https://openwop.dev/spec/v2/core/replay.html), [conformance](https://openwop.dev/conformance/)