Cortado

Cortado is a free, open-source desktop tool for interactive process mining. It suits analysts, researchers, and other end users who need to inspect selected event-log behavior and shape a process model incrementally. Its self-hosted design favors control and focused analysis, while cloud-first teams and users without compatible hardware should choose another route.

Overview

Cortado links event-log exploration, process discovery, model editing, and performance analysis in one workflow. It imports event logs in .xes format and initial process models in .ptml, giving users a defined interchange path rather than a proprietary-only project format. The project is released under GPL-3.0 and is self-hosted, so organizations retain local deployment but also take responsibility for installation and administration.

The application is built as an Angular frontend embedded in an Electron executable, with a Python backend. Help for selected functions appears inside the tool, and the project accepts questions and custom requests by email. Administrator rights may be required to run it, which matters in managed workplace environments.

Key features

Explore behavior before modeling

The visual variant explorer lets users examine the ways cases move through an event log before selecting behavior for discovery. That makes Cortado better suited to analysts who want to focus on meaningful variants than to workflows that simply produce one unattended model from an entire log.

Incremental discovery and editing

Users can discover an initial process model from selected process behavior, then extend it with further selected behavior. Manual editing is available while the model is under construction, so the analyst can combine algorithmic discovery with deliberate modeling decisions instead of restarting after every change.

Analysis and conformance

Temporal performance analysis works both from a model and independently of one, allowing timing questions to be examined even when a complete model is not yet the right starting point. Cortado also supports conformance checking, which helps compare recorded behavior with a process representation as the model develops.

Export

Discovered models can be exported as .ptml or .pnml. Those formats make the output practical for workflows that need to preserve or pass on the resulting model.

Pricing

Cortado is free and open source. There are no paid tiers, seat charges, quotas, or trial-renewal terms to weigh. That makes it a strong fit for individual analysts, teaching, research, and teams able to operate their own software. The trade-off is that the product is self-hosted rather than a managed service, so the cost advantage does not remove deployment and administration work.

Platforms

Standalone builds are provided for Windows 10 and 11, Linux, and macOS. The macOS build requires Apple Silicon, so Intel-based Mac users need a different platform or tool. Cortado is delivered as an Electron application with a Python backend; administrator rights may be necessary to run it.

Who it's for

Cortado is aimed at end-user process-mining work where people need to inspect variants, select specific behavior, and refine a model over several passes. It is particularly appropriate for technically comfortable users who value an open-source license, local deployment, editable models, and PTML or PNML export. It is less suitable for organizations seeking a hosted, centrally administered service or for Mac users whose hardware is not Apple Silicon.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Free and GPL-3.0 licensed: removes subscription pricing and permits an open-source deployment model.
• Incremental workflow: selected behavior can produce and extend a model without abandoning manual edits.
• Broad analysis path: variant exploration, conformance checking, and model-based or model-independent temporal analysis cover different stages of investigation.
• Useful model exchange: PTML and PNML export supports downstream process-model workflows.
• Windows, Linux, and Apple Silicon macOS builds: supports the major desktop operating systems, subject to the Mac hardware requirement.

Cons

• Self-hosted operation: users must handle deployment and administration rather than rely on a managed cloud service.
• macOS hardware restriction: the standalone build is for Apple Silicon only.
• Possible administrator requirement: installation or execution may conflict with locked-down workplace machines.

Alternatives

Choose Mindzie Process Mining when a freemium option with a Free Desktop Edition supporting up to 1,000 cases and full functionality is a better fit, or when web, API, and hosted deployment choices matter.

PM4Py is the better choice for a free process-mining library spanning Linux, macOS, Windows, and API use, especially where AGPL v3 licensing for teaching, research, and open-source projects is acceptable.

Pick ProM for a free cross-platform desktop environment built around separately installed packages and plug-ins, with Java 8 or later required.

Celonis Process Mining Platform is an alternative for teams considering a paid platform with web and API access and a free plan.

Choose ProcessMind for a freemium web/API service whose Free plan includes one member, unlimited models, and 20 AI credits per month.

bupaR is a free, open-source R package for business process analysis.

RuM is another free option for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

StereoLOGIC Process Mining is a paid alternative available through web, self-hosted, Linux, and Windows deployments.

For a wider category view, see Process Mining Software.

Verdict

Cortado is a convincing choice for analysts and researchers who want free, local process mining with variant-level exploration, incremental discovery, editable models, conformance checking, and open model export. Choose it when control and an iterative modeling workflow matter more than managed hosting. Look elsewhere if you need a cloud service, frictionless enterprise administration, or a macOS build for Intel hardware.