ActiveBatch by Redwood vs Microsoft System Center Orchestrator comparison

ActiveBatch by Redwood and Microsoft are both solutions in the Process Automation category. ActiveBatch by Redwood is ranked #28 with an average rating of 7.5, while Microsoft is ranked #18 with an average rating of 9.0. ActiveBatch by Redwood holds a 1.1% mindshare in PA, compared to Microsoft’s 1.3% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of ActiveBatch by Redwood users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 33% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

ActiveBatch by Redwood

Read 37 ActiveBatch by Redwood reviews

2,226 Views
646 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft System Center Orc...

Read 2 Microsoft System Center Orchestrator reviews

1,058 Views
1,058 Comparison Views

33% willing to recommend

ActiveBatch by Redwood

Microsoft System Center Orc...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

ActiveBatch by Redwood and Microsoft System Center Orchestrator are competing products in the IT automation space. ActiveBatch is often preferred for its robust support and cost-effectiveness, while Microsoft System Center Orchestrator is favored for its expansive features, making it a worthwhile investment.

Features: ActiveBatch offers extensive scheduling and monitoring tools, support for diverse job scheduling, and cost-effectiveness. Microsoft System Center Orchestrator provides strong integration capabilities with existing Microsoft environments, a feature-rich platform, and system cohesion.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ActiveBatch has a straightforward deployment process and strong client support. Microsoft System Center Orchestrator integrates seamlessly into Microsoft environments but has less proactive customer service offerings.

Pricing and ROI: ActiveBatch presents a more appealing cost structure and quicker ROI, making it attractive for those concerned with budget constraints. Microsoft System Center Orchestrator might entail higher initial costs, but its feature-rich platform can justify the expense through long-term functionality and system cohesion.

To learn more, read our detailed ActiveBatch by Redwood vs. Microsoft System Center Orchestrator Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

ActiveBatch by Redwood vs. Microsoft System Center Orchestrator

December 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

ActiveBatch by Redwood

Ranking in Process Automation

28th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Managed File Transfer (MFT) (14th), Workload Automation (14th)

Microsoft System Center Orc...

Ranking in Process Automation

18th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Process Automation category, the mindshare of ActiveBatch by Redwood is 1.1%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft System Center Orchestrator is 1.3%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Process Automation Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft System Center Orchestrator	1.3%
ActiveBatch by Redwood	1.1%
Other	97.6%

Process Automation

Featured Reviews

Abdul_Samad

Application Administrator Lead at Bluestem

Manages thousands of jobs daily and reduces downtime through secondary node support

The current feedback I receive from my end users regarding ActiveBatch by Redwood highlights issues with the tabs or panes during job modification. When the next user monitors it, they need to close the pane or job and reopen it to see the changes reflected. If the end user makes an update, it will not be visible unless they start from the beginning again. Implementing a refresh button would be helpful for real-time updates when the end user needs to see changes immediately. We currently face issues with the web console of ActiveBatch by Redwood. When users operate through an RDP session, every user has their own ActiveBatch by Redwood application. However, on the web console, users encounter daily activity issues where the job instances do not appear or update correctly, and they cannot view the latest logs. This issue is only present on the web console, as the application itself works without any problems. ActiveBatch by Redwood can be improved by adding more features, as we are not currently handling cloud-based applications like S3 buckets and Azure. Connecting to these cloud platforms would be a helpful enhancement.

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Dan Campeanu

Security Engineer at ProVision

Automates tasks and manages multiple servers from a central location

The initial setup was quite complex. It required careful preparation of installation steps, as many tasks were not automated as expected. Special attention was needed to prepare groups, users, and permissions at each step to ensure a smooth setup process. Please do so accurately to avoid having to start over. Challenges encountered during deployment included issues with installation and configuration and difficulties detecting machines and executing tasks as expected. Some solutions were found through trial and error during installation, while others were discovered through recommendations from other users. Despite these challenges, the deployment and rollout of Orchestrator took approximately one and a half months to ensure proper functionality.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Approximately ~20 hours of manual effort have been reduced to ~5 hours with the help of ActiveBatch."

"The software offers real-time monitoring and reporting features that let IT teams keep tabs on the progress of their batch operations and workflows."

"One of the valuable features is the ability to trigger workflows, one after another, based on success, without having to worry about overlapping workflows. The ability to integrate our BI, analytics, and our data quality jobs is also valuable"

"ActiveBatch by Redwood has positively impacted my organization by efficiently managing a significant volume of data and workflow between our database and applications on the web browser."

"For developers, it is easy to orchestrate the workflows and the integration has been very easy."

"It has helped with scheduling complex jobs with simple scripts."

"From a scheduling point of view, it is pretty good."

"What ActiveBatch allows you to do is develop a more efficient process. It gave me visibility into all my jobs so I could choose which jobs to run in parallel. This is much easier than when I have to try to do it through cron for Windows XP, where you really can't do things in parallel and know what is going on."

More ActiveBatch by Redwood pros

"Automation is the most valuable feature of the solution."

"It can manage multiple servers and workstations from a single location."

Cons

"The product should be improved by providing a customization option."

"We currently face issues with the web console of ActiveBatch by Redwood. When users operate through an RDP session, every user has their own ActiveBatch by Redwood application. However, on the web console, users encounter daily activity issues where the job instances do not appear or update correctly, and they cannot view the latest logs."

"Setting up the software was hard."

"It does have a little bit of a learning curve because it is fairly complex. You have to learn how it does things. I don't know if it's any worse than any other tool would be, just because of the nature of what it does... the learning curve is the hardest part."

"An area for improvement in ActiveBatch Workload Automation is its interface or GUI. It could be a little better. There isn't any additional feature I'd like to see in the tool, except for the GUI, everything looks good."

"I have faced struggles to understand, set up the tool, and implement it in my early days as a new user."

"Between version 10 and version 12 there was a change. In version 10, they had each object in its own folder. But on the back end, they saw it at the root level. So when we moved over to version 12, everything was in the same area mixed together. It was incredibly difficult and we actually had to create our own folders and move those objects—like schedules, jobs, user accounts—and manually put those into folders, whereas the previous version already had it."

More ActiveBatch by Redwood cons

"The product's management aspect needs enhancement."

"I find the Orchestrator UI to be problematic."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Currently, we are paying approximately $7,000 yearly, which includes support."

"It allows for lower operational overhead."

"ActiveBatch is currently redesigning themselves. In the past, they were a low cost solution for automation. They had a nice tool that was very inexpensive. With their five-year plan, they will be more enhancement-driven, so they're trying to improve their software, customer service, and the way that their customers get information from them. In doing that, they're raising the price of their base system. They changed from one pricing model to another, which has caused some friction between ActiveBatch and us. We're working through that right now with them. That's one of the reasons why we're why we were evaluating other software packages."

"I like ActiveBatch Workload Automation's licensing model because they're not holding you down on an agentless model or agent model, where every server needs to have an agent. That's the main selling point of the solution and I hope they stay that way."

"I don't think we've ever had a problem with the pricing or licensing. Even the maintenance fees are very much in line. They are not excessive. I think for the support that you get, you get a good value for your money. It's the best value on the market."

"The pricing was fair. There are additional costs for the plugins. We have the standard licensing fees for different pieces, then we have the plugins which were add-ons. However, we expected that."

"If you compare ActiveBatch licensing to Control-M, you're looking at $50,000 as opposed to millions."

"The price was fairly in line with other automation tools. I don't think it's exorbitantly expensive, relatively speaking."

"I give the cost of the solution a five out of ten."

"We obtained a license that bundled Windows Server with System Center at no additional cost."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Insurance Company

Performing Arts

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Government

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Insurance Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	47

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ActiveBatch Workload Automation?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for ActiveBatch by Redwood has been great; we recently renewed our license, and it was a smooth process without any issues.

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What needs improvement with ActiveBatch Workload Automation?

I believe ActiveBatch by Redwood could be improved because the UI could be modernized.

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What is your primary use case for ActiveBatch Workload Automation?

My main use case for ActiveBatch by Redwood is file processing. I use ActiveBatch by Redwood for file processing for debit card transactions.

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft System Center Orchestrator?

It can manage multiple servers and workstations from a single location.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft System Center Orchestrator?

The platform was almost free of cost for us. We obtained a license that bundled Windows Server with System Center at no additional cost.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft System Center Orchestrator?

The product's management aspect needs enhancement. It affects the visibility of powerful scripts that were previously accessible. Furthermore, the focus is shifting towards cloud-based features, sp...

See all answers

Comparisons

Control-M vs ActiveBatch by Redwood

Compared 17% of the time

MuleSoft Anypoint Platform vs ActiveBatch by Redwood

Compared 11% of the time

Stonebranch vs ActiveBatch by Redwood

Compared 9% of the time

Redwood RunMyJobs vs ActiveBatch by Redwood

Compared 8% of the time

AutoSys Workload Automation vs ActiveBatch by Redwood

Compared 7% of the time

More ActiveBatch by Redwood Competitors

Camunda vs Microsoft System Center Orchestrator

Compared 14% of the time

ServiceNow Orchestration vs Microsoft System Center Orchestrator

Compared 13% of the time

Rundeck vs Microsoft System Center Orchestrator

Compared 12% of the time

vCenter Orchestrator vs Microsoft System Center Orchestrator

Compared 11% of the time

CA Process Automation vs Microsoft System Center Orchestrator

Compared 11% of the time

More Microsoft System Center Orchestrator Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ActiveBatch by Redwood

January 2026

Download ActiveBatch by Redwood product report

Buyer's Guide

Process Automation

December 2025

Microsoft System Center Orchestrator report

Download Microsoft System Center Orchestrator product report

Also Known As

ActiveBatch

MS System Center Orchestrator

Overview

ActiveBatch by Redwood enhances efficiency with features like job scheduling, integration, and real-time monitoring. It supports diverse platforms, automates tasks, and offers a single-pane view with robust security.

ActiveBatch streamlines automation by offering drag-and-drop functionality, pre-built job steps, and native integrations. Its customizable workflows and alert system aid in managing complex workloads like data processing and server monitoring across hybrid environments. While it effectively reduces manual errors and enhances productivity, areas like navigation and support for cloud platforms need enhancement. New users may face challenges due to its complexity and steep learning curve, and further improvements in reporting, mobile access, and training could provide additional support to users.

What important features does ActiveBatch offer?

Comprehensive Job Scheduling: Manages and automates complex workloads efficiently.
Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly connects with different platforms and applications.
Real-time Monitoring: Offers a single-pane view for quick issue identification.
Customizable Workflows: Tailors processes to specific organizational tasks.
Robust Alert System: Ensures timely notifications for critical events.
Data Protection: Incorporates strong security measures for secure operations.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating ActiveBatch?

Enhanced Efficiency: Automates repetitive tasks, reducing manual intervention.
Improved Productivity: Streamlines processes across hybrid environments.
Error Reduction: Decreases likelihood of manual errors.
Platform Support: Provides integration with diverse systems.

In finance, ActiveBatch is implemented for orchestrating batch processes and data management. The healthcare industry utilizes it for automating patient data updates and server monitoring, while the retail sector benefits from file transfers and inventory management automation.

ActiveBatch by Redwood

As an IT administrator, you probably perform a lot of tasks and procedures to keep your computing environment healthy. You may have automated individual tasks, but typically, not the whole process. With System Center - Orchestrator you tie disparate tasks and procedures together using a graphical user interface Runbook Designer to create reliable, flexible, and efficient end-to-end solutions in your IT environment.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Informatica, D&H, ACES, PrimeSource, Sub-Zero Group, SThree, Lamar Advertising, Subway, Xcel Energy, Ignite Technologies, Whataburger, Jyske Bank, Omaha Children's Hospital

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

ActiveBatch by Redwood vs. Microsoft System Center Orchestrator

December 2025

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