Appian RPA vs Automate comparison

Appian and Fortra are both solutions in the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) category. Appian is ranked #15 with an average rating of 9.0, while Fortra is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.9. Appian holds a 0.6% mindshare in RPA, compared to Fortra’s 1.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Appian users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Fortra users who would recommend it.

Appian RPA

Read 2 Appian RPA reviews

455 Views
305 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Automate

Read 28 Automate reviews

2,300 Views
1,518 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Appian RPA

Automate

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 8, 2025

Automate and Appian RPA are robotic process automation solutions. Automate is often preferred for its cost-effectiveness and strong customer support, while Appian RPA stands out with advanced features and functionalities, valued for its comprehensive offerings despite a higher cost.

Features: Automate features an intuitive interface, facilitating easy use and rapid adaptation. It offers extensive integrations and customizable automation capabilities ideal for non-technical users. Appian RPA excels with advanced process orchestration, focusing on complex workflows and enterprise-level automation. It provides advanced data analytics and monitoring tools for deeper process insights.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Automate ensures straightforward deployment with excellent customer service, making the setup and implementation process accessible and quick without extensive technical knowledge. Appian RPA involves a more complex deployment process but ensures a thorough onboarding experience with robust technical support, tailored for large-scale operations.

Pricing and ROI: Automate has a lower initial setup cost, appealing to businesses looking for cost-effective solutions with quick ROI. Appian RPA requires a higher initial investment but promises substantial ROI due to its sophisticated automation and scalability, justifying the higher cost with long-term performance gains.

To learn more, read our detailed Appian RPA vs. Automate Report (Updated: August 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Appian RPA vs. Automate

August 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

Appian RPA

Ranking in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

15th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Process Automation (24th)

Automate

Ranking in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

5th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) category, the mindshare of Appian RPA is 0.6%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Automate is 1.9%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Featured Reviews

Kunal Sharda

Director & Key Managerial Personnel at Newlight Technology Solutions Private Limited

Partnering with comprehensive automation for increased efficiency

The best feature of Appian RPA is that it is highly integrated into the Appian platform itself. It is very easy to configure that in the end-to-end Appian automation solution. The second notable feature is that Appian RPA gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of how you want to design the robotic tasks. It has a very detailed orchestration console which provides details about the entire runtime and the logs of Appian RPA where you can find in detail what the robot did on the virtual machine. Appian provides dashboards where users or admins can log in and see how the robots are performing various robotic tasks. It is very detailed and gives substantial insight into how Appian RPA is functioning or is operational. It also lets you drill down into specific details at each task level.

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Anabel Marco

Account Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Automates processes efficiently with cost-effective scaling and robust customer support

Web scraping is quite good since it offers a lot of possibilities. Another important feature for me is its compatibility with MBI, the Power that is ISEQUADO Centers. I appreciate the ability to scale and increase the number of bots or studios without additional expense. Automate's non-reliance on additional orchestrators makes it quite cost-effective.

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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

"The best feature of Appian RPA is that it is highly integrated into the Appian platform itself and is very easy to configure in the end-to-end Appian automation solution."

"Appian RPA is super easy to use, offering low code, no code capabilities."

"The ability to connect to websites and pull data is the solution's most valuable feature."

"The most valuable features for my client are timing and scheduling."

"Automate increases efficiency and eliminates errors during documentation and invoicing processes."

"It gives us a central place to schedule tasks and run them distributed."

"Fortra's Automate performs the job effectively and has the capability to alert us of any issues."

"Compared to other vendors, it's the scheduling tool because a lot of vendors want to charge you extra for their enterprise-level license to have a scheduling tool built in to give you the ability to set up regular schedules to run and do certain data checks."

"We have tried other RPA solutions like UiPath or Automation Anywhere. They are fantastic products but complex, and it's hard to understand everything. It would be best if you had a skilled developer or several. Automate is easy to implement, administer, and use. It's appropriate for us because our cases are simple and easy to automate. We don't need complicated tools with many features; We prefer to get a significant ROI quickly."

"We are still in the process of rolling it to production and tweaking it (our AD groups are a mess), but the improvements are priceless. Having users ID's created the same way every time without human error is the best part. We don't need to worry about why groups were not added, user rights not set to folders or missing a private folder being created, typos or just even knowing when things are done and logged."

More Automate pros

Cons

"There are not any areas that need improvement off the top of my head."

"There are many competitive products in the market right now, for example, UiPath and Automation Anywhere. These competitive products are now coming up with features which Appian RPA currently does not have."

"Fortra's Automate is not as reliable as I would like it to be."

"It's possible that they could use a stronger community for seeking guidance and help."

"I would like to see some better web automation, a wizard like the one in the product WinAutomation would be very nice."

"I believe we need to test various OCR tools that assist in evaluating, let's say, six different customer resyncs. We analyze their spending patterns and documentations, but current OCR support has limitations, requiring highly standardized documents, which isn't always the case. With a more advanced OCR system, we could improve processes related to credit risk management and legal matters. We're exploring how to integrate Fortra's Automate with our CRM platform, taking cues from instances where Salesforce seamlessly merged with Automate. However, we use a different CRM, Insight for New Enterprise, and we're seeking ways to connect the automation process within our CRM. We aim for the automation to continue smoothly, even in instances where traditional automation methods might face hurdles."

"The vendor is currently working on a solution that allows us to automatically create a process that is based on a document that we receive via email."

"While this solution is continually improving, as it is now, the user interface could use improvement when I compare it to a product like UiPath."

"I currently have three bugs open with them that I don't know if they are addressed in the new release."

"We really need a free development environment for customers. Building and testing automation on production isn't ideal."

More Automate cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The pricing is quite reasonable. We can run the process with one bot. The limitation is at the server level because they have some resources, and sometimes that is enough. It isn't too expensive, so you can get a good return off of one, and you can also have a pack of five bots that is quite competitive."

"It has gone up in price. The price of Fortra's Automate has increased since we first started using it. It does a lot but also costs a lot. It was a lot more affordable before Fortra owned the software."

"From a distributor's side, one of the biggest selling points is its price point. Without going into any numbers, compared to UiPath, Automation Anywhere, and Blue Prism, we're significantly cheaper. The main difference is that other competitors usually charge you per process. However, in Automate's case, it's priced per bot. So, a bot can run multiple processes at the same time, but you are only priced for a single bot."

"Once you buy the software, you just pay for the support for backend help."

"It comes with a package that costs approximately $20,000 USD per year."

"From a distributor's perspective, one of the biggest selling points of Automate is its price point."

"Compared to other products, the pricing model for this solution is much more convenient, flexible, and adaptable to the Portuguese reality."

"The cost is a bit high for a small business like ours, but we manage with Fortra's Automate."

More Automate pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

19%

Insurance Company

15%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Performing Arts

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Appian RPA?

I didn't handle payments or costs. We recommended infrastructure stacks to our clients, who implemented them, and we provided ongoing consulting services.

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What needs improvement with Appian RPA?

There are many competitive products in the market right now, for example, UiPath and Automation Anywhere. These competitive products are now coming up with features which Appian RPA currently does ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Appian RPA?

Clients use the Appian RPA solution whenever they have manual tasks and want to automate them using robots. It is usually used for highly repetitive tasks which are manual in nature and where there...

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What do you like most about HelpSystems AutoMate?

We use it for specific cases, mainly secure file transfers, which are vital for us. And it works for us.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for HelpSystems AutoMate?

The main purpose is for automation. That has been the purpose why I have been using it so far.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortra Automate?

Regarding pricing, it is very friendly. I would not say that it is really cheap or very expensive, but it fits within our budget.

See all answers

Comparisons

UiPath Platform vs Appian RPA

Compared 53% of the time

Blue Prism vs Appian RPA

Compared 20% of the time

Temporal vs Appian RPA

Compared 14% of the time

Control-M vs Appian RPA

Compared 12% of the time

More Appian RPA Competitors

UiPath Platform vs Automate

Compared 28% of the time

Microsoft Power Automate vs Automate

Compared 24% of the time

Redwood Software - Finance Automation Edition vs Automate

Compared 9% of the time

Blue Prism vs Automate

Compared 8% of the time

Automation Anywhere vs Automate

Compared 6% of the time

More Automate Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

July 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Automate

August 2025

Download Automate product report

Also Known As

Jidoka RPA

HelpSystems Automate, Automate

Overview

Appian RPA seamlessly integrates with the comprehensive Appian Platform for process automation, offering an end-to-end solution for streamlining workflows and automating repetitive tasks. With features like the Universal RPA Task Recorder and the Low-code Appian Process Modeler, users can quickly build and deploy bots without extensive coding knowledge. Appian RPA ensures governance, dynamic exception handling, secure deployment, and scalability, enabling organizations to maintain automation integrity while efficiently managing digital workers across various environments. By leveraging Appian RPA alongside Appian IDP, AI, business rules, and API integrations, businesses can achieve seamless process automation and drive value quickly, optimizing workflows between humans, digital workers, and systems. With Appian's unified platform for change, organizations can accelerate digital innovation, enhance business efficiency, and create end-to-end automation solutions tailored to their specific needs.

Appian

Automate offers a user-friendly solution with a drag-and-drop interface for efficient task automation and integration with major platforms like SAP and Azure, making it ideal for quick deployment with minimal coding and training.

Automate provides powerful features for businesses seeking efficient automation, offering compatibility with databases, email integration, and cloud platforms. Its simple interface supports both beginners and experienced users, simplifying tasks like invoice processing, HR automation, and data transformation. Cost-effective pricing and flexible licensing enhance its appeal while integration capabilities and scheduling tools ensure smooth workflow automation.

What are Automate's Key Features?

Drag-and-Drop Interface: Simplifies automation with intuitive design.
Integration Capabilities: Connects with platforms like SAP and Azure for seamless data flow.
Database and FTP Triggers: Enhances automation potential through direct data interaction.
Efficient Scheduling: Automates tasks with precise timing and control.
Web Scraping: Automates data extraction for quick analysis and reporting.

What Benefits and ROI Should Users Expect?

Rapid Deployment: Minimizes coding efforts for quick implementation.
Cost-Effectiveness: Offers flexible pricing models to suit budget constraints.
Operational Efficiency: Reduces manual workloads and enhances productivity.
Comprehensive Integration: Facilitates improved data management across systems.
Scalability: Adapts to growing business needs with ease.

In industries such as healthcare, banking, and logistics, Automate is used for tasks like invoice payment automation, data transformation, and task automation. This leads to streamlined processes and reduced manual workload, illustrating its value in enhancing operational efficiency through diversified workflows.

Fortra

Sample Customers

empark, talan, liverpool, ayesa, aeromexico, teknei

Aldergrove Financial Group, Preferred Health Professionals, Mindbeam Technologies, First Credit Union in British Columbia, Vestcom International, Prime Liberty Benefits, University of Tampa, CNLBancshares, World Precision Instruments, BJ's Restaurants, Globe Pequot Press, Accudata Technologies, Norton Healthcare, Pacific Toxicology Laboratories

Buyer's Guide

Appian RPA vs. Automate

August 2025

Free Report: Appian RPA vs. Automate

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