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Blue Prism vs IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 4, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
8.1
Automate boosts efficiency with 30% more productivity, saving 200 hours monthly and reducing costs without needing consultants.
Sentiment score
7.5
Blue Prism users experience varying ROI; some report high savings and efficiency, while others face cost-benefit challenges.
Sentiment score
8.3
IBM RPA offers 20-30% ROI, short payback period, cost-effectiveness, automates tasks, and enhances client satisfaction and financial benefits.
Fortra's Automate has effectively replaced the workload of an entire employee, saving us significant time and money.
It has reduced our expenditures in terms of purchasing more products and employing more technicians.
We paid back within less than six months, and our cost for Blue Prism hasn't changed for the last 10 years.
My customers have seen high ROI with IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) because it has a lower cost than other vendors.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.5
Automated customer support is highly rated for quick responses and expertise, though some find the knowledge base lacking.
Sentiment score
6.3
Blue Prism's customer service receives mixed reviews, with users citing both responsive assistance and frustration with delays and complexity.
Sentiment score
6.6
IBM RPA offers reliable customer service, though some users seek better educational resources and more experienced level-one support.
They don't always understand the processes I'm trying to implement.
I would rate the technical support as a nine out of ten because it is quite fast and courteous.
They are very responsive and have been able to resolve any issues I have encountered.
If we need to learn something about fixing a problem, improving a solution structure, they have something called knowledge management hours, where we can tap into their expertise to improve our processes or find different ways to build our solutions.
They need to improve their support by having more experienced level one support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.0
Automate is praised for scalability and cost-effectiveness, yet faces challenges with complexity and operating system support.
Sentiment score
7.2
Blue Prism's scalability is mixed; success varies with architecture, expertise, and factors like costs and infrastructure challenges.
Sentiment score
7.6
IBM RPA is highly scalable, appreciated for its cloud flexibility, aided by Kubernetes, microservices, and AI expansion efforts.
It is easy to increase one bot or one studio without needing to buy another orchestrator, which can be quite expensive.
The solution is very scalable because it's supported by Cloud Pak for Automation, allowing scaling with other solutions or independently.
I would rate the scalability of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) as eight on a scale of one to ten.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.0
Automate version 11 is stable and reliable, with occasional slowdowns reported, scoring 7 to 9 out of 10.
Sentiment score
7.5
Blue Prism is praised for stability and reliability, though infrastructure and processes can affect performance, often rated 7-9/10.
Sentiment score
6.9
IBM RPA is generally stable, with improved version 11, but some users report minor issues and memory concerns.
It has very robust features, and it is not prone to instability.
The stability of Fortra's Automate is excellent.
IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has been running smoothly for four years without any errors, which indicates a high level of stability.
 

Room For Improvement

Automate needs improved web automation, UI, security, OCR, stability, documentation, integration, user experience, community support, and cloud functionality.
Blue Prism requires enhancements in AI, machine learning, integration, usability, support, interface, security, and affordability.
IBM RPA needs stronger AI, better integrations, user-friendly features, and improved support to address user challenges and requests.
I would prefer not having to log in to update a ticket; being able to respond via email would be beneficial.
Integration with Amazon S3 is somewhat lacking.
I find that most important features are strong, however, there is a lack of good development for artificial intelligence, such as machine learning.
I would like to see the interface of Blue Prism refreshed.
To improve IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) for the next release, there should be more integration with external systems, and more integration with IBM's data and AI platforms is needed.
 

Setup Cost

Automate offers flexible and competitive pricing, appealing to budget-conscious buyers with options for unlimited bots and reasonable costs.
Blue Prism's pricing is seen as costly compared to competitors, with annual and licensing fees raising concerns for mid-sized firms.
IBM RPA pricing is often high with annual licensing, but it offers flexibility, bundling, and a free trial.
Competitors are often more expensive than Automate.
It offered what we wanted at a good, competitive price.
It does a lot but also costs a lot.
They don't charge per user or per environment, so you get everything you need included at one fixed cost.
The pricing of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is an area that could be improved.
 

Valuable Features

Automate offers a user-friendly interface for easy task automation with efficient features, Azure integration, and cost-effective scalability.
Blue Prism offers robust automation with features like SQL access, multi-bot architecture, API integrations, scalability, and strong security.
IBM Robotic Process Automation boosts efficiency and productivity with user-friendly automation, integration, and advanced analytics features.
Automate's non-reliance on additional orchestrators makes it quite cost-effective.
I find the ease of use from a programming perspective very valuable.
The most valuable features of Fortra's Automate include its FTP functionality and file manipulation capabilities.
The ability to scale quickly is also valuable, and their support is good in general.
We haven't encountered any errors in the last four years, which speaks to its reliability.
The analytics and reporting tools in IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) are the best compared to all other RPAs because all other RPAs only use dashboards while IBM is the only one to have a reporting tool that includes dashboards.
 

Categories and Ranking

Automate
Sponsored
Ranking in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Blue Prism
Ranking in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
4th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
89
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM Robotic Process Automat...
Ranking in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
10th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) category, the mindshare of Automate is 1.7%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Blue Prism is 9.4%, down from 12.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is 3.0%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
 

Featured Reviews

Anabel Marco - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
WayneFillis - PeerSpot reviewer
Effective automation boosts efficiency but requires improved co-management
There is a need for a co-management product to manage multiple developers using Blue Prism. Features like version control and supporting multiple developers at the same time should be improved. Furthermore, Blue Prism should invest in marketing their other products. I also find it concerning that they require purchasing support calls.
GeorgeTzifas - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides smart AI tools and easy to use
I would like to have more flexibility in connecting the platform with third-party systems. It is easy to connect IBM RPA with other IBM products, but it is complicated when connecting to non-IBM systems. So, I would like IBM RPA to be even more flexible in connecting to third-party systems.
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856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
6%
Financial Services Firm
21%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
5%
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Insurance Company
6%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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.
What is your primary use case for HelpSystems AutoMate?
I am a consultant and I am making a lot of processes in human resources, payroll, certifications, trainings, web scra...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortra Automate?
The pricing is quite good compared to its competitors. Competitors are often more expensive than Automate. I would ra...
Should I choose Blue Prism or Microsoft Power Automate?
Hello Netanya, it depends on your needs and your expertise. In my humble opinion you can start a big RPA project imp...
I am evaluating Blue Prism and UiPath for RPA for my company. Which one do you recommend?
I'm very familiar with UiPath and the RPA industry: was hired by Daniel Dines in 2015 when there were 35 employees an...
What do you like most about IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?
Integrating the tool with SAP, EBS, or other ERPs is easy.
What needs improvement with IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?
The pricing of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) could be improved.
What is your primary use case for IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?
We usually use IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) ( /products/ibm-robotic-process-automation-rpa-reviews ) to autom...
 

Also Known As

HelpSystems Automate, Automate
No data available
IBM RPA
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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
Coca-Cola, Walgreens, American Express, Royal Bank of Canada, Pfizer, Shop Direct, O2, Siemens, Ascension Healthcare, Jaguar Land Rover
The Hanover Insurance Group
Find out what your peers are saying about Blue Prism vs. IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.