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IBM Business Automation Workflow vs ProcessMaker comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 18, 2024

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

IBM Business Automation Wor...
Ranking in Business Process Management (BPM)
13th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
ProcessMaker
Ranking in Business Process Management (BPM)
41st
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Business Orchestration and Automation Technologies (29th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Business Process Management (BPM) category, the mindshare of IBM Business Automation Workflow is 1.3%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ProcessMaker is 0.9%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Business Process Management (BPM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
IBM Business Automation Workflow1.3%
ProcessMaker0.9%
Other97.8%
Business Process Management (BPM)
 

Featured Reviews

IsmailEl Dahshan - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at Exact Holding NV
Automation has transformed financial workflows and has improved revenue tracking and compliance
Regarding Watsonx, I am uncertain whether it is fully complied and fully integrated with IBM Business Automation Workflow yet. Currently, we use some AI in Enterprise Content Management, particularly when searching documents. Archiving snapshots would be very beneficial. It would be good to reduce the administration effort required to archive snapshots, as this is a main issue with the product. I would also recommend that IBM engage with customers more deeply. Rather than sending URLs or documentation for customers to solve problems independently, the support team should be more involved in addressing the client's specific issues in a targeted manner, providing clear guidance on what actions need to be taken.
UchechiSylvanus - PeerSpot reviewer
Team Lead, Process Improvement & RPA at Fidelity Bank Plc
Works well, but its interface should be a bit more user-friendly
We use it for our process flows and levels of approvals, but I am not managing it directly Its performance, stability, and security are fine. Its interface should be a bit more user-friendly. I have been using this solution for close to a year. It is stable. It is easy to scale. We currently…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Productivity improvements are notable because processes have been orchestrated and streamlined with IBM Business Automation Workflow."
"It gives us the ability to create toolkits and use them across many different applications. It allows us to write things one time, instead of having to write a diary for every single different application. We can write at once and reuse it."
"The most valuable feature is automation, which is quite strong and we are quite happy with it."
"It has integrated UI and deployment models, and it has a deep set of consultant and service provider ecosystem features."
"It has increased productivity on the development side, we have been able to move applications from thought to production quicker, the solution saves time in development as well as with time to deploy, and it has been able to reduce operating costs."
"It is the only product that includes capture content management and a process suite, as well as rules in RPA."
"The solution is stable, and IBM leads when it comes to automation."
"This is a stable solution that we have been able to use as a distributed system."
"What I like most is the seamlessness of the workflow capabilities."
"What I like most is the seamlessness of the workflow capabilities."
"Its performance, stability, and security are fine."
"Its performance, stability, and security are fine."
 

Cons

"While everything is integrated into one platform, I'd like guidelines on when and how to use ODM. This applies not only to implementation but also to automation processes. Additionally, proper instructions should be provided when installing on the cloud."
"The SCADA Systems are very sophisticated and have a hard time integrating with our older scales."
"The initial setup is actually a really complicated process."
"IBM Business Automation Workflow could improve the integration."
"IBM Business Automation Workflow is used for the financial sector like the loan management process cycle. It is not worth to use for simple process."
"Sometimes, we feel like we are not getting the full features of the content management capabilities."
"I would definitely like to see a unified interface between the BPM side of the house and the case side of the house. Something that just seems a bit more cohesive, because right now there is sort of a disconnect between the BPM and the case side of the house. That makes it a bit of a hard sell sometimes. That is definitely first and foremost on my wish list."
"IBM Business Automation Workflow could be more intuitive, with more advanced low-code features and services definition."
"Its interface should be a bit more user-friendly."
"This solution only supports basic text, but we would like to be able to insert components such as rich text, graphs, charts, pictures, and other objects."
"Its interface should be a bit more user-friendly."
"This solution only supports basic text, but we would like to be able to insert components such as rich text, graphs, charts, pictures, and other objects."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"While it can be quite costly, it offers significant benefits for users."
"It is on the expensive side, but it provides excellent supportability and an ecosystem that is proven to be a great fit for our organization."
"Our license is on a three-year term."
"IBM Business Automation Workflow has a flexible pricing mode, but the price is expensive. The price of the solution reflects the quality of the solution which is very high. The technical support is an additional cost."
"Nowadays, clients are looking at pricing as one of the major factors. For IBM products, they always think it is expensive for them. We are still educating our clients on the IBM FlexPoints licensing."
"Licensing varies by use-case."
"The product is expensive."
"When you compare with Laserfiche and M-Files, IBM is expensive."
"We have a yearly license."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
27%
Construction Company
7%
Insurance Company
6%
Computer Software Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
11%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Construction Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise17
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Which is better, IBM BPM or IBM Business Automation Workflow?
We researched both IBM solutions and in the end, we chose Business Automation Workflow. IBM BPM has a good user interface and the BPM coach is a helpful tool. The API is very useful in providing en...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Business Automation Workflow?
The price of IBM Business Automation Workflow is on the higher side compared to the features it offers.
What needs improvement with IBM Business Automation Workflow?
Regarding Watsonx, I am uncertain whether it is fully complied and fully integrated with IBM Business Automation Workflow yet. Currently, we use some AI in Enterprise Content Management, particular...
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Also Known As

Business Automation Workflow
ProcessMaker Workflow Management & BPM, ProcessMaker BPM
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Key Bank, Barclays, Control€xpert, MIR Insurance Brokers, Conqord Oil
Tulsa Community College, Sirius College, Mcredit Vietnam, Oregon City Schools, Lakozy Toyota, HyperCube
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Business Automation Workflow vs. ProcessMaker and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
894,738 professionals have used our research since 2012.