Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) vs Pega Robotic Process Automation comparison

Sponsored
 

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 and reduces costs with easy deployment, allowing quick returns without extra IT staff.
Sentiment score
8.3
IBM RPA offers 20-30% ROI, short payback period, cost-effectiveness, automates tasks, and enhances client satisfaction and financial benefits.
Sentiment score
6.3
Pega Robotic Process Automation improves efficiency and profitability by reducing costs, errors, and cycle times while boosting transaction efficiency.
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.
I've seen a good return on investment with Automate, as it streamlines processes and improves my productivity.
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
7.4
Automate's customer service is praised for prompt, effective support, despite occasional language barriers and a challenging knowledge base.
Sentiment score
6.6
IBM RPA offers reliable customer service, though some users seek better educational resources and more experienced level-one support.
Sentiment score
6.0
Pega RPA support is generally effective and timely, though complex issues can require more time and clarity.
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.
They need to improve their support by having more experienced level one support.
On-premise support is generally not as effective as the cloud support that Pega currently provides.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
Automate is scalable, enabling easy expansion with flexibility and load balancing, though some concerns about complexity and cost exist.
Sentiment score
7.6
IBM RPA is highly scalable, appreciated for its cloud flexibility, aided by Kubernetes, microservices, and AI expansion efforts.
Sentiment score
6.8
Pega RPA's scalability varies by environment and user knowledge, with cloud deployment easier than on-premise setups.
It is easy to increase one bot or one studio without needing to buy another orchestrator, which can be quite expensive.
Automate is stable for my needs and is highly scalable, allowing the same workflow to serve numerous tasks effectively.
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
6.9
Automate v.11 is mostly stable and reliable, but resource-intensive, with occasional errors and crashes depending on task type.
Sentiment score
6.9
IBM RPA is generally stable, with improved version 11, but some users report minor issues and memory concerns.
Sentiment score
7.6
Pega RPA is stable, reliable, and highly rated, praised for seamless performance and flexible automation capabilities.
It has very robust features, and it is not prone to instability.
The stability of Fortra's Automate is excellent.
The stability is good and consistent, with no fluctuations in functioning.
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

Intelligent automation faces issues with usability, integration, and support, needing improvements in user interface, customization, and community engagement.
IBM RPA needs stronger AI, better integrations, user-friendly features, and improved support to address user challenges and requests.
Pega Robotic Process Automation requires enhanced integration, OCR, UI improvements, streamlined deployment, and better global cloud support.
This is a significant concern, especially with critical workloads where visibility into errors is essential.
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.
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 cost-effective pricing, allowing multiple processes per bot, making it competitive against UiPath and Blue Prism.
IBM RPA pricing is often high with annual licensing, but it offers flexibility, bundling, and a free trial.
Pega's RPA pricing targets enterprises with integrated, costly packages, offering flexible models and competitive integration advantages.
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.
The pricing of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is an area that could be improved.
 

Valuable Features

Automate offers user-friendly automation with seamless integration, intuitive features, and cost-effective scalability, enhancing productivity and efficiency.
IBM Robotic Process Automation boosts efficiency and productivity with user-friendly automation, integration, and advanced analytics features.
Pega RPA excels in case management, offering low-code development, CRM integration, and centralized monitoring for efficient automation and scalability.
Automate's non-reliance on additional orchestrators makes it quite cost-effective.
In my opinion, the best feature Automate offers is the scheduling.
I find the ease of use from a programming perspective very valuable.
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
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM Robotic Process Automat...
Ranking in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
11th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Pega Robotic Process Automa...
Ranking in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
20th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
24
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) category, the mindshare of Automate is 2.0%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is 3.2%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Pega Robotic Process Automation is 3.4%, up from 2.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Automate2.0%
IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)3.2%
Pega Robotic Process Automation3.4%
Other91.4%
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
 

Featured Reviews

Ibukun Shweta - PeerSpot reviewer
Automation optimizes scheduling, but improvements needed in error reporting and script execution
In my particular use case, for session management, it would be better if I could get a more granular view into connectivity issues to servers. Sometimes, although your flows or tasks are running as scheduled, connecting to the servers can hit a snag without alerts or error logs to check. Some servers might need patching or could be affected by network issues or latency. The workflow sometimes gets stuck without clarity on the errors. An explicit error report would be helpful, especially when the connection fails unexpectedly. It's complex to analyze problems that might arise from firewall issues or other anomalies that could hinder the flow from executing as expected. The depth of these connection challenges would benefit from better debugging capabilities. As for improvements, if Automate wasn't designed primarily for script execution, that's understandable. However, for Linux, I would prefer to see less complexity in workflows to achieve a natural completion of scripts. There are features, such as 'wait for terminal output,' that should more intuitively detect completion based on the shell prompt. Improving those aspects would make Automate more efficient for my needs. Regarding error reporting, I think Automate should offer better error reporting when connecting to servers. Currently, there are many instances where I see empty logs, indicating that, while tasks are scheduled, commands are not executing successfully. This is a significant concern, especially with critical workloads where visibility into errors is essential.
Saman Guruge - PeerSpot reviewer
We can connect to different databases and use inbuilt activities, but we can't include our own activities
We can use its inbuilt activities, and it's a complete package, but just like ElectroNeek, a limitation is that we have to depend on its inbuilt activities. We can't include our own activities or we can't introduce other activities. When it comes to deployment and scheduling bots, there are some conflicts. They are using Microsoft MQ to communicate with their bots, but it's not reliable. When we are scheduling time, if I need to schedule an interval of one minute, sometimes, the queue gets loaded with a lot of processes or bots, and they don't wait until the first one gets complete. So, that sort of disadvantage is there. I have found one bug in version 22 when sending or configuring mail. While using their orchestration environment, on IBM Server, you can configure an SMTP connection to send out the details you want. For example, when you create a user, they send out an email. That part didn't work, and I created a few tickets. The issue is that there's a typo in the endpoint API. They have probably corrected it in version 23.
reviewer4848291 - PeerSpot reviewer
Pega Robotic Process Automation (RPA) automates repetitive, rule-based tasks across systems without human intervention. Struggling with flexibility but integrates easily for small-scale automation tas
1. Enhanced Cross-Platform Support Currently optimized for Windows-based applications. Needs better support for web, cloud-native, and non-Windows environments (e.g., Linux, macOS). 2. Simplified Development Experience Pega Robot Studio has a steep learning curve, especially for non-developers. Could benefit from a more intuitive, drag-and-drop interface and prebuilt automation templates. 3. Stronger AI/ML Integration Bots rely heavily on rule-based logic. Native integration with AI/ML models (e.g., for document understanding, sentiment analysis) could make bots smarter and more adaptive. 4. Improved Debugging & Testing Tools Debugging complex automations can be time-consuming. Needs better simulation, logging, and error tracing tools for faster troubleshooting. 5. More Scalable Bot Orchestration While Pega Robot Manager is powerful, managing large bot fleets can become complex. Could improve auto-scaling, load balancing, and dynamic resource allocation. 6. Broader Integration Ecosystem Limited out-of-the-box connectors compared to competitors like UiPath. Expanding the integration library (e.g., for SaaS apps, APIs, databases) would reduce custom development. 7. Licensing Flexibility Licensing can be cost-prohibitive for smaller teams or departments. More modular or usage-based pricing could improve adoption.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions are best for your needs.
867,497 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Performing Arts
6%
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Insurance Company
9%
Government
7%
Financial Services Firm
26%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise10
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise16
 

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?
The main purpose is for automation. That has been the purpose why I have been using it so far.
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...
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)?
To improve IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) for the next release, there should be more integration with external ...
What is your primary use case for IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?
My customers' main use cases for IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) are especially in the banking industry, particu...
What do you like most about Pega Robotic Process Automation?
The solution's automation handling capability has positively impacted the overall automation process in my experience.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Pega Robotic Process Automation?
I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive.
What needs improvement with Pega Robotic Process Automation?
1. Enhanced Cross-Platform Support Currently optimized for Windows-based applications. Needs better support for web, ...
 

Also Known As

HelpSystems Automate, Automate
IBM RPA
Pega RPA, OpenSpan
 

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
The Hanover Insurance Group
eBay Enterprise, M&I Bank
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) vs. Pega Robotic Process Automation and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
867,497 professionals have used our research since 2012.