IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) vs Robocorp comparison

IBM and Sema4.ai are both solutions in the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) category. IBM is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.5, while Sema4.ai is ranked #13 with an average rating of 9.0. IBM holds a 3.1% mindshare in RPA, compared to Sema4.ai’s 1.6% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 84% of Sema4.ai users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 4, 2024

IBM Robotic Process Automation and Robocorp compete in the automation market. While IBM RPA offers comprehensive integration with special features like Watson, Robocorp stands out with its cost-effective Python-based platform, appealing to developers.

Features: IBM RPA offers integration with its ecosystem, easy human-bot orchestration, and Watson for document insights and business analytics. Robocorp provides flexibility through Python, ease of integration with Selenium, and supports customized code and library creation.

Room for Improvement: IBM RPA requires better AI and machine learning integration for exception handling and improved browser independence, along with enhanced support and guidance. Robocorp needs to be more user-friendly for non-technical users and expand its library offerings, along with simplifying deployment and improving community tools.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM RPA supports hybrid and on-premises deployment with a broad support network and training, though some users face technical support challenges. Robocorp focuses on cloud deployment but lacks robust support, highlighting service improvement opportunities.

Pricing and ROI: IBM RPA offers flexible licensing with Virtual Processor Core pricing, delivering quick ROI despite sometimes high costs. Robocorp's pay-as-you-go model aligns with varied needs, providing affordability and quicker ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) vs. Robocorp Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) vs. Robocorp

July 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

Automate

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) category, the mindshare of Automate is 1.9%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is 3.1%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Robocorp is 1.6%, down from 2.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Featured Reviews

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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Saman Guruge

Senior Engineer at MIT ESP

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.

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Sumedin Bilalic

Lead RPA developer at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees

Has a straightforward initial setup process and good technical support services

Adapting to Robocorp is initially challenging, especially compared to drag-and-drop automation tools like Automation Anywhere and UiPath. Writing actual code in Visual Studio Code gives freedom but also requires a learning curve. If you don't have experience with programming languages like Python, it would take six to twelve months to learn. However, once proficient, it enables faster development cycles and the ability to achieve more than traditional tools allow.

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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

"This tool has machine learning and voice recognition and computer vision, which are both quite useful aspects. These aren't available in other tools. It's a good addition to this tool and it gives the solution an edge on the market."

"Fortra's Automate has effectively replaced the workload of an entire employee, saving us significant time and money."

"This product is quite easy to install, learn, and use, with our new employees being able to start using it in projects for clients after only two weeks of internal training."

"Web scraping is quite good since it offers a lot of possibilities."

"We have found the pricing to be very reasonable."

"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."

"It's very easy to use. That's a big selling point for it. It has got a drag-and-drop interface, so you can quickly deploy bots."

"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."

More Automate pros

"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."

"The solution is scalability."

"The feature I found most valuable is the TCO."

"IBM RPA helped us resolve a lot of difficult cases we could not resolve using other solutions."

"The solution's ease of use is its most valuable aspect."

"I think simplicity is key. One of the things that we've noticed is how our developers have been able to quickly adopt the platform; but not only the developers or the techy people, also the business."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"IBM Robotic Process Automation is very easy to use."

More IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) pros

"The price is good."

"I have worked with UiPath and Automation Anywhere previously. Robocorp offers an improved development style and support as well as flexibility of its tools. You can easily develop custom libraries in Robocorp."

"As a developer, I found it easy to integrate third-party applications with Robocorp. I have previous experience with Selenium, and I found the Robocorp framework to be accessible because it uses Python and Selenium keywords."

"It offers high scalability and enables automation in ways that haven't been possible before."

"Robocorp is based on Python, so you can use Python scripts and create libraries for your use cases. Building libraries and custom scripts for a particular client and general use cases is easy. We can reuse those scripts for other clients, so we start seeing benefits quickly."

"I can use it as a library by importing Python scripts, allowing me to access its many features while working with coding."

"The solution is based on Python which makes it very valuable."

"I like the fact that it's very fast. The processing speed is good, and that's what matters to me. I also like that we don't have to bother with the infrastructure setup. We don't have to care about the status of the data set, as I believe the local group will provide it. We don't care about the licensing model. We only have to care about how long we are using it."

More Robocorp pros

Cons

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

"I would prefer not having to log in to update a ticket; being able to respond via email would be beneficial."

"The intelligent automation feature could be improved. It's interesting because it's simple, but the automation quality isn't always good. It's easy to use, but sometimes you need to make a slight improvement to the automation, and that's not so easy."

"It would be an improvement if Automate had better stability tools, whether by recommending a certain amount of memory because it can be a memory hog at times."

"Error messages should be better. For error status, there should be better documentation because a lot of times, error messages that you get are quite vague. For example, you get a message saying that the workflow has run into an unknown status, which is vague. It just tells you that it failed, but you don't know how or why it failed. It makes debugging difficult."

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

"I would like the updates to be easier to deploy. Integration with Amazon S3 is somewhat lacking."

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

More Automate cons

"Capturing GUI operations is very easy, but capturing IBM Logistics automation is hard. It does not always work with browsers or automotive applications like SAP."

"There are certain limitations in the solution for screen reading."

"Stability could be better."

"My impression of the support experience is lower than middle. I would rank it as that. They need to improve their support by having more experienced level one support."

"I would like to have more flexibility in connecting the platform with third-party systems."

"IBM should provide specific solutions for specific problems, like templates for invoicing processes, or general templates for creating efficient processes."

"The pricing of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) could be improved."

"I would like to improve the efficiency of this solution and the Surface Level Agreement."

More IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) cons

"Robocorp is still in development, so most of the keywords are a bit confusing. I have to alter lots of automation steps between processing and development. However, Selenium is due for an update soon, and Robcorp is addressing some of the limitations caused by the previous Selenium version."

"We would also like an integrated PDF reader and better integration with custom solutions. The built-in Excel customization is limited, but we can still accomplish what we want using Python. We must rely on Python to customize processes in Robocorp. I don't know about the latest IDE from Robocorp, but the old one doesn't have a lot of activities."

"The standard libraries in Robocorp should be more advanced."

"An additional feature I'm looking for in Robocorp is SAP automation."

"The deployment process is complex and not straightforward, especially for legacy modernization."

"I don't like the complexity of deployment."

"The solution could be more stable."

"We use the latest version of the process studio and it takes up a lot of CPU storage. In our case, this has been up to 14 GB of storage."

More Robocorp cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"I believe the price falls within a reasonable range, which significantly influenced our decision regarding the product. This aspect is crucial for any technological solution, especially in our country where enterprises might be hesitant to invest heavily in something untested or uncertain about its practicality and potential returns."

"While solutions like UiPath and Blue Prism cost around $11,000-$12,000 for each license, this product costs around $7,000 and you can keep it forever."

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

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

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

"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."

"I like the way this solution is priced because you can buy a license, or you can buy the software outright."

More Automate pricing and cost advice

"IBM RPA is cheaper than other tools."

"There is a free trial for one month, so you can use it to run your payloads or proof of concept. After that, you can pay for the license on a monthly or annual basis."

"IBM licensing is annual and based on Virtual Processor Cores (VPC). This provides flexibility as part of the containerization environment."

"The product has a yearly licensing fee."

"I rate the pricing ten out of ten. So, the pricing is very good for me."

"The pricing is reasonable for this solution."

"The license is paid annually."

"The product is reasonably priced compared to other tools."

More IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) pricing and cost advice

"You don't have to pay for the license. You have to pay for the time you use it."

"The solution is a very affordable price."

"The price is cheaper than other competitors. I would rate the cost as one out of five."

"The product has good pricing."

"It's a cost-effective solution."

"In terms of licenses, there is a return on investment in that area."

"The pricing is fine."

"Robocorp is much better in terms of pricing compared to UiPath."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Performing Arts

Computer Software Company

18%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Insurance Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

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.

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.

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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...

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What do you like most about IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?

Integrating the tool with SAP, EBS, or other ERPs is easy.

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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 ...

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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...

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What do you like most about Robocorp?

The product has a valuable business process automation feature.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Robocorp?

The product has good pricing. They offer an efficient pay-as-you-go pricing model. There are different models for ent...

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What needs improvement with Robocorp?

The platform's documentation could be better.

See all answers

Comparisons

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

Microsoft Power Automate vs IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Compared 68% of the time

UiPath Platform vs IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Compared 12% of the time

Nintex RPA vs IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Compared 6% of the time

Automation Anywhere vs IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Compared 6% of the time

Blue Prism vs IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Compared 5% of the time

More IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Competitors

UiPath Platform vs Robocorp

Compared 55% of the time

Microsoft Power Automate vs Robocorp

Compared 13% of the time

BotCity vs Robocorp

Compared 12% of the time

Blue Prism Cloud vs Robocorp

Compared 8% of the time

Automation Anywhere vs Robocorp

Compared 8% of the time

More Robocorp Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Automate

August 2025

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Buyer's Guide

IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

August 2025

IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) report

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Buyer's Guide

Robocorp

August 2025

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Also Known As

HelpSystems Automate, Automate

IBM RPA

No data available

Overview

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

IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a technology that encompasses the use of smart robots in any process requiring efficiency, consistency and speed, with no risk of mistakes. In a nutshell, RPA simulates a human user working.

Today, it is possible to automate processes through the use of digital robots, or bots, which execute pre-programed, repetitive tasks in a safe and mistake free manner. There are literally thousands of opportunities for Robotic Process Automation to make an impact on your organization today, including: automatic invoice emission, system integration, information reconciliation, report generation, intelligent email management to lead generation, and many others.

IBM

Most robotic process automation initiatives fail to get off the ground because the current drag-and-drop offerings are expensive and frustrating for developers. Robocorp is a Python-based open source stack for automating applications and processes. Automate any task you can imagine with hundreds of keywords and libraries with performance, scalability, and security built-in. Our cloud robots can run on any platform from any machine, and scale horizontally to ensure mission-critical processes complete as efficiently as possible. Getting started is free, and our resource-based pricing ensures your costs are always straightforward - no matter how much your implementation grows.

Sema4.ai

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

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) vs. Robocorp

July 2025

Free Report: IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) vs. Robocorp

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