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IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) vs SAP Intelligent 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Automate
Sponsored
Ranking in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
31
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
SAP Intelligent RPA
Ranking in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
12th
Average Rating
7.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) category, the mindshare of Automate is 2.3%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is 3.3%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Intelligent RPA is 2.4%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Automate2.3%
IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)3.3%
SAP Intelligent RPA2.4%
Other92.0%
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
 

Featured Reviews

Jane Rachma Kiniti - PeerSpot reviewer
Automate has streamlined workflows and increased efficiency with powerful automation
The best features of the solution are the flexible automation features, it is rich with beautiful connectors, and it is easy to use with little to no coding knowledge required to get started, so anybody can use the tool. The intuitive interface of Automate has an intuitive design, which makes it easy to learn and use even without a strong technical background, and it has a drag-and-drop interface, which makes everything so easy and straightforward. The error handling capabilities in complex automation tasks are powerful, as it handles all types of tasks, whether complex or simple. I've never faced any problems even when dealing with complex tasks, so everything is super smooth and highly reliable, even when dealing with big tasks, as it has never slowed down. Automate's compatibility with existing IT infrastructure has impacted our business operations positively by providing smooth integration with other software that we use, such as Gmail, Jira, and Microsoft 365 apps, which gives us a unified platform instead of having to keep switching from one software to another, saving a lot of time and streamlining the whole workflows. The automated analytics have helped improve our business processes since it has increased our efficiency by automating our everyday tasks, freeing up time for us to focus more on strategic activities such as analyzing data and developing new business strategies. It is also cost-saving. By minimizing manual labor, it decreases human errors that can lead to costly mistakes. By automating the tasks, it helps to save costs, and it also improves our accuracy by reducing these errors to ensure that tasks are done almost perfectly.
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.
Sibanshu Samantaray - PeerSpot reviewer
Well-documented in the help portal, scalable and automates redundant processes, with additional functionality for a low code or no code approach
I would recommend you to visit SAP's partner site. They have various testimonies given by various diamond clients that they have, those who have implemented this solution, and go through those testimonies and relayed them to their case studies. If it relates to you and you feel the product is right, you should go for it. I would recommend using the solution. Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. The reason is that the SAP IRPA is a very nice product, part of it completely under the SAP Umbrella, but it's a bit late in the game. The reason is that people already have automation, which is not something new. People have already had their alternatives with outside offering products that are available. So only they can tap into the new implementation or green the new projects that are coming up, they can push for that. There is something that has to be tested in terms of different industries and how it can be having more use cases around it, being a new product.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product effectively handles all the tasks we require."
"I like the interface; it makes managing automation easy. We can set different schedules and templates for each task."
"We use it for specific cases, mainly secure file transfers, which are vital for us. And it works for us."
"Web scraping is quite good since it offers a lot of possibilities."
"The most valuable features of Fortra's Automate include its FTP functionality and file manipulation capabilities."
"The most valuable feature is the drag-and-drop interface, which is very Windows-like."
"Overall, the whole product is really nice and provides significant benefits."
"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."
"The solution's ease of use is its most valuable aspect."
"One of the most impactful features of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has been its one-time setup capability."
"The initial setup is very easy."
"The solution is very user-friendly."
"If you have a business process, and once you have automated that process, you have a readily available workflow in place."
"We can connect with different database types, and they have included a different package for a terminal connection to, for example, AS400. When it comes to UI development, it's not using the drivers or anything. It's not a selector-based development like UiPath."
"It is a good tool for automation."
"The good stuff about IBM is the fact that it's very easy to use, there are very nice and smart AI tools within the licensing that you don't have to pay any access. Moreover, it's more precise and more secure."
"Most of the details are already in the help portal and SAP notes are available. It is well documented as part of the product support."
"Scalability is fine. It is pretty nice."
"Contextor is a good solution for a Citrix environment. It's the first with this tool. Other tools provide the same functionality, but not with the Citrix environment."
"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution."
"The standout features of SAP Intelligent RPA are its flexibility and integration capabilities."
"The most valuable feature of SAP Contextor is that everyone is in one place in the program that I need."
"The initial setup of SAP Contextor is easy."
"It is remarkably easy to configure and code, and it doesn't require an extensive technical background or coding expertise."
 

Cons

"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."
"The user interface could be slightly enhanced to make it more modern."
"It's possible that they could use a stronger community for seeking guidance and help."
"Some companies have asked for voice integration. This is likely part of the roadmap."
"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."
"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."
"I currently have three bugs open with them that I don't know if they are addressed in the new release."
"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."
"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."
"The pricing of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) could be improved."
"The product's document readers must be improved to capture the data well."
"I would like to have more flexibility in connecting the platform with third-party systems."
"The product must be promoted more."
"The users should be allowed to create folders in Control Center."
"We are looking to see how it can connect with various interfaces seamlessly, through APIs."
"One way SAP Intelligent RPA could improve is by integrating built-in DI services for document processing."
"For potential features or improvements, one aspect I would suggest enhancing is the flexibility of the extraction process."
"The tool's licensing has been kind of a challenge...At the moment, the tool does not offer different licensing models to users."
"I found that the SAP scripting of a program is easier than SAP Contextor."
"There should be more of an error, like a proper error feature, in future releases. Sometimes, we don't understand why that automation is not learning what, like, where it is stuck, or what is the reason like, or what is the criteria we are missing to add. So a proper error message would be helpful."
"SAP Contextor could improve by automating some processes."
"The initial setup is of medium complexity. It is neither too hard nor too simple. You need some background in SAP and an understanding of it."
"I would like to see a better capacity for unstructured data, for example, PDF, or text within images."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"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."
"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."
"It comes with a package that costs approximately $20,000 USD per year."
"I'm only involved in running the product and maintaining the systems, so I can't speak to the cost."
"From a distributor's perspective, one of the biggest selling points of Automate is its price point."
"The cost is a bit high for a small business like ours, but we manage with Fortra's Automate."
"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."
"The product is reasonably priced compared to other tools."
"IBM RPA is cheaper than other tools."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"The pricing is reasonable for this solution."
"IBM licensing is annual and based on Virtual Processor Cores (VPC). This provides flexibility as part of the containerization environment."
"I rate the pricing ten out of ten. So, the pricing is very good for me."
"The license is paid annually."
"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."
"The pricing is not that expensive. It is manageable."
"The initial cost might seem higher, but over time, with continued use over five or ten years, the cost tends to decrease, making it a more economical choice."
"It all comes with a bundle right now. Having advanced features, it is competitively priced."
"This is not a tool or software with a license as others are. The SaaS model is based on the usage of the tool."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Performing Arts
6%
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Insurance Company
10%
Government
5%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Energy/Utilities Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business23
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise10
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise4
 

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?
My main use case for Automate is automating my everyday tasks, such as reporting, task assignment, and updating proje...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortra Automate?
The pricing for Automate is affordable, even for a small organization, and it's well-packed and affordable.
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 SAP Contextor?
The standout features of SAP Intelligent RPA are its flexibility and integration capabilities.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP Contextor?
The pricing for SAP Intelligent RPA operates on a model that considers power usage and transactions per job. It is ad...
What needs improvement with SAP Contextor?
The tool's licensing has been kind of a challenge. If the tool can bring up a usage-based licensing model, it would b...
 

Also Known As

HelpSystems Automate, Automate
IBM RPA
SAP Contextor, Contextor
 

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
BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, Kabel Deutschland, Orange, Carrefour
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) vs. SAP Intelligent RPA and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
873,003 professionals have used our research since 2012.