Appian RPA vs Fortra's Automate comparison

Appian and Fortra are both solutions in the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) category. Appian is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.7, while Fortra is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.7. Appian holds a 1.2% mindshare in RPA, compared to Fortra’s 2.8% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Appian users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Fortra users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 15, 2026

Fortra's Automate and Appian RPA compete in the robotic process automation market. Appian RPA seems superior in features due to its comprehensive capabilities, while Fortra's Automate stands out in pricing and support.

Features: Fortra’s Automate offers easy integration, user-friendly automation solutions, and streamlined operations. Appian RPA combines advanced AI integrations, robust scalability, and extensive functionalities, providing effective solutions for complex automation tasks.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortra's Automate provides straightforward deployment and is commended for strong, prompt customer service. Appian RPA supports flexible deployment models suited to diverse infrastructures, complemented by effective support. Fortra prioritizes simplicity; Appian emphasizes adaptability and flexibility.

Pricing and ROI: Fortra's Automate is noted for its cost-effective solutions, with low initial setup costs that result in favorable ROI. Appian RPA, while initially more expensive, offers high returns through enhanced productivity and efficiency. Fortra highlights affordability, while Appian targets a high-value outcome.

To learn more, read our detailed Appian RPA vs. Fortra's Automate Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Appian RPA vs. Fortra's Automate

June 2026

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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

Automation Anywhere

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) category, the mindshare of Automation Anywhere is 5.5%, down from 10.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Appian RPA is 1.2%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortra's Automate is 2.8%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Automation Anywhere	5.5%
Fortra's Automate	2.8%
Appian RPA	1.2%
Other	90.5%

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Featured Reviews

Venkat Sivaprakash

Management Consultant at Accenture

Has significantly improved document-driven workflows and reduced processing time across finance and HR functions

Automation Anywhere has evolved significantly and upgraded itself to provide agentic AI and AI-based automation solutions for document automation. The product has matured considerably over time. We can create workflows that can call an API. We can include prompts in particular workflows for ChatGPT-related functions, connecting to an LLM and RAG to perform tasks. For document automation, modern features are available to train documents, ensuring high accuracy and repeatability over time. The system is very easy to use. I recently completed a course in document automation, typically designed for people involved in coding and technical aspects. Though I understand coding comprehensively, I don't do actual coding. The course was very accessible. Currently, extensive coding isn't necessary due to the hybrid model incorporating GenAI aspects, low-code, no-code capabilities, APIs, and numerous pre-built objects in Automation Anywhere. The features include GenAI-driven prompting methods and workflow creation capabilities. In these workflows, we can create decision boxes and call APIs without coding. We simply pull objects, drop them, connect them, and add minimal coding when needed. The most crucial aspect isn't coding but rather sizing the automation and fleshing out the details. Automation Co-pilot takes notes and performs automated analysis. It can extract details from videos, summarize conversations, and provide detailed information. During calls, it identifies instructions and performs tasks such as preparing reports and reconciliation. Automation Anywhere can also connect with Microsoft Co-pilot. Through Co-pilot, real-time operations can be executed, allowing direct interaction between vendors and automation through this component.

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Kunal Sharda

Director & Key Managerial Personnel at Newlight Technology Solutions Private Limited

Partnering with comprehensive automation for increased efficiency

The best feature of Appian RPA is that it is highly integrated into the Appian platform itself. It is very easy to configure that in the end-to-end Appian automation solution. The second notable feature is that Appian RPA gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of how you want to design the robotic tasks. It has a very detailed orchestration console which provides details about the entire runtime and the logs of Appian RPA where you can find in detail what the robot did on the virtual machine. Appian provides dashboards where users or admins can log in and see how the robots are performing various robotic tasks. It is very detailed and gives substantial insight into how Appian RPA is functioning or is operational. It also lets you drill down into specific details at each task level.

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Anthony Tuhame

Information Technology Manager at Everseen

Automation has reduced night-time server checks and now manages reporting and cloud monitoring

The downsides I normally mention about Fortra's Automate are about reports and deep analytics. While Fortra's Automate can manage our servers, it can give you a problem report that says what happened, but it doesn't give you a clear picture of why it happened or how many times your servers went offline. This pushes us to get another third-party tool. We have to generate those simple reports from Fortra's Automate and push them to another software in Tableau. We use Tableau for analytics to analyze that data and understand what the trends are, what the instance is telling us, and what the clear problem is. It lacks that deep analytics feature. Additionally, I am not impressed with the interface, as it feels outdated and it has taken a long time to see any updates or changes. I believe those are the two downsides, but the customer support is adequate.

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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

"We've been using a lot of object cloning and screen scraping, but we've also had success with: inbuilt email functionality, some integrations to incorporate heterogeneous systems like Python scripting, etc."

"It's really easy to use. We have a number of people at our firm who are now certified RPA developers that had no development background. They did that just by the online training in some cases. In some cases, it was the online training, as well as a three day class that we brought in-house and had taught."

"Security is a top priority for us. To be allowed to automate different processes, we need to have a good set of controls around who is allowed to do what, and what credentials people can and can't use. It allows us to manage access make sure that we have full control."

"The technical support is very good. We are very happy with them."

"It has improved the efficiency and reliability of the data in the systems."

"The saving of efforts within my project has been to the tune of 20% as of now and I am sure that it will improve as we explore the tool more and automate many more processes."

"Adding Automation Anywhere is a tremendous value-add in the long-term."

"Scheduling helps to generate and send reports without any delay."

More Automation Anywhere pros

"I find the pricing of Appian RPA reasonable because it is user-based, and we can experiment with it."

"Appian RPA is super easy to use, offering low code, no code capabilities."

"The best feature of Appian RPA is that it is highly integrated into the Appian platform itself and is very easy to configure in the end-to-end Appian automation solution."

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

"The peace of mind I have using Automate for scheduling tasks allows me to focus on other responsibilities without worrying about operational issues."

"We use it for specific cases, mainly secure file transfers, which are vital for us. And it works for us."

"The drag and drop workflow builder is what I genuinely appreciate about Fortra's Automate, as it allows me to sketch out logic the way I am thinking about it, is visual, reduces the back and forth of writing scripts from scratch, and is quite friendly for people who are not hardcore developers."

"Fortra's Automate performs the job effectively and has the capability to alert us of any issues."

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

"The licensing of the product is very good; you only need to license it once and then you have it forever, which makes the product quite affordable."

"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."

More Fortra's Automate pros

Cons

"There is a dependency issue around the control room. If the control room is not working, the bots will not work."

"Automation Anywhere is a tool. It is not able to go ahead and extract the hand-written documents. Most of the automation tools that we have in the market are not able to get an accuracy of close to 80 to 90 percent on hand-written documents. So, I'm eagerly looking at a release from Automation Anywhere, wherein they could plug in an LP or look at some sort of a platform which could convert hand-written documents into a readable format. If they could bring in they own platform, this would make a big in-roads for the entire automation industry."

"It needs to have more options for integrating with other tools."

"I would like to have a bot as a service platform on AA Cloud. This would minimize the installation process, and we wouldn't need to have all the hardware to support the platform in-house."

"The approval process needs improvement."

"We would like to have more ease of use for the operations team."

"When we are moving from one version to another version, it's very difficult because most of the features stop working."

"As a developer, the biggest con is the lag; it's pretty inconvenient to face that delay in things happening."

More Automation Anywhere cons

"There are not any areas that need improvement off the top of my head."

"There are many competitive products in the market right now, for example, UiPath and Automation Anywhere. These competitive products are now coming up with features which Appian RPA currently does not have."

"In my opinion, Appian RPA can be improved."

"Fortra's Automate is good overall, but the advanced logic is somewhat challenging."

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

"They do not encrypt passwords, so this is an issue with HIPAA compliance."

"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."

"The areas that have room for improvement in Fortra's Automate include the reporting and analytics functionality, where the analytics could be more detailed."

"One thing I dislike about Fortra's Automate is that it does not perform well with OCR software, which is optical character recognition."

"The solution has a very weak knowledge base."

"I find that most important features are strong, however, there is a lack of good development for artificial intelligence, such as machine learning."

More Fortra's Automate cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"In terms of monetary savings, we automated a bot in three days that has saved us $30,000 in costs."

"Automation Anywhere is competitive... Pega is somewhat comparable, but Pega also requires a lot more infrastructure and a lot more experience to get up and running."

"There is an annual license to use the solution."

"The major reason that we selected Automation Anywhere was the licensing model."

"Initially, they charged a premium, but now the rest of the vendors have increased their overall pricing and Automation Anywhere is not that high at this time. It's pretty viable."

"We purchase on a bot basis. Our costs are approximately $5,000."

"One of the things that will be good for the community will be to get the free version to download, which came out just a month ago called Community Edition. So, you can actually download it and try it for yourself."

"It is fantastic. It has been great. It is perfectly priced for the quality received. When paying for quality, that is exactly what you get."

More Automation Anywhere pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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

"From a distributor's side, one of the biggest selling points is its price point. Without going into any numbers, compared to UiPath, Automation Anywhere, and Blue Prism, we're significantly cheaper. The main difference is that other competitors usually charge you per process. However, in Automate's case, it's priced per bot. So, a bot can run multiple processes at the same time, but you are only priced for a single bot."

"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."

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

"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."

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

"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."

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

More Fortra's Automate pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Construction Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

18%

Construction Company

17%

Insurance Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	154
Midsize Enterprise	82
Large Enterprise	536

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	31
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	10

Questions from the Community

How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

It depends on your use case. Is it simply to automate a couple of processes? Is it to augment a human team? AA is ver...

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How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

From my experience using AA tool, it depends on the applications that you want to automate, because there some applic...

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How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

It is a highly preferred RPA tool. You can check my Automation Anywhere Review to know more.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Appian RPA?

I didn't handle payments or costs. We recommended infrastructure stacks to our clients, who implemented them, and we ...

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What needs improvement with Appian RPA?

In my opinion, Appian RPA can be improved. We are planning to conduct a proof of concept on volume because we are sti...

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What is your primary use case for Appian RPA?

We have been working with Appian RPA along with the entire workflow case management suite. Recently, Appian released ...

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What is your primary use case for HelpSystems AutoMate?

Fortra's Automate has two or three use cases in this scenario. The feature I appreciate most is the drag and drop opt...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortra Automate?

Regarding the pricing of Fortra's Automate, for a startup or mid-market company, I would say it is not cheap and is d...

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What needs improvement with Fortra Automate?

One thing I dislike about Fortra's Automate is that it does not perform well with OCR software, which is optical char...

See all answers

Comparisons

UiPath Platform vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 13% of the time

Microsoft Power Automate vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 11% of the time

Blue Prism vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 7% of the time

WorkFusion vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 2% of the time

Appian vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 2% of the time

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UiPath Platform vs Appian RPA

Compared 12% of the time

Temporal vs Appian RPA

Compared 9% of the time

Control-M vs Appian RPA

Compared 8% of the time

Blue Prism vs Appian RPA

Compared 6% of the time

Lanai Empowerment Platform vs Appian RPA

Compared 4% of the time

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UiPath Platform vs Fortra's Automate

Compared 12% of the time

Microsoft Power Automate vs Fortra's Automate

Compared 8% of the time

Nintex RPA vs Fortra's Automate

Compared 6% of the time

Redwood Software - Finance Automation Edition vs Fortra's Automate

Compared 4% of the time

Blue Prism Cloud vs Fortra's Automate

Compared 2% of the time

More Fortra's Automate Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Automation Anywhere

June 2026

Download Automation Anywhere product report

Buyer's Guide

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

June 2026

Download Appian RPA product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortra's Automate

June 2026

Download Fortra's Automate product report

Also Known As

Automation Anywhere, Testing Anywhere, Automation Anywhere Enterprise, Agentic Process Automation System (Now Certified for WorkSpaces)

Jidoka RPA

HelpSystems Automate, Automate

Interactive Demo

Automation Anywhere

Demo not available

Appian

Demo not available

Fortra

Overview

Automation Anywhere offers ease of use, robust system connectivity, and GenAI-driven document automation through a cloud-native platform, significantly enhancing productivity across multiple industries with advanced AI features.

Delivering a comprehensive suite of tools designed for easy integration and rapid deployment, Automation Anywhere drives efficiency by reducing costs and automating repetitive tasks. Its cloud-native platform supports broad industry adoption, including advanced AI features like process automation and Co-Pilot, streamlining complex workflows with minimal technical skills required. Users benefit from robust integration capabilities, which facilitate seamless interaction with multiple systems. However, there is room for improvement in areas such as user-friendliness for beginners, stability, flexible licensing, and enhanced OCR functionality. Organizations in sectors such as banking, finance, manufacturing, and healthcare gain from the improved operational efficiency and ROI Automation Anywhere offers.

What are the important features of Automation Anywhere?

Ease of Use: Simplifies automation tasks with a user-centric interface.
Robust Connectivity: Provides seamless integration with multiple systems.
GenAI-Driven Document Automation: Leverages AI to automate document management.
Process Automation & Co-Pilot: Enhances workflow automation with advanced AI.
Cloud-Native Platform: Enables rapid deployment and integration.

What benefits should be evaluated in reviews?

Time Savings: Automation drastically reduces manual processing time.
Cost Efficiency: Decreases overall operational costs by automating tasks.
Productivity Enhancement: Streamlines workflows with AI-driven tools.
Improved Integration: Enhances ability to work with multiple systems.
Scalability: Supports growth with a flexible cloud-native architecture.

In the insurance industry, Automation Anywhere is utilized for automating processes such as enrollment management and compliance checks. Its applications extend to supply chain management, financial transactions, and business performance monitoring across sectors like banking, finance, manufacturing, and healthcare, helping organizations to automate routine tasks, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.

Automation Anywhere

Appian RPA is an advanced robotic process automation platform designed to streamline business processes by integrating and automating tasks across applications and systems. This tool enhances efficiency and operational accuracy for businesses leveraging its capabilities.

Appian RPA seamlessly integrates into existing infrastructures to automate repetitive tasks, boosting productivity. Its ability to orchestrate workflows and provide analytics sets it apart, allowing businesses to make informed decisions quickly. With a focus on scalability, Appian RPA supports digital transformation by connecting disparate systems and fostering innovation through automation.

What are the essential features?

Easy Integration: Connects with existing systems without complex configurations.
Dynamic Workflow Control: Allows users to manage and automate complex processes.
Comprehensive Analytics: Offers insights through detailed process analytics.
Scalability: Grows with the business and accommodates varying workloads.

What benefits or ROI should you look for in reviews?

Increased Efficiency: Reduces manual efforts and errors.
Cost Savings: Lowers operational costs through process automation.
Enhanced Productivity: Frees up human resources for higher-value tasks.

Appian RPA finds applications across industries like finance, healthcare, and manufacturing. In finance, it automates data entry and reconciliation processes. Healthcare providers utilize it for patient management and billing, reducing operational bottlenecks. Manufacturing benefits from inventory and supply chain automation, enhancing end-to-end processes.

Appian

Fortra's Automate offers a user-friendly platform for task automation, featuring a drag-and-drop interface that aids in scheduling, file management, and integrating with services like Azure and AWS.

Fortra's Automate provides substantial ease in automating complex tasks through its intuitive design. It offers seamless integration capabilities, especially with Azure and AWS, and comes equipped with strong error handling. Cost-effective and requiring minimal coding, it supports a broad range of industries by effectively automating tasks such as HR operations, invoice management, and data processing across servers.

What features stand out in Fortra's Automate?

Drag-and-Drop Interface: Simplifies task setup and automation without deep coding expertise.
Scheduling and File Management: Ensures efficient, automated handling of tasks and file transfers.
Integration Capabilities: Works with platforms like Azure and AWS for enhanced performance.
Error Handling: Offers solid solutions to manage and resolve task execution errors.
Minimal Coding: Facilitates automation with limited coding requirements, broadening accessibility.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Cost-Effectiveness: Provides affordable licensing options for diverse businesses.
Operational Efficiency: Enhances productivity by automating repetitive tasks, reducing manual errors.
Versatility: Adapts well across sectors like banking, healthcare, and transportation.
Robust Support: Offers extensive assistance with automation features.
IT Compatibility: Easily integrates into existing IT infrastructures.

In industries such as healthcare and transportation, Fortra's Automate facilitates the automation of client management, HR operations, and data processing, boosting efficiency. Banks utilize it for managing extensive invoice workflows, while distribution sectors rely on its capabilities for insurance checks and system support. Its applicability across servers makes it a valuable tool for any sector seeking to reduce manual workload and improve task accuracy.

Fortra

Sample Customers

Google, Linkedin, Cisco, Juniper Networks, DellEMC, Comcast, Mastercard, Quest Diagnostics

empark, talan, liverpool, ayesa, aeromexico, teknei

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

Buyer's Guide

Appian RPA vs. Fortra's Automate

June 2026

Free Report: Appian RPA vs. Fortra's Automate

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