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Fortra's Automate vs IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 15, 2026

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
6.6
Automation Anywhere enhances ROI by reducing costs, improving efficiency, and delivering rapid results in less than a year.
Sentiment score
6.6
Fortra's Automate boosts productivity by 30%, reduces errors and labor costs, achieving 85% ROI within 120 days.
Sentiment score
8.3
IBM RPA offers 20-30% ROI, short payback period, cost-effectiveness, automates tasks, and enhances client satisfaction and financial benefits.
In terms of cost, we participated in projects achieving two to three million dollars in annual savings.
Software Developer at Boston Scientific
As a return on investment, we have achieved a 250% ROI in six to nine months, and sometimes it increases up to 380% percent.
Software Engineer Intern at a university with 11-50 employees
Automation Anywhere has helped us save money.
RPA Solution Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
The tasks Fortra's Automate is doing can be done by many employees, saving us from employing many people to monitor these servers 24/7.
Information Technology Manager at Everseen
Fortra's Automate has effectively replaced the workload of an entire employee, saving us significant time and money.
Chief Technology Officer at DOB Systems LLC
It has reduced our expenditures in terms of purchasing more products and employing more technicians.
System Administrator
My customers have seen high ROI with IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) because it has a lower cost than other vendors.
Business Solutions Manager at valleysoft
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.0
Automation Anywhere's customer service is responsive and knowledgeable, but may face inconsistent response times and require persistent follow-ups.
Sentiment score
7.6
Fortra's Automate offers prompt support with generally high ratings but faces occasional delays and non-user-friendly documentation.
Sentiment score
6.6
IBM RPA offers reliable customer service, though some users seek better educational resources and more experienced level-one support.
Whenever we need help, we can reach out to them, and they help us out.
Software Developer at Boston Scientific
We also have dedicated account managers and technical experts to solve our problems related to Automation Anywhere.
Software Engineer Intern at a university with 11-50 employees
We just have to raise a ticket, after which we receive a call, email, or ping from the Automation Anywhere team.
Solution architect at Boston Scientific
They don't always understand the processes I'm trying to implement.
Senior Data Analyst at a financial services firm with 1-10 employees
They handle customers like me to get to the exact issue, detailing where that issue originates from a technical point of view, the resolution, and the summary they provided.
Software Engineer at Cateina Technologies
I would rate the technical support as a nine out of ten because it is quite fast and courteous.
Account Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
They need to improve their support by having more experienced level one support.
Business Solutions Manager at valleysoft
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Automation Anywhere is highly scalable and cost-effective, efficiently managing projects and supporting diverse industry automation with centralized control.
Sentiment score
7.1
Fortra's Automate is adaptable for diverse infrastructures, offering scalable automation despite some cost and performance concerns.
Sentiment score
7.6
IBM RPA is highly scalable, appreciated for its cloud flexibility, aided by Kubernetes, microservices, and AI expansion efforts.
As we are using Microsoft Copilot for our AI agents, I look forward to integrating it with Automation Anywhere and its solutions, seeing it as a beneficial partnership as Automation progresses toward AI as the main solution.
Sr. Manager, Finance Transformation at Amkor Technology, Inc.
The centralized control room allows us to orchestrate and manage bots seamlessly.
Associate Leadership Team at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
I can scale it in terms of hundreds of bots and configure hundreds of parallel robots easily.
Director at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
The scalability of Automate also scores a ten out of ten.
IT Project Manager at Labo des histoires
I can deploy it on multiple infrastructures such as cloud, on-premises, or in a hybrid model.
Software Engineer at Cateina Technologies
Fortra's Automate automates the work, but it needs continuous monitoring.
Information Technology Manager at Everseen
The solution is very scalable because it's supported by Cloud Pak for Automation, allowing scaling with other solutions or independently.
Business Solutions Manager at valleysoft
I would rate the scalability of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) as eight on a scale of one to ten.
executive procurement technology at a insurance company with 11-50 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.0
Automation Anywhere is praised for stability and reliability, with cloud versions improving consistency and strong customer support appreciated.
Sentiment score
7.4
Fortra's Automate is praised for stability and reliability, with minimal crashes, especially when used with AWS, requiring proper support.
Sentiment score
6.9
IBM RPA is generally stable, with improved version 11, but some users report minor issues and memory concerns.
With the latest applications, there are no significant issues like freezing or crashing.
Senior RPA Team Leader at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
From a stability and reliability perspective, we can remain confident that the product performs as an enterprise solution and meets expected standards.
Director Automation CEO at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
If you have good best practices, reusable code, an effective framework, and a solid development methodology, bots can be very stable.
Intelligent Automation Engineering Manager at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
The stability of the solution is a ten out of ten.
IT Project Manager at Labo des histoires
For stability on a scale from one to ten, I would give it a solid nine.
Cloud Engineer - ll at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
It has very robust features, and it is not prone to instability.
Account Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has been running smoothly for four years without any errors, which indicates a high level of stability.
executive procurement technology at a insurance company with 11-50 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Automation Anywhere's complexity, cost, and technical demands challenge non-tech users, requiring improved support and ease for smaller firms.
Fortra's Automate users seek intuitive UI, better error documentation, enhanced integrations, and improved support amid navigation and connectivity issues.
IBM RPA needs stronger AI, better integrations, user-friendly features, and improved support to address user challenges and requests.
It is better to write a Python script instead of using Automation Anywhere's package when dealing with Excel because it is buggy and tends to break.
Low Code Developer at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Making the product more lightweight by reducing its dependency on infrastructure could greatly help in the long run.
Software Developer at Boston Scientific
It would be beneficial if the platform provided options for power developers to integrate seamlessly with languages like Java or C#, allowing them to write their own scripts and code.
Rpa Infrastructure Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
This is a significant concern, especially with critical workloads where visibility into errors is essential.
DevOps Engineer at Teksphere Global Services Limited
My major recommendation would be for easier upgrade paths between major versions.
Project Manager - DevOps Engineer at ACC
When new employees join our company, we created automation so they receive AWS credentials and all their AWS access and cloud access.
Cloud Engineer - ll at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
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.
Business Solutions Manager at valleysoft
 

Setup Cost

Automation Anywhere's pricing is seen as expensive for small businesses but justified by features for larger organizations.
Fortra's Automate offers competitive, flexible pricing per bot, allowing cost-effective, broad automation for enterprises compared to other solutions.
IBM RPA pricing is often high with annual licensing, but it offers flexibility, bundling, and a free trial.
It is more cost-efficient compared to all other RPA platforms.
AI/Robotics Process Automation Specialist at Bell
Automation Anywhere costs are aligned with UiPath and Blue Prism, which are also expensive.
Developer at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
It is not cheap, with costs ranging between 700 to 800 dollars per month.
Director, Co-Founder & CEO at HEDEHI Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Competitors are often more expensive than Automate.
Account Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
It offered what we wanted at a good, competitive price.
Senior Data Analyst at a financial services firm with 1-10 employees
It does a lot but also costs a lot.
Chief Technology Officer at DOB Systems LLC
The pricing of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is an area that could be improved.
executive procurement technology at a insurance company with 11-50 employees
 

Valuable Features

Automation Anywhere offers a user-friendly interface for efficient task automation with features enhancing productivity and seamless integration.
Fortra's Automate offers user-friendly workflow automation with extensive integrations, error handling, scheduling, and cross-cloud support to boost efficiency.
IBM Robotic Process Automation boosts efficiency and productivity with user-friendly automation, integration, and advanced analytics features.
I can set it up to provide users with a form to fill in all required information, and then the bot operates based on those specifications.
Low Code Developer at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
For example, the email module has been enhanced over the years to support all the latest authentication technologies. That is very important as we move away from username and password and embrace multi-factor authentication.
Automation Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Automation Anywhere has undergone drastic changes over the past five years, transitioning from version 10 to A360, including desktop-based and cloud-based options.
Solution architect at Boston Scientific
Automate's non-reliance on additional orchestrators makes it quite cost-effective.
Account Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
In my opinion, the best feature Automate offers is the scheduling.
DevOps Engineer at Teksphere Global Services Limited
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.
IT Project Manager at Labo des histoires
We haven't encountered any errors in the last four years, which speaks to its reliability.
executive procurement technology at a insurance company with 11-50 employees
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.
Business Solutions Manager at valleysoft
 

Categories and Ranking

Automation Anywhere
Sponsored
Ranking in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
640
Ranking in other categories
Business Process Management (BPM) (2nd), Process Mining (1st), Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) (1st), Agentic Automation (1st), Business Orchestration and Automation Technologies (1st), AI Legal & Compliance (1st), AI Finance & Accounting (1st), AI Procurement & Supply Chain (1st)
Fortra's Automate
Ranking in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
44
Ranking in other categories
Business Orchestration and Automation Technologies (5th)
IBM Robotic Process Automat...
Ranking in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
9th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

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 Fortra's Automate is 2.8%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is 2.0%, down from 3.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Automation Anywhere5.5%
Fortra's Automate2.8%
IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)2.0%
Other89.7%
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
 

Featured Reviews

Venkat Sivaprakash - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Anthony Tuhame - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
MA
Business Solutions Manager at valleysoft
Has improved analytics and reporting but needs better integration and support
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. There is an AI part in IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) for Machine Learning, but IBM has another platform specifically for data and AI, which is integrated right now. More features are hoped for in the future.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
11%
Computer Software Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Outsourcing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
12%
Construction Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Insurance Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business154
Midsize Enterprise82
Large Enterprise536
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business31
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise10
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise10
 

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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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...
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 advice do you have for others considering IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?
I recommend starting with the Academy to check the features and compare them with other competitors to choose the bes...
 

Also Known As

Automation Anywhere, Testing Anywhere, Automation Anywhere Enterprise, Agentic Process Automation System (Now Certified for WorkSpaces)
HelpSystems Automate, Automate
IBM RPA
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
Demo not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Google, Linkedin, Cisco, Juniper Networks, DellEMC, Comcast, Mastercard, Quest Diagnostics
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
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortra's Automate vs. IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.