IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs Pega Platform comparison

IBM and Pega are both solutions in the Process Automation category. IBM is ranked #30 with an average rating of 9.0, while Pega is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.2. IBM holds a 1.0% mindshare in PA, compared to Pega’s 5.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Pega users who would recommend it.

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Read 2 IBM Cloud Pak for Automation reviews

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413 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Pega Platform

Read 85 Pega Platform reviews

9,171 Views
3,210 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Pega Platform

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 2, 2025

Pega Platform and IBM Cloud Pak for Automation are both automation solutions. Pega shines in customer support and attractive pricing, while IBM stands out with a robust feature set, enhancing its value for the price.

Features: Pega Platform is equipped with advanced case management, excellent scalability, and user-friendly design. IBM Cloud Pak for Automation offers AI-driven document processing, seamless integration features, and an extensive suite of automation tools.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Pega's cloud-based deployment makes implementation straightforward, complemented by highly rated customer service. IBM Cloud Pak offers flexible deployment options, including both on-premises and cloud, with efficient support despite a possibly more intricate setup.

Pricing and ROI: Pega Platform offers competitive pricing and swift ROI through effective customer service and scalable solutions. IBM Cloud Pak has higher initial setup costs but provides strong ROI thanks to its advanced features.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs. Pega Platform Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs. Pega Platform

January 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

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Ranking in Process Automation

30th

Ranking in Business Orchestration and Automation Technologies

22nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Pega Platform

Ranking in Process Automation

4th

Ranking in Business Orchestration and Automation Technologies

7th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Business Rules Management (1st), Business Process Management (BPM) (4th), Rapid Application Development Software (8th), Low-Code Development Platforms (7th), AI Software Development (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Process Automation category, the mindshare of IBM Cloud Pak for Automation is 1.0%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Pega Platform is 5.2%, down from 7.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Process Automation Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Pega Platform	5.2%
IBM Cloud Pak for Automation	1.0%
Other	93.8%

Process Automation

Featured Reviews

SYEDMUJTABA

Vice President - Digital Automation Services at Techvista Systems

Effectively handles parallel instances effectively

I find it quite straightforward, perhaps around 8.5 out of 10 in terms of ease. When we upgraded from the old version of IBM BPM to the new one within IBM Cloud Pak for Automation, we didn't encounter any major issues. There were some minor ones, but they were easy to overcome.The migration process was part of our deployment strategy. We had a plan to migrate two processes per week from on-premises to the cloud. The migration involved taking the instances and migrating them to the new environment. There is an inbuilt feature in IBM Cloud Pak for Automation that facilitates the migration process, although I personally haven't conducted it myself; it's managed by my team. Overall, the setup process was relatively smooth.

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reviewer4848291

Global Head of Digital, Process Automation at a computer software company with 51-200 employees

Pega is a low-code platform that enables organizations to build, automate, and optimize business processes and customer experiences through AI-powered decisioning and workflow automation.

Here are the key areas where Pega Platform could be improved: 1. User Interface (UI) & User Experience (UX) Customization Limitations: The UI layer is tightly coupled with the platform, limiting flexibility for custom front-end development. Constellation Architecture: While it improves consistency, it restricts advanced UI customizations compared to older section-based designs. Learning Curve: Non-technical users find the UI unintuitive despite the low-code promise. 2. Integration & Extensibility Limited Out-of-the-Box Integrations: Users report challenges integrating with non-relational databases and legacy systems. Robotics Integration: Pega RPA (formerly OpenSpan) is not seamlessly integrated with BPM, creating silos in automation. 3. AI & Decisioning AI Capabilities Need Maturity: Users expect more advanced, native AI features without relying on external tools. CDH & Decision Hub: While powerful, these components require deep expertise to configure effectively. 4. Cost & Licensing High Licensing Costs: Pega is often seen as expensive, especially for small and mid-sized enterprises. Lack of Flexible Pricing Models: Calls for subscription-based or usage-based pricing to improve accessibility. 5. Performance & Scalability Scalability Concerns: Some users report performance degradation with large user bases or complex workflows. Upgrade Complexity: Platform upgrades can be time-consuming and disruptive if not planned well. 6. Documentation & Community Support Insufficient Learning Resources: Especially for advanced features, documentation is limited and community support is not as strong as competitors. Talent Availability: Finding skilled Pega professionals remains a challenge in many regions. 7. Low-Code/No-Code Experience Not Fully No-Code: Despite branding, some tasks still require technical intervention, and the drag-and-drop interface can be restrictive 2. Conflict Management: Simultaneous development by multiple users can lead to rule conflicts.

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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

"What this product allows us to do is to move from on-prem instances where we are running independent instances of FileNet, Datacap, and ODM. It allows us to leverage container-based resiliency and availability modeling so that we have some visibility across the CP4BA ecosystem. We're now migrating all of our data to be in the Cloud Object Storage, and we can now use some of the features of Azure in terms of how we store and retrieve content for our members and our providers."

"I believe two significant features of IBM Cloud Pak for Automation are the focus on SLA management and the capability to handle parallel instances effectively. Parallel instances, for instance, are valuable when dealing with a large number of users, enabling tasks to be performed concurrently for efficient system operation. The SLA aspect is crucial for tracking and ensuring timely completion of tasks. Additionally, the cloud compatibility of IBM BAW allows for seamless migration from on-premises to the cloud. This version also includes a business rule management system for storing and managing business rules effectively."

"This solution is useful for business process management if you have any banking solutions or need to manage a process."

"The most valuable aspect of the solution is the various workflows."

"The most valuable features of the solution are case management, routing, and low-code environment."

"In general, we use web services to integrate this solution with our other tools. It is the main approach we use with this solution and it integrates with all tools that we need. If you want to integrate with other solutions such ThreatFire or similar, it is possible as well."

"The interface is quite simple and easy to use, even for beginners."

"The most valuable feature is the ease of deployment."

"The solution is able to support the size and scale required."

"One of the key advantages of PegaRULES is its out-of-the-box capabilities, which eliminate the need to build certain functionalities from scratch. For instance, features like "get next" in process flows allow for the seamless continuation of a flow without the requirement of additional activity creation. This serves as an illustration of how existing components can be leveraged rather than starting from scratch. It provides a solid foundation, to begin with, and allows for enhancements at a higher level, making it a beneficial starting point."

More Pega Platform pros

Cons

"I believe there is room for improvement in the user interface, particularly in the Process Portal that customers use to view and manage their tasks. The UI of the Process Portal needs enhancement. Additionally, in the next release, I would like to see improved compatibility with Angular, allowing for direct integration with front-end systems. It would be beneficial to have built-in GUI features based on Angular within the system, rather than developing separate applications externally. This, in turn, would provide a more seamless and enhanced front-end experience."

"One of the challenges we're having is finding vendors who have experience in developing on the cloud. We can find developers on the old platform, but it is leading-edge technology. So, we are having some challenges, and IBM is assisting us to find vendor partners. To be able to leverage all the capabilities of the new platform, we have to upgrade our existing ecosystem of FileNet applications. Upgrading to the new platform while trying to modernize is always challenging because it is like you have a moving target."

"Pega is claiming they're into low code but as per Gartner Magic Quadrant, Pega is not there now."

"There are some UX shortcomings within the solution. However, it's my understanding that they have addressed them and in the next three months they will come out with a new updated version. They will be moving away from HTML5."

"The solution would benefit from more integration capabilities."

"This is an expensive solution."

"Pega BPM could improve the UI, it is poorly designed to have a good UX experience."

"The training aspect of Pega BPM requires significant enhancement. There should be more opportunities for third-party training and engaging events, such as hackathons where individuals can share their expertise. Additionally, the training structure itself should be more organized, as I have received feedback from my colleagues in the COE that the current training approach is overwhelming and requires excessive referencing to obtain accurate information. Another area for improvement would be the user experience with regard to RPA. Simplifying the IDA for citizen developers would make it easier for them to adopt the RPA tool."

"From a technical point of view, it would be helpful to have some advanced analytics to help with configuration. We have a lot of unwanted features and it would be good to configure it more appropriately so that we are using just exactly what we need."

"The unit testing needs to improve, as well as the user interface."

More Pega Platform cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"IBM Cloud Pak for Automation is relatively expensive, especially considering it is designed for long-living processes, not for normal automation needs. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate the pricing at around 9. There are no additional costs beyond the standard licensing fees, but IBM has multiple pricing models that make it expensive in its own way. Different plans are available, but overall, the experience suggests it is a costly solution."

"Its cost is almost the same or comparable to what we pay with FileNet, but I'm not sure what we pay a year. A good part of CP4BA is the CPU-based licensing model. When we're dealing with 50,000 dentists, for example, if we were to use Salesforce, we would be hit with the licensing of 50,000 dentists, whereas when we build out in CP4BA, it is just based on our CPU usage, not on individual licenses."

"In terms of the pricing for Pega BPM, other solutions may be cheaper, but it doesn't matter if Pega BPM has a higher price tag because what's important is that it's the best solution, and that is what people look for. If I would rate the pricing for the solution, I'd give it three out of five. You have to pay extra for additional features in Pega BPM."

"The solution could be less expensive according to my customers. However, I think the price of the solution is fair."

"We mostly have a yearly license."

"They're very cagey in giving out prices, and it is very difficult to find out the real price any organization is going to get. It is almost never their list price, if you can find it, and there are a lot of factors that go into the whole pricing."

"The licensing fees are based on the number of users."

"The price of Pega BPM is in the middle range compared to other solutions."

"PegaRULES is a good product, but its pricing is a bit on the premium side, especially for professionals."

"The price of PegaRULES is more expensive than other solutions on the market."

More Pega Platform pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Financial Services Firm

25%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	15
Large Enterprise	69

Questions from the Community

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Is Pega BPM easy to work with and can beginners utilize this software?

You do need some preparation to be able to use all functions of Pega BPM. However, all users of this platform are in luck as it comes with good documentation and you can learn pretty much everythin...

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Have you encountered any issues while using Pega BPM and were you assisted by the company?

My company has been using this tool for years and the only issue we have had, if you can call it that, was while setting it up. When we were setting it up initially, we had some drawbacks and could...

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When you consider the features and benefits of Pega BPM, would you say this product is fairly priced?

Pega BPM can be considered overpriced for some; it all depends on the size of your company and the requirements of your customers. Sure, there are products out there that do the things that Pega B...

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Comparisons

IBM BPM vs IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Compared 27% of the time

Appian vs IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Compared 23% of the time

ServiceNow Orchestration vs IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Compared 17% of the time

Nintex Process Platform vs IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Compared 15% of the time

More IBM Cloud Pak for Automation Competitors

ServiceNow vs Pega Platform

Compared 11% of the time

Camunda vs Pega Platform

Compared 11% of the time

Appian vs Pega Platform

Compared 7% of the time

FICO Blaze Advisor vs Pega Platform

Compared 4% of the time

IBM Operational Decision Manager vs Pega Platform

Compared 4% of the time

More Pega Platform Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Process Automation

December 2025

Download IBM Cloud Pak for Automation product report

Buyer's Guide

Pega Platform

January 2026

Download Pega Platform product report

Also Known As

No data available

Pega BPM, Pegasystems, SmartBPM, PegaRULES

Overview

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation offers design, build, run, and automation services to rapidly scale your programs and fully execute and operationalize an automation strategy.

IBM

Pega Platform provides flexible business process management with a focus on rapid application development and automation through a low-code approach, enhancing efficiency across sectors.

Pega Platform is renowned for its ability to streamline operations with robust automation features, including robotic process automation and decision-making capabilities. Its intuitive interface and workflow management contribute to a reputation for enhancing business processes. Although users face challenges with integration limitations and high licensing costs, they benefit from rapid deployment and efficient process adaptations. The unified architecture reduces complexity, while case management and integration services support digital transformations in sectors such as banking, insurance, and healthcare.

What are the key features of Pega Platform?

Low-Code Development: Facilitates rapid application development with minimal coding.
Case Management: Efficiently manages complex workflows and cases.
Integration Services: Offers seamless connectivity with diverse systems.
Robotic Process Automation: Automates repetitive tasks for increased productivity.
Decision-Making Capabilities: Enhances process accuracy with advanced decision tools.
Intuitive Interface: Simplifies user interaction and workflow management.

What benefits and ROI should users expect?

Enhanced Efficiency: Streamlines operations, reducing time and resource usage.
Quick Deployment: Facilitates rapid implementation and adaptability.
Improved Customer Experience: Integrates seamlessly with customer service solutions.
Increased Flexibility: Adapts to changing business requirements effectively.

In industries like insurance, banking, healthcare, and government, Pega Platform is implemented to automate diverse workflows, supporting initiatives from claims processing to customer onboarding. Enterprises use Pega for case management and digital transformations, valuing its out-of-the-box integrations and real-time reporting capabilities to boost operational automation and enhance customer experiences.

Pega

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

The State of Maine, ANZ, Coca-Cola, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), ME, New South Wales, OptumRx, Texas Department of Transportation, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement

Buyer's Guide

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs. Pega Platform

January 2026

Free Report: IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs. Pega Platform

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