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Developer Tools · head to head

Ansible vs Automation Anywhere

Ansible logo

Ansible

Developer Tools

Simple, agentless IT automation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Automation Anywhere logo

Automation Anywhere

Automation Integration

Enterprise automation software

From
$200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ansible has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ansible the open source project gives the engine and the language; the automation controller, automation mesh, automation hub, analytics and governance all belong to the paid Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform; Automation Anywhere no enterprise pricing tiers published; contact sales required for commercial deployment pricing
  • They diverge on capability: Ansible covers Playbooks, Automation Anywhere covers Desktop RPA.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ansible and Automation Anywhere actually diverge.

Attributes where Ansible and Automation Anywhere differ
AttributeAnsibleAutomation Anywhere
Starting priceFree$200/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiDesktop, Web
CategoryDeveloper ToolsAutomation Integration
Founded20122003

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Ansible

  • Playbooks
  • Inventory management
  • Module library
  • Variables and templating
  • Handlers
  • Roles
  • Async tasks
  • Plugins

Only in Automation Anywhere

  • Desktop RPA
  • Cloud RPA
  • No-code automation
  • Intelligent process automation
  • Analytics
  • Monitoring
  • Scalability
  • 500+ connectors

Both cover

  • On-premise deployment
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Ansible

  • Configuration managementnot Automation Anywhere
  • Server provisioningnot Automation Anywhere
  • Application deploymentnot Automation Anywhere
  • Multi-node managementnot Automation Anywhere
  • Orchestrationnot Automation Anywhere

Automation Anywhere

  • Workflow Automationnot Ansible
  • Data Integrationnot Ansible
  • Process Automationnot Ansible
  • App Integrationnot Ansible
  • API Connectivitynot Ansible

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Ansible

  • The open source project gives the engine and the language; the automation controller, automation mesh, automation hub, analytics and governance all belong to the paid Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform
  • Event-Driven Ansible and the AI coding assistant are platform features rather than open source ones
  • Red Hat does not publish platform pricing
  • Running open source Ansible at scale means building the control plane the platform otherwise provides

Automation Anywhere

  • No enterprise pricing tiers published; contact sales required for commercial deployment pricing
  • Cloud Community Edition is free but limited compared to enterprise offerings

Pricing, plan by plan

Ansible

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Community edition
    • Unlimited nodes
    • Full functionality
  • Ansible Automation Platform$5000/year
    • Enterprise support
    • Ansible Tower
    • Advanced features

Automation Anywhere

$200/month
  • CommunityFree
    • Community version
    • Limited use
  • Enterprise$200/month
    • Full RPA capabilities
  • Premium$500/month
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Ansible if

  • You need playbooks.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want inventory management.
Ansible review

Choose Automation Anywhere if

  • You need desktop rpa.
  • You work on Desktop, Web.
  • You also want cloud rpa.
Automation Anywhere review

Questions people ask

Is Ansible or Automation Anywhere better?
Neither clearly leads. Ansible starts at Free and Automation Anywhere at $200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ansible or Automation Anywhere?
Ansible has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ansible and $200/month for Automation Anywhere.
Does Ansible or Automation Anywhere run on more platforms?
Ansible runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Automation Anywhere runs on Desktop, Web.
Can I use Ansible for free?
Yes. Ansible has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Automation Anywhere starts at $200/month.
What is Ansible best used for?
Ansible is most often used for configuration management, server provisioning, application deployment, multi-node management. Of those, configuration management and server provisioning are not what Automation Anywhere is typically brought in for.
What can Ansible do that Automation Anywhere cannot?
Ansible covers Playbooks, Inventory management, Module library, Variables and templating. Automation Anywhere covers Desktop RPA, Cloud RPA, No-code automation, Intelligent process automation. Both handle On-premise deployment, Cloud deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ansible: Is Ansible free for commercial use?

Ansible Collaborative is open source. The page describes it as 'an open source IT automation engine' and does not impose restrictions on commercial use for the open source version.

Source
Automation Anywhere: How much does Automation Anywhere cost?

Automation Anywhere provides a Cloud Community Edition available free with full-featured automation access. Enterprise and commercial deployment pricing is not publicly disclosed and requires contact with the sales team for a custom quote.

Source
Ansible: What is the difference between open source Ansible and the commercial alternative?

The page references Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform as an enterprise alternative to Ansible Collaborative, but does not disclose specific differences, pricing, or feature comparisons between the two offerings.

Source
Automation Anywhere: Does Automation Anywhere offer a free version?

Yes, Automation Anywhere offers the Cloud Community Edition as a free option with full-featured automation access for learning and development purposes. Commercial and enterprise use requires different licensing arrangements.

Source
Ansible: Is there paid support available for Ansible?

The page does not disclose whether paid support contracts are available for open source Ansible or whether Red Hat offers support plans for their enterprise Ansible Automation Platform.

Source
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