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No-Code · head to head

Appian vs Automation Anywhere

Appian logo

Appian

No-Code

Low-code process automation platform priced per user, per app, per month, with tier limits on data and AI volume

From
On request
Rated
-
Automation Anywhere logo

Automation Anywhere

Automation Integration

Enterprise automation software

From
$200/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Appian cost multiplies on three axes at once, users, apps and month, so deploying several apps to overlapping user populations produces a bill that is not obvious from any single per-user headline figure.; Automation Anywhere no enterprise pricing tiers published; contact sales required for commercial deployment pricing
  • They diverge on capability: Appian covers Low-code process designer, Automation Anywhere covers Desktop RPA.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Appian and Automation Anywhere differ
AttributeAppianAutomation Anywhere
Starting priceOn request$200/month
Pricing modelPer user, per app, per month, escalating across Standard, Advanced and Premium tierssubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidDesktop, Web
CategoryNo-CodeAutomation Integration
FoundedUnknown2003

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Appian

  • Low-code process designer
  • Robotic process automation
  • AI process automation
  • Data fabric
  • Portals
  • Process mining

Only in Automation Anywhere

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

What people use each for

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

Appian

  • A regulated enterprise (financial services, government, insurance) automating case management processes that need a full audit trailnot Automation Anywhere
  • A company deploying RPA bots alongside low-code apps and wanting both in one licensed platformnot Automation Anywhere
  • An organisation whose process data volume is large enough that the Standard tier's 4 million row cap is a real constraint worth planning fornot Automation Anywhere
  • A business wanting embedded AI actions inside workflow steps rather than bolted on separatelynot Automation Anywhere

Automation Anywhere

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

Where each one falls short

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

Appian

  • Cost multiplies on three axes at once, users, apps and month, so deploying several apps to overlapping user populations produces a bill that is not obvious from any single per-user headline figure.
  • Each tier has hard caps on data rows, RPA bots and monthly AI actions, so a workload can force a tier upgrade purely from data or automation volume growth, independent of user count.
  • No dollar figures are published anywhere on Appian's own site; every real price point comes from a sales negotiation, making early-stage budget comparison against OutSystems or Mendix difficult.
  • The platform's strength in process orchestration and case management is less useful for teams that mainly want simple departmental data apps, where the pricing and capability are overkill.
  • Exceeding the 200,000 (Standard) or 1,000,000 (Premium) monthly AI action allowance requires a renegotiation, so AI-heavy workflows carry real usage risk beyond the base subscription.

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

Appian

On request
  • Standard$undefined/month
    • Per user, per app, per month
    • 4 million data row capacity
    • 5 RPA bots included
  • Advanced$undefined/month
    • Per user, per app, per month
    • Higher data row capacity than Standard
    • More RPA bots than Standard
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Per user, per app, per month
    • 50 million data row capacity
    • Unlimited RPA bots

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 Appian if

  • You need low-code process designer.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want robotic process automation.

Choose Automation Anywhere if

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

Questions people ask

Is Appian or Automation Anywhere better?
Neither clearly leads. Appian starts at On request and Automation Anywhere at $200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Appian or Automation Anywhere?
Appian starts at On request and Automation Anywhere at $200/month.
Does Appian or Automation Anywhere run on more platforms?
Appian runs on Web, iOS, Android. Automation Anywhere runs on Desktop, Web.
What is Appian best used for?
Appian is most often used for a regulated enterprise (financial services, government, insurance) automating case management processes that need a full audit trail, a company deploying rpa bots alongside low-code apps and wanting both in one licensed platform, an organisation whose process data volume is large enough that the standard tier's 4 million row cap is a real constraint worth planning for, a business wanting embedded ai actions inside workflow steps rather than bolted on separately. Of those, a regulated enterprise (financial services, government, insurance) automating case management processes that need a full audit trail and a company deploying rpa bots alongside low-code apps and wanting both in one licensed platform are not what Automation Anywhere is typically brought in for.
What can Appian do that Automation Anywhere cannot?
Appian covers Low-code process designer, Robotic process automation, AI process automation, Data fabric. Automation Anywhere covers Desktop RPA, Cloud RPA, No-code automation, Intelligent process automation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Appian: Does Appian publish its prices?

No dollar figures are public. It discloses the pricing mechanism, per user per app per month across three tiers, but actual rates are negotiated.

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
Appian: What happens if we exceed the data row cap?

Exceeding a tier's data row, RPA bot or AI action cap requires upgrading to the next tier or negotiating an add-on, regardless of user count.

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
Appian: Is Appian a general app builder like OutSystems?

It can build general apps but is oriented more toward process automation and case management, with RPA and AI embedded as core features.

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