Create my space

RPA tools compared: which one should you choose?

Five families of tools promise to automate your tasks, and they don't do the same thing. RPA platforms, no-code connectors, AI agents: this guide presents each tool for what it genuinely does well, including when that isn't us. If these notions are new, start with the difference between RPA and AI agents.

Book a demo

What we looked at

Four concrete criteria, the ones that matter once the tool is in production. Not the feature list. The deeper choice between robot and agent is covered in our RPA alternative page.

01

Setup

What it takes to go from first try to a process that runs: days or months, an in-house team or an integrator.

02

Maintenance

What happens when a screen, a format or a document changes, and who has to step in.

03

Scope

What the tool can handle: interfaces, APIs, and above all unstructured documents.

04

Cost model

Per-robot licence, per-task subscription or pay-per-run: what you pay, and when.

The five tools, reviewed

001Enterprise RPA

UiPath

The RPA market reference: Studio to build robots, Orchestrator to run them. A complete platform, built for large automation programmes.

Strengths

  • The most complete and mature ecosystem on the market.
  • Automates legacy applications without APIs, desktop included.

Limits

  • Licences and infrastructure sized for large accounts.
  • Requires dedicated RPA developers, often a centre of excellence.

Best for

Large organisations automating dozens of stable processes on applications without APIs.

002RPA · Microsoft ecosystem

Microsoft Power Automate

Automation built into Microsoft 365: cloud flows between your services, desktop RPA as an option. The natural choice when everything already runs on Microsoft.

Strengths

  • Native integration with Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint, Dynamics.
  • A low-cost entry point if you're already licensed for Microsoft.

Limits

  • Licensing gets complex fast once you leave the base tier.
  • Desktop RPA remains sensitive to screen changes.

Best for

Teams already on Microsoft 365 that want to connect their tools together.

003Cloud RPA

Automation Anywhere

The other major enterprise RPA platform, cloud-native: robots, orchestration and governance, fully web-deployed.

Strengths

  • A cloud platform, no infrastructure to install.
  • Governance and audit built for regulated environments.

Limits

  • The same dedicated skills to plan for as UiPath.
  • Less established in French-speaking Europe than UiPath.

Best for

Large organisations that want enterprise RPA without running the infrastructure.

004No-code connectors

Zapier / Make

Not really RPA: these tools link your SaaS applications together through their APIs. A submitted form triggers an email, a spreadsheet row, a notification.

Strengths

  • Thousands of applications connected in a few clicks.
  • Accessible without technical skills, cheap to start.

Limits

  • Built for structured data, not for interpreting documents.
  • Complex logic takes many modules, and maintaining it gets demanding.

Best for

Small teams connecting SaaS tools over already-structured data.

005AI agents

ERHA · AI agents

A different approach: instead of scripting clicks or wiring APIs, AI agents read your documents, apply your rules and flag doubtful cases for human validation.

Strengths

  • Understands variable documents, with no script to maintain.
  • Doubtful cases are flagged: a person keeps the final say.

Limits

  • Not built to drive desktop applications without APIs.
  • Less relevant if your data is already perfectly structured.

Best for

Teams processing varied documents (invoices, payslips, files) with business rules and a need for control.

The recap at a glance

SetupMaintenanceScopeCost model
UiPathA project: weeks to monthsScripts to rework at every changeDesktop, web, legacy without APIsAnnual per-robot licences
Microsoft Power AutomateFast within Microsoft 365Desktop RPA sensitive to screensMostly the Microsoft ecosystemPer user, complex tiers
Automation AnywhereA project: weeks to monthsDedicated skills requiredWeb and desktop, cloud nativeAnnual licences, on quote
Zapier / MakeA few hoursLight for simple scenariosSaaS APIs, structured dataSubscription per task volume
ERHA · AI agentsSet up on your real filesNo scripts, variations absorbedVariable documents, business rulesPer run, displayed and capped

What to remember

Dozens of stable processes on legacy applications without APIs

UiPath or Automation Anywhere

Your whole system already runs on Microsoft 365

Power Automate

Connecting SaaS applications over already-structured data

Zapier or Make

Variable documents, business rules, human validation

ERHA, AI agents

Book a demo

Frequently asked questions

RPA, no-code connectors, AI agents: what's the difference?

RPA replays clicks on screens, connectors link applications through their APIs, AI agents understand content: documents, rules, exceptions. The three complement each other more than they compete.

Can you combine several of these tools?

Yes, and it's often the right setup: RPA keeps the perfectly stable flows, connectors move data between applications, and AI agents take the variable documents and the cases that need interpretation.

What budget should you plan to get started?

Enterprise RPA platforms run to tens of thousands of euros a year, licences and integration included. No-code connectors start at a few dozen euros a month. ERHA has no licence: a setup package, then pay-per-run, displayed and capped.

UiPath or Power Automate: which one should you pick?

If your system already runs on Microsoft 365, Power Automate is the natural entry point. For a large multi-application automation programme, especially on legacy without APIs, UiPath remains the most complete platform.

Will AI agents replace RPA?

Not entirely. Robots keep the edge on perfectly stable processes. On the other hand, everything that requires reading and interpreting (variable documents, edge cases, checks) is moving to AI agents, which absorb variations without scripts.

How long does each type of tool take to set up?

A few hours for a no-code connector, several weeks to months for an enterprise RPA platform. ERHA sits in between: our team configures your agents on your real files, and you validate on results before going live.

Go further

Ready to get that time back?

We'll show you ERHA on one of your own files, in 30 minutes.

Book a demoRequest access