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Managing complex projects manually soon becomes overwhelming. You make mistakes, miss necessary steps, and your team members get lost and confused in the resulting mess. That’s no way to run a business. Fortunately, workflow automation software is here to help. 

Workflow automation software uses rule-based logic to run sequences of tasks without human intervention. You set up the rules once, and then the software takes care of getting things done. All you have to do is sit back, monitor progress, and hope you didn't mess up any of the steps, or it will need your intervention.

How I Picked The Best Workflow Automation Software

In picking the best workflow automation tool, I first researched the most popular software on the market for its reviews and user interface. Then I shortlisted based on factors that make software a good automation tool for any team. Finally, I used my experience in project automation to select the criteria by which I would evaluate the tools and inform my overviews.

Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria: 

User Interface (UI)

I look for workflow management tools that are visually attractive. Building workflow automations requires concentration, and you don't need a tool that requires brain power to figure it out.

Usability

I focus on all the ways in which the software helps you automate a manual process. This includes the use of a drag-and-drop builder 

Integrations

I look for integrations with popular productivity apps and business tools. This includes built-in integrations with common apps like Google Drive or Slack, integrations through 3rd party software like Zapier, and custom integrations.

Pricing

I look for workflow automation that’s affordable, even for smaller organizations. Therefore, I include information on tool pricing based on monthly payments, free trials, demos and any information I find useful for you.

Overviews of the Best Workflow Automation Software

Here’s a brief description of each workflow automation system to showcase each tool’s best use case, some noteworthy features, and screenshots to give a snapshot of the user interface.

Best to create shared workflows with external apps

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $7/user/month
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Rating: 4.7/5

ClickUp is a cloud-based project management and team collaboration platform that will help you bring all of your tools into one place and create automated workflows that save you time.

Why I picked ClickUp: I chose ClickUp for this list for its flexible approach creating automations. I love how the automations module lets you create combinations of triggers and actions that replace manual procedures. You can choose from the hundreds of prebuilt templates or create custom automations in a drag-and-drop interface. Additionally, you can chain multiple actions together and set conditions to determine when your automations should run. The software can send notifications when specified events occur.

However, I should note that you need the owner or admin of the software to enable automations from the ClickApps menu before you do anything else. Otherwise, you won't see the automations view in your instance of the software.

ClickUp Standout Features & Integrations

Features that I particularly like are related to collaboration and how to view information. The collaborative docs and whiteboards are a great way to connect with the team, jam on new ideas, and co-create. Then, the software has 15 different ways in which you can view different project information - from workload information to a map where you can track items that are geographically dispersed.

Integrations include a wide range of business software, including Slack, Github, real-time reporting, whiteboards and shared documents for collaboration, task management with different views, goal tracking, and templates. You can also access thousands of additional apps using Zapier (requires paid account).

Best for templated workflows

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $99/month (unlimited users)
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Rating: 4.6/5

Pneumatic is a workflow management software that allows you to build and automate workflows for your business processes. You can organize your workflows into templates for easier reproduction and quicker creation in the future.

Why I picked Pneumatic Workflow: I selected Pneumatic Workflow for this list because its workflow builder can be used to create any task or workflow you need for your team. I'm particularly impressed by how users can establish pre-defined variables like names, assignees, descriptions, and required policies or standard operating procedures (SOPs) to apply to different workflows. Once you've built a workflow template, the dashboards help you track what's progress, started, and completed.

I also like how you can include external parties in your workflow, and easily invite guests by email. Admins can also use the workflow management software to configure role-based access permissions for individual staff members and teams. You can generate filtered and customized reports to understand your workflow performance, and receive weekly process summaries.

Pneumatic Workflow Standout Features & Integrations

Features include templates, unlimited workflows, external guests, kick-off forms that you can publicly share, conditional workflow logic, and granular access controls.

Integrations can be built with the system's API, or configured by connecting either Zapier or Make.

Best for cross-functional processes

  • 15-day free trial
  • From $8/user/month
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Rating: 4.5/5

Qntrl is an advanced workflow orchestration software that improves productivity and efficiency in the workplace. At its core, it automates processes across different applications to reduce manual data entry and speed up workflows.

Why I picked Qntrl: I picked Qntrl for this list because it provides a unified platform that can integrate with existing systems, eliminating the need for multiple tools or applications to create automations. It allows you to create automated processes quickly and easily without extensive technical expertise or coding knowledge. You can create workflows that are triggered by events or conditions, which I believe should make it easier to customize the process based on preferences. You can even set up automated responses when certain conditions are met, or an event occurs.

Qntrl Standout Features & Integrations

Features that caught my attention were the ones related to the granular control over processes. I was especially surprised by the fact that I can assign who is responsible for each step of a process. Additionally, you can gain better insights into your operations via native data collection and analysis capabilities. The software collects data from various sources, such as web forms, customer feedback, and social media posts and then analyzes it using machine learning algorithms that automatically populate the system to use within workflows.

Integrations include applications such as Salesforce, Dropbox, MS Teams, Harvest, Google Sheets, and Slack. You can also create as many custom integrations as you want using Webhooks and its API.

Best for drag-and-drop workflows

  • 30-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $8/user/month (billed annually)
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Rating: 4.8/5

Miro is a collaborative online workspace that offers a visual platform for innovation, providing features such as visual project management, diagramming, process mapping, product development workflows, and more.

Why I picked Miro: While most workflow automation features are only possible with third-party integrations, Miro offers some key in-platform automation capabilities. These include templates for different types of workflows with customizable drag-and-drop interfaces, such as project planning, brainstorming, and sprints. It also offers smart diagramming with features like auto-align and auto-layout that can help automate the organization of elements within a board.

With integrations, Miro offers workflow automation like syncing project cards, providing updates in communication channels, and automating other project management functions.

Miro Standout Features & Integrations

Features include video chat integration, screen sharing, Kanban boards, mind mapping, brainstorming tools, presentation mode, flowcharts, diagramming, agile workflows, remote team collaboration, digital sticky notes, project management tools, feedback loops, sketching tools, and user story mapping.

Integrations include Box, Airtable, Notion, Azure, Webex, Jira, Asana, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Slack, Monday.com, Confluence, Zoom, and Figma.  

Best for data collection projects

  • Free plan available
  • From $39/user/month
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Rating: 4.7/5

Jotform Enterprise provides a powerful, easy-to-use data collection process for businesses of all kinds who are looking to optimize their workflow automation processes. According to my research, Jotform gives businesses access to offline forms, surveys for product feedback and reviews, collaboration tools, approvals for automated workflows, and conditional logic for a personalized customer form experience. They specialize in B2B businesses but can be adapted to a wide range of customer markets and industries.

Why I picked Jotform Enterprise: One of the things I most admire about Jotform Enterprise is its flexibility, which allows you to build complex systems that are tailored specifically to your needs. I chose Jotform for this list, however, primarily because it offers an easy-to-use form builder that allows you to quickly create forms for any purpose, from collecting customer information to helping employees to track their progress on projects. The form builder includes hundreds of customizable templates that can be used as a starting point for creating your forms. You can create an order form that integrates with a payment processing service or set up an automated system that sends out email notifications when someone fills out a form.

Jotform Enterprise Standout Features & Integrations

Features include powerful analytics tools that allow users to monitor how customers interact with forms in real time. This includes tracking page views, submission times, and abandonment rates. With this data, users can identify areas where customers are dropping off or struggling with the form process so they can make improvements accordingly.

Another thing I really like about this tool is that you can host it in almost any place you can think of. The beauty of this is that you can easily comply with local regulations relating to data privacy.

Integrations include Google Drive, Google Sheets, Slack, Dropbox, PayPal, Stripe, Salesforce, Mailchimp, and Airtable. It also can integrate with Zapier to automate workflows and connect JotForm with over 1,000 other apps and services but this requires a Zapier account and may incur additional costs. 

Best for no-code workflow automation

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $25/user/month
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Rating: 4.9/5

Studio Creatio is a no-code platform that enables businesses to automate workflows and build applications without the need for extensive coding knowledge.

Why I picked Studio Creatio: The platform features a No-Code Designer, which includes tools for creating and modifying pages, views, data models, workflows, and integrations within a single workspace. The platform also offers industry-specific solutions for sectors such as banking, credit unions, and insurance. 

Studio Creatio's workflow automation software is part of this no-code platform. Users can design, automate, and optimize workflows with an intuitive visual interface that requires no prior programming knowledge. This feature makes the technology accessible to a broad range of professionals to help contribute to the digital transformation of their business. The platform also integrates with existing business systems, offers real-time monitoring and reporting, and includes advanced reporting and analytics features to enhance operational efficiency and productivity.

Studio Creatio Standout Features & Integrations

Features include a drag-and-drop interface to construct and automate business processes and workflows, ready-to-use apps with the Creatio Marketplace, multi-level architecture for scalability, and AI for tasks like customer profile categorization and predicting the probability of closing an opportunity.

Integrations include Chat Master, PandaDoc, SharePoint, Jira, Calendly, Zoom, Shopify, Asterisk, Microsoft Teams, Zapier, Quickbooks, SAP BusinessOne, and more.

Best for comprehensive project oversight

  • Free demo available
  • Pricing upon request
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Rating: 4.1/5

Now an Adobe company, Workfront aims to unlock organizational productivity at the enterprise level.

Why I picked Adobe Workfront: I chose Adobe Workfront primarily for its process management software, which prioritizes requests, assigns work to teams, and automates approvals. From onboarding to delivery, digital assets are automatically built, reviewed, approved, and tagged to associated projects.

I also love how Workfront simplifies digital reviews and approvals, as well as providing real-time status updates. It accelerates content delivery by surfacing the correct information and tying project information to assets and social media, which I think makes it a great tool for working on large, enterprise-level projects.

Wrike Standout Features & Integrations

Features include pre-built templates, custom request forms, interactive Gantt charts, visual proofing, workflow automations, time tracking, project portfolio management, and dashboards.

Integrations. Wrike offers 400+ pre-built native integrations, including the most popular file management software from Microsoft, Google, and Dropbox, along with sales and marketing software from Salesforce and Marketo, and creative apps from Adobe.

Best for enterprise scalability

  • Free demo available
  • Pricing upon request
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Rating: 4.4/5

Integrify is a workflow management and automation software that helps you automate any business process without the use of code.

Why I picked Integrify: I chose Integrify for this list because it is a workflow solution that allows organizations to build automated processes, design dynamic forms, and create self-service portals. Integrify also helps track performance via reports and dashboards. I particularly love its audit trails feature, which makes it easy for teams to review activity and analyze problems.

This platform is designed for large and small businesses that need to implement rapidly and scale. Based on my research, I think the platform is especially suited to delivering better workflow process visibility in business areas such as IT, HR, sales, operations, and finance. The software is available in cloud, private cloud and on-premise configurations.

Integrify Standout Features & Integrations

Features include a process builder with a drag-and-drop environment, notes, comments, task dependency previews, multi-tiered approvals, reminders, and timeouts.

Integrations. Thanks to an open API, Integrify connects easily to ERP, CRM, and HRIS systems. This allows data to be moved freely between systems as part of any automated workflow.

Best for non-technical users

  • Free demo available
  • From $15/user/monthly
Visit Website
Rating: 4.3/5

Kissflow Workflow is a no-code workflow management and automation software that can help teams track and improve their processes and identify bottlenecks.

Why I picked Kissflow Workflow: I chose Kissflow Workflow for this list because the software's large bank of workflow templates that users can choose. You can can also opt to build your own. Additionally, the drag-and-drop form builder is accessible to people without coding experience, which I think makes it perfect for helping any type of team set up a standardized request process. Built with simplicity in mind, the software's visual workflows help give a high-level picture to spot opportunities to streamline or eliminate bottlenecks. I also like how Kissflow's pre-built reports can help teams track their productivity and efficiency over time.

Kissflow Workflow Standout Features & Integrations

Features include its workflow designer and SLA definitions you can create. The workflow designer makes it incredibly easy to diagram the flow of information and sequence of actions that lead to a specific outcome. The tool basically turns into a flowchart software that you can edit with conditions and multiple branches. Meanwhile, the SLAs caught my attention because you can establish fixed or formula-based SLAs that will make a step expire and push a user to take action.

Integrations includes many enterprise-friendly connectors like MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, DocuSign, Basecamp, Dropbox, Quickbooks, Google Workspace, and Slack. You can also build custom integrations using Kissflow APIs.

Best for developer-friendly interfaces

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $49/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

Camunda is a process orchestration solution that is mainly designed for end-to-end automation. It is an open-source workflow automation software solution that provides users with a simple yet highly intuitive drag-and-drop process builder. This feature makes the platform flexible enough for a wide variety of use cases.

Why I picked Camunda: This software is used by different types of businesses, ranging from media and entertainment to financial services. I particularly selected Camunda for this list because it is robust enough to facilitate endpoint diversity, meaning it can be utilized to implement various automation solutions across multiple possible endpoints. This includes different devices and systems, as well as key human resources.

Camunda's ability to handle complex logic with branching also caught my attention. It features advanced workflow patterns that enable technical and non-technical users to collaborate and design complex business processes and automated workflows.

Camunda has dynamic parallel execution as well, which allows for the organization and optimization of multiple tasks simultaneously. Camunda is powered by Zeebe’s cloud-native workflow and decision engine. I especially like how this enables dev teams to automate workflows and processes at scale with efficiency and speed. Zeebe is the workflow and decision engine that powers the latest iteration of the software; i.e., the Camunda Platform 8.

Camunda Standout Features & Integrations

Features include workflow management, BPMN modeling, automations, task management, process monitoring, user management, and third-party integrations/add-ons. 

Integrations include Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft SharePoint, Alfresco, Apache Kafka, RabbitMQ, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Signavio, Bizagi, and ProcesMaker.

Camunda is free for up to five modeling users.

The 10 Best Workflow Automation Software Comparison Chart

This comparison chart summarizes basic details about each of my top workflow automation software selections. You can view pricing details and the availability of free trials or demos side-by-side to help you find the best platform that works for your budget.

Tools Price
ClickUp From $7/user/month
Pneumatic Workflow From $99/month (unlimited users)
Qntrl From $8/user/month
Miro From $8/user/month (billed annually)
Jotform From $39/user/month
Studio Creatio From $25/user/month
Adobe Workfront Pricing upon request
Integrify Pricing upon request
Kissflow Workflow From $15/user/monthly
Camunda Platform From $49/month
Compare Software Specs Side by Side

Compare Software Specs Side by Side

Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.

Compare Software

Other Tools

  1. Boomi Flow

    For low-code workflow automation

  2. Kissflow

    An end-to-end workflow platform offering painless inter-process integrations

  3. Height

    For agencies to manage projects across different teams

  4. Integrately

    For an AI automation builder

  5. CRM Creatio

    For customer and sales-related workflows

  6. monday.com

    For PMOs looking to standardize processes

  7. Smartsheet

    For a dynamic workspace with advanced workflow automation features

  8. SysAid

    For IT service management

  9. Hive

    Workflow automation software for beginners

  10. Kantata

    Workflow automation tools for professional services organizations

Workflow Automation FAQs

Find answers to common questions about this topic.

What's Next?

If you want to dig deeper into the logic behind workflow automation tools, I suggest you read our ultimate guide on workflows and workflow diagrams for project managers.

Also, make sure you subscribe to the Digital Project Manager newsletter. You’ll get fascinating insights into this fast-moving world, together with the information you need to stay on top of your professional game. 

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