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Best business automation software in 2025


The way we do business has shifted with the widespread use of AI-powered tools and software to help streamline workflows. That’s where business process automation software comes in – it helps with everything from scheduling to task management, error handling, and performance monitoring.

With intelligent features, BPA tools are an all-around solution for managing workflow and production efficiently. Of course, every company has a specific set of goals and projects, and that’s why this guide will benefit yours. My team of Cybernews experts and I have prepared an all-in guide to recommend a dozen solutions that will elevate any business.

Best business automation software – shortlist

Sara Mircevska inga_valiaugaite_author Dylan Sheedy
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The best business automation software compared

To help you find a perfect fit for your business, I get into my picks for the best business process automation tools shortly. Before that, take a peek at my head-to-head table to see how they all stack up against each other in key comparison criteria:

Tool Best forPricingKey featuresCustomization capabilities
PagerDutyMidsize companies in need of workflow automation, incident resolution, and risk reductionFrom $125/month to higher-tier plans on requestAutomated audits and compliance monitoring, integrated incident response protocols, employee productivity levelsCustom AI-powered automation, incident management, customer service ops
DigitateRetailers and enterprises in need of intelligent data automationPricing plans on request depending on service Automated ROI calculations, generative AI automation featuresProactive task optimization, customizable alerts, incident handling
ActiveBatchIT companies looking for an all-in-one scheduling and automation tool Pricing plans on request Dashboard task scheduling Task scheduler and execution queues
HootsuiteSocial media marketing companies From $149/user/month to $299/user/month (custom plans available on request)Automated social media posting, posting speed and impression analysisAutomatic post publisher, posting details, calendars
AsanaMarketing and IT companies in need of a workflow planner toolFree personal plan available, subscription plans from $10.99/month to $24.99/month, enterprise plans available on request Shared calendar dashboard with team assignments and messages, milestone tracking with status updatesCompany goals dashboard, project tracking with progress details
ShopifyeCommerce businesses in need of a complete platform solutionFrom $39/month to $2300/monthDetailed and fully automated insights on products, sales, and consumers, fast checkout Optimized ordering and checkout, customizable sales features
HubSpotSales-oriented companies looking for marketing and customer service supportOperations software plans available from $720/month to $2000/monthIntegrated CRM features, automated lead generation and marketingCustom AI-powered service and sales hubs
Slack IT, management, and other companies in need of a full workspace platformFrom $8.75/user/month to $15/user/month, additional charges for Slack’s AI, enterprise plans available on requestAutomated workspace notifications, direct messaging, productivity toolsCustom workspace optimization
MailchimpCompanies looking for email and SMS marketing toolsFree plan available; subscriptions start from $13/month to $350/monthAutomated marketing campaigns like the customer journey builder, email template helperCustom marketing and email campaigns
Google Analytics Website and app owners looking for a performance tracker toolFree plan available, 360 subscription from $50,000/yearReal-time performance reports, automation-focused machine learning models Custom website or app-based insights
Intercom Companies in need of a fully automated customer service solutionFrom $0.99/resolution to $139/user/monthDirect website integration, AI-driven workload performance tracking Custom service and analytics features
ZapierSmall and midsize companies looking for full AI workload automation, lead management, and sales assistanceFree plan available, subscriptions from $20/month to $100/monthIntegration with other tools like Slack or Asana, predetermined interfaces for building apps, forms, and web pagesCustom integrations with over 7000 apps

12 best business automation software – our detailed list

Now that you’ve got the basic idea of the services that business process automation tools provide, I can move on and explain why I’ve listed each of these as my top picks. Below, I’ve outlined each option's best use cases, features, benefits, and other quirks.

1. PagerDuty – my pick for the best business automation tool overall

PagerDuty banner
Best for:Midsize companies
Free trial:Available (14-day application trial)
Starting price:From $125/month
Top features: AI-powered business automation tools, workflow dashboards, incident management systems

PagerDuty is my top pick for business automation software because it seamlessly integrates workflow management, scheduling, and monitoring functions. Basically, it offers a multitude of software tools in a single solution, starting with its automated job scheduling for recurring tasks and runbooks.

Through centralized timetables, PagerDuty ensures that your company’s critical workflows are delivered quickly and effectively across distributed environments. It also acts as a workflow planner with features like parallel job execution, prioritizing time-sensitive tasks and ensuring dynamic workflow allocation. In other words, its AI-powered system helps you achieve peak productivity through perfect task scheduling.

That’s not the only feature that uses PagerDuty’s AI; it also offers forecasts, detects anomalies, and delivers other insights. Together with real-time project tracking and optimization monitoring, it is the perfect combo for optimizing your workflow. Plus, I liked its customizable dashboards, which are visually appealing and drive much more focus than platforms like Asana, with rather dull designs.

2. Digitate – best AI-powered enterprise-level BPA tool

Digitate banner
Best for:Retailers and enterprises
Free trial:Demo available on request
Starting price:Pricing plans on request depending on service
Top features: Proactive task optimization, data insights and alerts, incident handling toolkit

Digitate’s Ignio workload management is among the best process automation tools for multi-step workloads and batch scheduling. Its built-in AI provides live insights into job statuses, key performance metrics, and troubleshooting for swift incident response times.

It also lets you customize your workflows using DevOps practices and runbooks. It’s the best performance analysis tool I could find, featuring historical overviews of runtimes, error rates, and resource usage. In addition to providing all these reports, it delivers insights to help you boost performance.

Digitate also offers industry-leading AI and ML capabilities based on case detection, providing accurate information based on machine learning. It’s also one of the very few providers of AI for IT operations with a hybrid cloud environment, meaning it’s exceptionally safe for data storage.

3. ActiveBatch – best for workload mapping and execution queues

ActiveBatch
Best for:IT companies
Free trial:Demo available on request
Starting price:Pricing plans on request
Top features: Scheduling tasks and execution queues

Using ActiveBatch is like having multiple business process automation applications at once. It all starts with the simple-looking task scheduling layout packed with useful features, like the step editor, which allows employees to see their objectives in a map view.

It also provides administrative, development, and operational views, as well as dynamic reports with real-time updates. However, what caught my eye was the flexible API adapter, which allows you to connect with just about any tool in your stack.

For instance, this API feature of ActiveBatch features SAP NetWeaver, Microsoft’s Task Scheduler, and Oracle’s Job Scheduler via integrations. It also has a secure database solution, security and auditing features, and execution endpoints properties.

4. Hootsuite – best for social media marketing businesses with posting schedules

hootsuite banner
Best for:Social media marketing companies
Free trial:Available (30-day free trial)
Starting price:From $149/user/month
Top features: Automatic post publishing, posting calendar feature

Hootsuite is an all-in-one tool for social media marketing optimization and automation. I had to include it because of its unique features, such as automated posting, custom posting schedules, and social media calendars.

You can also use it to analyze social media performance in detail. For instance, you can check your post reach or see the number of page impressions by date. Other metrics, like the engagement rate, are also available to help you grow your social media business based on factual insights.

It’s not a standard IT business automation software, but it’s very useful for social media. I’d also point out the robust analytics system based on paid and organic traffic reporting and competitor benchmarking. Regarding usability, Hootsuite is unprecedented with its custom reports and templates.

5. Asana – simple and efficient option for task assignment and progress tracking

Asana banner
Best for:Marketing and IT companies
Free trial:Available
Starting price:Free personal plan available, subscription plans from $10.99/month
Top features: Company goals dashboards, project tracking with progress details

Asana is among the best IT process automation tools for project tracking, scheduling, assignments, and company goal status tracking. It has a wide application in marketing, operations, IT, and sales companies, and I liked its easy-to-use layout.

On the other hand, some might say it’s too simple, even dull, although it has recently undergone some updates. You’ll easily recognize the simplistic project tracker with colorful status options that employees and project managers can use to organize ongoing and upcoming tasks.

One of their recently added features is progress tracking with a visual bar display, which helps with performance monitoring. Overall, Asana’s most significant advantages are its user-friendly design, affordable pricing, and various integrations, such as Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Slack, Jira Cloud, and BetterCloud.

6. Shopify – ultimate eCommerce automation tool

Shopify banner IT management tools
Best for:eCommerce businesses
Free trial:Available (3-day free trial)
Starting price:From $39/month
Top features: Optimized ordering and checkout, customizable sales features

Shopify is the best eCommerce tool with proven results. Although it earns a commission from sales and has rather costly subscription plans, its highly effective marketing strategies make it well worth the investment. It’s a smart business process automation solution for both beginners and larger teams with experience in eCommerce.

It can be used for online, in-person, direct, and bulk sales. Thanks to its multichannel integration, you can see where shoppers look for similar products and use that information to create a custom sales strategy.

It also has the best checkout system in the world, and that’s not just my personal impression – it’s proven by millions of users. It allows you to customize your sales and reach a wider audience through features like built-in discount codes.

As the cherry on top, it has a versatile dashboard with insights on products, customers, finances, and detailed analytics. That said, it’s not really effective for conventional business management outside of the eCommerce sphere.

7. HubSpot – the most versatile end-to-end business automation platform

Hubspot banner
Best for:Sales-oriented businesses
Free trial:Available (14-day free trial)
Starting price:From $720/month to $2000/month
Top features: Custom AI-powered service and sales hubs

As an all-in-one IT process automation software, HubSpot offers a marketing hub, sales section, service hub, and content center. It gives you all the puzzle pieces to uplift your business with sophisticated automation or build it from scratch.

In addition, it offers a discounted Small Business Bundle for those just starting their online business. This bundle is important because HubSpot is not a cheap platform and can become particularly expensive when you factor in onboarding fees. However, the price is mostly justified through workload management and sales.

It’s also worth mentioning its marketing hub, which is easily among the best I’ve found, right up there with Shopify. However, if you don’t intend to use the Operations Hub but instead use the platform to build your business, it’s not as effective. I’ve found numerous complaints regarding limited design customization and overall flexibility.

8. Slack – best online workspace tool

Slack banner
Best for:IT, management, and other companies in need of a complete workspace platform
Free trial:Free plan available
Starting price:From $8.75/user/month
Top features: Custom workspace optimization

Instead of trying to be an all-in-one tool like HubSpot, Slack mainly offers services in which it truly excels, such as workspace creation. It’s a perfect collaboration tool for remote teams, with thousands of integrations, including Adobe Express, Google Drive, Jira Cloud, Salesforce, and Asana.

It provides a seamless interface, allows users to create a custom workspace, and connects employees with managers and clients. While it doesn’t include many business automation features, it does have a Workflow Builder tool that generates AI-automated workflows without coding.

Slack’s AI requires an additional subscription at around $10 more than the regular price. You can also use it for crafting schedules, and it’s a great option when combined with other apps and integrations.

9. Mailchimp – best for email and SMS marketing campaigns

Mailchimp banner
Best for:Marketing and sales companies
Free trial:Available (14-day free trial)
Starting price:Starting priceFree plan available; subscriptions start from $13/month
Top features: Custom marketing and email campaigns

Among all the automation software solutions I’ve tested, Mailchimp is the only one that offers messaging campaigns. It also has a state-of-the-art template for managing email marketing campaigns, and it’s very useful in that sense with proven results.

It has several standout traits and features that will help your brand's voice be heard. For instance, you can use the built-in conversion tool to convert leads into sales. You can also target consumers by behavioral patterns, which is something I’ve only seen on Shopify.

Furthermore, Mailchimp allows you to import your existing contacts from other platforms and create a strategy with proven results. You can do this through Shopify or other options like Salesforce.

10. Google Analytics – best free option for performance monitoring

Google Analytics banner
Best for:Website and app owners
Free trial:Free mode available
Starting price:Starting priceFree plan available, 360 subscription from $50,000/year
Top features: Custom website insights

I have to say that Google Analytics isn’t your typical business process automation platform. It’s more of a website performance tracking tool, but I’ve included it for a reason. It’s perfect for businesses that rely on their website and brand recognition, providing clear performance and ranking insights. It allows you to develop a custom strategy and boost your brand’s visibility.

Although quite expensive, the paid plan offers some more advanced Google features. It’s mainly an enterprise solution that, through precision-based insights, has the potential to change how you use your site or app and attract new customers.

Google Analytics uses predictive behavior analysis, which is excellent for crafting custom branding strategies. Its main features include better Google Ads integration, data collection and management, and intelligent analytics.

11. Intercom – best automated customer service solution

Intercom banner
Best for:Companies in need of a fully automated customer service solution
Free trial:Available (14-day free trial)
Starting price:From $0.99/resolution
Top features: Custom service and analytics features

For those in need of support-focused business automation solutions, I’ve added Intercom to the list. It’s a perfect option for an AI-powered, human-quality AI agent with help desk integration. It is also designed to blend in as a support channel on existing websites and apps, making it a perfect fit for different businesses.

It also features omnichannel customer service and a help center guiding customers to find answers to burning questions. On the other hand, it also has performance tracking based on AI insights, boosting the optimization and output of support tools.

Multiple testing options allow you to see the demo and get a free trial on request. Pricing plans are reasonable, starting at $0.99 and going up to relatively affordable amounts, considering that it’s an enterprise-grade solution.

12. Zapier – best business automation tool for integrations

Zapier banner
Best for:Small and midsize companies
Free trial:Available (14-day free trial)
Starting price:Free plan available, subscriptions from $20/month
Top features: Custom integrations with over 7000 apps

Zapier is among the best business process automation software solutions for its high-output automation features and various automations. In fact, it features the highest amount of integrated apps I’ve seen while doing my research on process automation software companies.

It offers Zaps, which provide free, built-in templates and app integrations like Google Drive, Facebook, Asana, Dropbox, and Slack. It’s entirely up to you as to how you’ll be using this major benefit. For instance, if you get a new Salesforce opportunity, you can use Slack to notify the right rep.

Zapier also features predetermined interfaces for building apps, forms, and web pages. It can also be used as an assistant for workflow automation and AI-powered support.

How did we select the best business automation software

To bring you the best business process automation companies, I’ve considered various applications like scheduling, orchestration, intelligent automation, monitoring, and integrations. That’s just scratching the surface, so I’ve come up with a unique methodology to blend in all those aspects and evaluate each option:

  1. User reviews (15%). One focus point for reviewing BPA software was existing user reviews. I mainly looked at Trustpilot ratings and comments in forum threads regarding job execution, workflow management efficiency, error and incident handling, and cross-platform integration. I only included options that were praised by at least 90% of users.
  2. Features (35%). I also checked the features of hundreds of business process automation tool picks to narrow the list to a few worthy solutions. To make it easier, I grouped them into categories, such as automated job scheduling and tracking, intelligent automation and monitoring, integrations and scalability, and reporting.
  3. Scalability (15%). Scalability is another key factor in my ratings. My goal was to provide you with solutions that would stand the test of time and grow with your company. That’s why I checked API plugins, self-service portals, app integrations, and general system compatibility.
  4. Customer support (10%). Of course, excellent business automation platforms also need responsive support. I encountered some seemingly great tools, but users complained about sluggish support. So, I skipped those and focused on software companies that take care of their users.
  5. Use cases (25%). Finally, I wanted to include an array of options for different use cases. From customer support-based options like Intercom to eCommerce and marketing campaign tools like Mailchimp and Shopify, I’ve included it all. Of course, I’ve also given you a few ideas for end-to-end business automation solutions like ActiveBatch and PagerDuty.

What are business process automation tools?

Business automation software solutions help streamline tasks and assignments across different sections of the company. They include IT automation, workflow and HR process streamlining, and automatic customer support. Most importantly, these tools excel in project tracking and workforce optimization via automated progress trackers and dynamic adjustments.

In other words, automated processes manage job execution schedules, priority tasks, and organization to avoid bottlenecks. PagerDuty and ActiveBatch include dashboards with visual overviews of automated features, insights, progress, and monitoring.

The goal is to reduce execution time and relieve the workforce through systematic scheduling and organization. In other words, complex algorithms and AI tools use historical data and real-time insights to bump up your company’s operational efficiency.

It all comes down to achieving more through automated processes. It’s like having a super project manager who can keep up with every piece of information related to a company's projects, workload, contracts, and support. Of course, the definition of digital process automation platforms is extensive due to the variety of different tools. Some are end-to-end solutions, while others only provide features for specific use cases, as I’ve outlined before.

What types of business automation software exist?

Thanks to the abovementioned diversity of business process automation software vendors, you can choose from an array of BPA tools. Here are some of the most prominent ones:

  • IT automation software. This type of automated business tool deals with almost every process in an IT company, from task scheduling to risk management, support, and patch management. It ensures that vendor-issued updates are kept in check and fixes potential errors via incident management systems.
  • Workflow automation tool. Workflow automation tools like Asana help with task assignments and tracking project progress. They also allow managers to conveniently assign and manage projects with features like workflow maps and status updates.
  • HR and payroll automation. HR process automation software mainly helps with recruitment processes and processing payroll, job applications, contracts, and financial details.
  • Customer support automation. A customer support process automation tool like Intercom handles everything from support queries to help center organization and resolutions. Such software usually uses AI-powered solutions to fully automate support systems and provide human-level service at a fraction of the cost.
  • Marketing automation. Last but not least, tools like Shopify, HubSpot, and Hootsuite offer great marketing capabilities and help businesses reach a broader audience of customers. Some tools, like Mailchimp, even feature email and SMS marketing campaigns, so you can choose an option that best suits your company’s needs.

Benefits of using business automation software

The main benefit of using the services of business process automation vendors is to optimize workflow and boost efficiency. However, that’s just the primary goal, and these are some of the main benefits that you might appreciate along the way:

  • Time efficiency. The best business process management software should significantly reduce the time needed to organize workflows and complete assignments. It automates repetitive tasks and eliminates the need for workers to schedule and plan manually.
  • Reduces human errors. Workflow consistency is another benefit of the best business process automation tools. Even in the case of a mistake or incident, the robust software solutions I’ve listed cope with issues and ensure the workflow remains smooth. For instance, tools like Asana offer whole maps of workflow activities and tasks.
  • Increases productivity. Business software automation tools also manage productivity and reduce the chance of bottlenecks and workflow delays. I recommend PagerDuty, which features visually appealing and easy-to-understand workflow charts.
  • Enhances compliance. Regulatory compliance and security standards are also crucial in the IT sphere and other business sectors. The tools listed in this guide will help you stay informed about the latest standards and certificates.
  • Improves customer support experience. Finally, tools like Intercom fully automate your company’s support service. These tools can now provide support on par with real human service through automatic responses based on machine learning.

How to choose the right business automation software for my needs

Now that I’ve given you a tour of everything from enterprise process automation software to specific automation tools and small business options, it’s time to show you how to pick the best one for your needs:

  • Identify your automation needs. The first step in choosing process automation tools is determining which segment of your business needs to be optimized for efficiency. For instance, if I were looking for an end-to-end solution, I would pick PagerDuty. It offers the whole package: AI-powered workflow automation, incident management tools, risk reduction, and customer service ops. However, if I needed a support-only option, I’d go with Intercom.
  • Check integration capabilities. Integration capabilities are also critical to connecting all the process automation platform services and getting a complete solution. For this reason, I’d recommend Zapier, with over 7000 integrations, or Slack if I needed a workspace option.
  • Consider pricing and scalability. One more thing you’ll need to consider is the pricing. Of course, this one also depends on other aspects, such as your automation needs. Slack has a free plan without AI features if you require an online workspace solution, but it only saves messages from the past 90 days. Similarly, Mailchimp can be pretty affordable in its basic form. On the other hand, enterprise solutions like PagerDuty have much higher pricing on request.
  • Look for AI and workflow automation. Nowadays, tools like Digitate and Intercom feature AI-optimized solutions, so it’s always handy to go with one offering the latest AI models.
  • Evaluate user experience and support. Ultimately, you should check user reviews and ratings to determine whether a tool is worth using. I recommend using Trustpilot and other reputable rating platforms, as well as visiting a few related forums.

Final word on the best business automation software

Well, that settles it for my guide on the best tools to automate business processes in your company. The only thing left to say is that you should select based on your company’s automation needs.

Sure, you can use PagerDuty or ActiveBatch even as a small business owner, but you probably won’t need such robust and expensive options. Instead, analyze the loopholes in your workflow and pick a business automation tool accordingly.

Together with my team at Cybernews, I’ve already compared them all based on user reviews and evaluations. So, feel free to use my guide to find the perfect fit.

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