Top 40 Commercial Alternatives to RPA Tools (UiPath)
Introduction
UiPath is one of the most recognizable names in Robotic Process Automation (RPA). Emerging in the early 2010s, it helped popularize the concept of software robots that mimic human actions on computer interfaces to automate repetitive tasks. UiPath quickly gained traction because it paired an approachable visual designer with a robust execution engine and enterprise-grade orchestration, making RPA accessible to both technical and non-technical users.
The UiPath platform typically includes:
Studio (and StudioX) for designing automations with a visual, activity-based approach,
Robots (attended and unattended) for execution,
Orchestrator for scheduling, monitoring, and governance,
Integrations for CI/CD and enterprise systems.
Strengths that made UiPath widely adopted include its rich library of activities, integration with common business apps, .NET extensibility, and strong ecosystem support. It also evolved beyond classic RPA, supporting test automation for desktop and web, enabling regression UI testing that piggybacks on RPA skills and assets.
However, as automation needs diversify—spanning web, mobile, APIs, performance, visual validation, and production monitoring—teams often look beyond a single platform. Some need specialized capabilities (e.g., visual AI), others want cloud-native test execution, and many seek tools that better match their stack or governance model. This is where alternatives come in.
Overview: The Top 40 Commercial Alternatives to UiPath
Here are the top 40 alternatives covered in this guide:
Applitools Eyes
Applitools for Mobile
Automation Anywhere
BitBar
BlazeMeter
Blue Prism
BrowserStack Automate
Burp Suite (Enterprise)
Checkly
Cypress Cloud
Datadog Synthetic Tests
Eggplant Test
Functionize
Happo
IBM Rational Functional Tester
Kobiton
LambdaTest
LoadRunner
Mabl
Micro Focus Silk Test
Microsoft Playwright Testing
NeoLoad
New Relic Synthetics
Percy
Perfecto
Pingdom
Ranorex
ReadyAPI
Repeato
Sahi Pro
Sauce Labs
Squish
TestCafe Studio
TestComplete
Testim
Tricentis Tosca
UFT One (formerly QTP)
Virtuoso
Waldo
testRigor
Why Look for UiPath Alternatives?
Cost and licensing complexity: Enterprise RPA licensing can be expensive and may not align with smaller teams or specific project scopes focused on testing rather than business process automation.
Overhead for pure testing: UiPath is RPA-first. Using it solely for regression UI testing can add setup and maintenance overhead compared to test-first tools.
Test flakiness if poorly structured: RPA-style flows may be brittle without strong locator strategies and abstraction. Some testing platforms offer self-healing or ML-enhanced selectors to counter this.
Desktop-first skillset: While UiPath supports web and API tests, teams deeply invested in web/mobile development may prefer tools tailored to those technologies and workflows.
Infrastructure and orchestration: Managing robots, VMs, and environments for large-scale test execution can be complex; many testing platforms offer cloud-native runners and device labs that minimize ops.
Detailed Breakdown of Alternatives
Below you’ll find concise summaries of each alternative, its core strengths, and how it compares to UiPath.
1) Applitools Eyes
Applitools Eyes (by Applitools) is an AI-powered visual testing platform for web, mobile, and desktop, known for its Visual AI and Ultrafast Grid for parallel cross-browser rendering.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Not an RPA platform. Best used alongside functional tests to validate visual correctness. Ideal if look-and-feel consistency is critical.
2) Applitools for Mobile
Applitools for Mobile extends Visual AI to iOS and Android, integrating with frameworks like Appium.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Focuses on visual quality for mobile apps, complementing rather than replacing RPA. Better fit for mobile app teams needing robust visual checks.
3) Automation Anywhere
Automation Anywhere is a comprehensive RPA platform with overlap into testing.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: A direct RPA competitor. Choice often comes down to ecosystem fit, governance preferences, and cost. Similar strengths and maintenance considerations.
4) BitBar
BitBar (by SmartBear) is a cloud device/browser lab for web and mobile testing on real hardware.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Not an RPA suite. Ideal for offloading device/browser infrastructure and scaling UI test execution.
5) BlazeMeter
BlazeMeter (by Perforce) is a SaaS platform for performance and load testing across web, APIs, and protocols.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Focused on performance, not RPA or UI flows. Complements functional testing by validating scalability and reliability.
6) Blue Prism
Blue Prism (by SS&C Blue Prism) is an enterprise RPA platform well-suited to repeatable UI workflows.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Another top-tier RPA choice. Consider where your team prefers Blue Prism’s modeling approach and governance.
7) BrowserStack Automate
BrowserStack Automate is a cloud grid for cross-browser and real-device automation.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Not an RPA environment. Great for QA/dev teams focused on web and mobile automation at scale.
8) Burp Suite (Enterprise)
Burp Suite Enterprise (by PortSwigger) automates dynamic application security scanning (DAST).
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Targets security testing, not process automation. Essential for web app security posture alongside functional automation.
9) Checkly
Checkly is a modern monitoring and testing platform for headless browser checks and APIs, built around Playwright and “checks as code.”
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Purpose-built for web/app reliability and monitoring. Not for desktop RPA; great for modern web stacks.
10) Cypress Cloud
Cypress Cloud (by Cypress.io) adds parallelization, flake detection, and insights to Cypress tests.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Tailored for web front-end testing with Cypress. Not applicable for desktop RPA scenarios.
11) Datadog Synthetic Tests
Datadog Synthetics provides browser and API checks with deep observability integration.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Focuses on reliability monitoring and light-weight E2E checks, not full RPA or desktop automation.
12) Eggplant Test
Eggplant Test (by Keysight) is model-based and uses computer vision to drive automation across desktop, web, and mobile.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Closer to RPA-style UI control via CV, but oriented toward testing with model-based design. Strong for heterogeneous UI ecosystems.
13) Functionize
Functionize is an AI-assisted E2E testing platform for web and mobile.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Designed for test automation, not general RPA. Good for teams wanting AI-driven stability on web/mobile.
14) Happo
Happo focuses on visual regression testing for web UI components in CI workflows.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: A niche visual tool for component libraries; complements functional automation rather than replacing RPA.
15) IBM Rational Functional Tester
IBM RFT is a legacy enterprise UI automation tool covering desktop and web.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Testing-focused rather than RPA, with strong legacy app coverage. Less low-code than UiPath’s recorder-centric approach.
16) Kobiton
Kobiton provides real device testing for mobile apps with automation support.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Not an RPA suite. Ideal if your priority is mobile device coverage and reliability.
17) LambdaTest
LambdaTest is a cross-browser and mobile testing cloud.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Testing infrastructure provider, not an RPA platform. Excellent for scaling web/mobile test suites.
18) LoadRunner
LoadRunner (by OpenText) is an enterprise performance and load testing suite.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Performance-focused; complements functional or RPA automation by validating non-functional requirements.
19) Mabl
Mabl is a low-code, AI-augmented testing platform for web and APIs.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Built for testing, not RPA. Strong fit for teams wanting low-code web/API automation without desktop requirements.
20) Micro Focus Silk Test
Silk Test (by OpenText) is a long-standing enterprise functional UI testing tool.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: A testing tool versus an RPA suite; often preferred for legacy enterprise app automation in testing contexts.
21) Microsoft Playwright Testing
Microsoft’s managed Playwright Testing service runs Playwright tests at scale in the cloud.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Web-testing only and code-first. Ideal if your teams have adopted Playwright and want scalable cloud runs.
22) NeoLoad
NeoLoad (by Tricentis) is an enterprise load and performance testing platform.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Non-functional performance focus, not RPA. Great complement to functional automation.
23) New Relic Synthetics
New Relic Synthetics offers scripted browser and API checks integrated with an observability platform.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Production monitoring and reliability-first. Not intended for desktop automation.
24) Percy
Percy (by BrowserStack) is a visual regression testing platform for web applications.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Visual-first and front-end centric. A complement to functional automation rather than a replacement.
25) Perfecto
Perfecto (by Perforce) is an enterprise device cloud for web and mobile testing.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Infrastructure and analytics for testing; not an RPA platform. Useful for scaling and standardizing test execution environments.
26) Pingdom
Pingdom (by SolarWinds) provides uptime and transactional monitoring for websites and APIs.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Monitoring and simple flows vs. full RPA or deep testing. Ideal for production readiness checks.
27) Ranorex
Ranorex is a codeless/scripted E2E testing tool for desktop, web, and mobile, with a strong Windows focus.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Closer to testing-first needs while still strong for desktop UI. Good alternative if you want .NET-based authoring without full RPA overhead.
28) ReadyAPI
ReadyAPI (by SmartBear) is a comprehensive API testing suite for REST, SOAP, and GraphQL.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Backend-focused; pairs well with UI or RPA tools by validating APIs independently and early.
29) Repeato
Repeato is a codeless, computer-vision-based mobile testing tool for iOS and Android.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Mobile-first testing, not general RPA. Attractive for teams prioritizing resilient mobile UI automation.
30) Sahi Pro
Sahi Pro (by Tyto Software) is an E2E UI testing tool for web and desktop, known for enterprise web apps.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Testing-focused; can be simpler to maintain for web E2E than RPA-style flows.
31) Sauce Labs
Sauce Labs provides a large cloud grid for web and mobile testing on real devices and emulators.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Cloud infrastructure for tests, not RPA. Helps teams standardize and scale execution.
32) Squish
Squish (by froglogic, part of The Qt Group) specializes in GUI testing for Qt/QML, embedded, desktop, and web.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: A go-to for Qt/embedded ecosystems. Not RPA; focused on GUI test automation in specialized environments.
33) TestCafe Studio
TestCafe Studio (by DevExpress) is a codeless IDE for web UI testing based on TestCafe.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Web-only and test-first; simpler to adopt for front-end teams than a general RPA tool.
34) TestComplete
TestComplete (by SmartBear) is a codeless/scripted E2E test tool for desktop, web, and mobile.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: A strong general-purpose test automation platform with less RPA overhead. Good for organizations focused on QA engineering.
35) Testim
Testim (by SmartBear) is an AI-assisted web testing tool with self-healing locators.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Test-focused and web-centric; faster to maintain for web UIs compared to RPA-style scripts.
36) Tricentis Tosca
Tricentis Tosca is a model-based enterprise test automation platform with strong SAP support.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Test automation platform with enterprise depth. Often preferred where SAP and packaged app testing dominate.
37) UFT One (formerly QTP)
UFT One (by OpenText) is a long-standing enterprise GUI automation tool for desktop and web.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Testing-first with deep legacy coverage; less suited for full business process orchestration than RPA.
38) Virtuoso
Virtuoso is an AI-assisted testing platform for web and mobile with natural language authoring.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Aimed at E2E testing with NL-based scripting; not an RPA platform, but appealing for teams who want fast authoring.
39) Waldo
Waldo is a no-code mobile testing platform for iOS and Android with cloud execution.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Mobile testing only; great for app teams wanting code-free authoring and scale without RPA complexity.
40) testRigor
testRigor is a natural-language E2E testing platform for web and mobile.
Strengths:
Compared to UiPath: Testing-centric, not RPA. Ideal if you want business-readable tests with minimal coding.
Things to Consider Before Choosing an Alternative
Project scope and platforms: Do you need desktop automation, or are web/mobile/API your primary targets? RPA tools differ from test-first tools in strengths and trade-offs.
Authoring approach: Visual low-code vs. code-first. Consider your team’s skill set and the complexity of flows you need to maintain.
Locator strategy and resilience: Self-healing, ML-based selectors, or model-based testing can reduce flakiness and maintenance costs.
Execution speed and scalability: Cloud device/browser grids and managed runners can dramatically shorten feedback cycles.
CI/CD integration: Ensure your choice supports your pipelines (build tools, environments, secrets, notifications, and analytics).
Debugging and observability: Look for rich artifacts (videos, screenshots, network logs), flake detection, and integration with monitoring/APM tools.
Governance and compliance: For enterprise or regulated environments, evaluate role-based access, audit logs, approvals, and data residency.
Ecosystem and support: Availability of SDKs, plugins, marketplace assets, and professional support or success services.
Total cost of ownership: Factor in licenses, infrastructure, maintenance effort, and training—not just sticker price.
Future-proofing: Roadmap alignment with your stack (e.g., Playwright, mobile, SAP), and support for AI-assisted maintenance.
Conclusion
UiPath remains a powerful, widely adopted platform—especially for business process automation that spans desktop applications, legacy systems, and repeatable workflows. It also serves as a capable foundation for regression UI automation, particularly in Windows/macOS environments where .NET extensibility and visual authoring help teams move quickly.
Yet many teams now need specialized capabilities: visual AI for pixel-perfect UIs; mobile device clouds for real hardware coverage; code-first frameworks with blazing-fast cloud runners; performance, security, and synthetic monitoring in production; or model- and AI-driven test maintenance at scale. That’s where the alternatives in this guide shine.
If you prioritize RPA at enterprise scale, consider peers like Automation Anywhere or Blue Prism.
For web and mobile testing at scale, cloud grids such as BrowserStack Automate, Sauce Labs, LambdaTest, BitBar, and Perfecto can standardize and accelerate execution.
For web test authoring and reliability, platforms like TestComplete, Tricentis Tosca, Mabl, Testim, and testRigor offer strong self-healing and low-code options.
If visual quality is paramount, Applitools Eyes and Percy can catch what functional tests miss.
For mobile-first teams, Kobiton, Waldo, and Repeato provide streamlined device coverage and codeless authoring.
For performance and production reliability, BlazeMeter, LoadRunner, NeoLoad, Datadog Synthetics, New Relic Synthetics, and Pingdom fit naturally into DevOps workflows.
Selecting the right tool comes down to your primary goals, technology stack, and organizational constraints. In some cases, the best answer is a combination: keep UiPath where it excels and augment it with specialized tools for web, mobile, performance, and visual validation. This layered approach often delivers the best coverage, velocity, and maintainability for modern quality and automation teams.
Sep 24, 2025